When you begin planning an event, it all starts with your organization, group or team members. It is important to ask some critical questions:

• Does the the mission of your organization support sponsorship of an event?
• Is their enough support within your student organization to plan an upcoming event?
• What type of event will this be?
• Do you have enough time to plan this event?

These are all really important questions to ask as a group. It is important to begin the planning of your event with open eyes, as the rest of planning won’t be successful without an honest start!  Then the real planning begins...

• • Reservations
  • To make a reservation for your event in the Memorial Student Center, contact the MSC Reservations Office at mscreservations@uwstout.edu, 715.232.2000 or stop by 214 MSC.
• • Contracts
  • Are you bringing in an outside speaker, entertainer or program? Remember.....Student organizations are not authorized to enter into any sort of contract that uses SSA allocated funds. Entering into a contract in this way will make you personally liable! Please contact Emily Ascher (aschere@uwstout.edu, 232-4051, 117A MSC) for assistance with performance contracts. Processing time for contracts takes at least six weeks, so contact Emily early on!
• • Catering
  • Student organizations must go through UW-Stout Catering for food needs for their events or meetings. To place a catering order, contact Rod McRae at mcraer@uwstout.edu.
• • Sound & Lights
  • Your campus has support for events (some of the services for a fee and some of them free), but it is important to investigate all of your options and the needs for your events. Do you need a spotlight? A microphone? If you need a microphone does it need to be cordless or a lapel mic? Contact Event Services at the same time you make your reservation so that they are able to schedule staff at eventservices@uwstout.edu.
• • Room Set-Up
  • Don’t expect those scheduling the room for your event venue to be mind readers. Do you need round or square tables? Is the ideal set-up classroom style? Do you need an easel or projector? Make sure to clearly express your vision for the event, and if necessary provide a drawing of the layout. A majority of your on-campus events will take place in the Memorial Student Center, and are handled by our Reservations staff. They are happy to help in creating your complete vision for your event and layout the room and equipment needed for an ideal experience for your guests. Be sure to review your confirmation that will be emailed to you once your reservation has been set.
• • Parking
  • Parking for an event is important on two levels. Consider the location of your event, then picture the nearest free parking. Is the lot close to the event? Is the way finding to the event clear? Do you need to print signs leading to the event? Should you include parking information in your advertisement??Additionally, you need to consider securing parking for any of your guests during your event. Contact your campus parking office for assistance.
• • Risk Management
  • For many events, we can hope for the best out of students. However, it is important to be prepared. For event management it is important that you analyze your event for potential risk. There are physical and mental/emotional risks when planning an event. When a certain degree of risk is recognized it is important that all participants sign your campus risk awareness form. To ensure that you are able to track all participants who have signed their waivers, consider stamping their hands or providing wristbands to those who have signed.
• • Accessibility
  • Is your event accessible? The answer is probably not. Even event planners with the best intentions can miss the mark with planning for an accessible event. The first step is to contact disability services in regards to your event location and set-up. They may have tips and preventative measures that you can take and information on campus funds available to ensure that you are able to make your event as accessible as possible. These funds can help with things like hiring an interpreter when needed. To better prepare yourself for the unique needs at specific events, put contact information on your posters requesting that any participants with special needs contact your organization.
• • Weather
  • Is your event outside? Then you better have a pretty excellent backup plan. It is important to schedule for ANY outside event, either a rain site or day that the event will be moved to in case of rain. If you are bringing in an outside group or performer, it is important to make plans for inclement weather when discussing travel and payment. We live in Wisconsin and the winter weather can be unpredictable.
• • Permits
  • Permits and permission vary by city, campus and even individual building. Be sure that you do not need specific permissions or permits for food, sale of merchandise, group/gathering/protest permission or noise permits.
• • Crisis/Security Management
  • It is important to plan for the worst. Part of preventing the worst, is to secure police/security presence at your event. With proper preparations campus security can provide an officer. It is additionally important that you have enough of your own staff to monitor doors and exits to ensure the safety of all and any potential artist or guests you have on campus.
• • Signage
  • In addition to putting up signs to signify where your event is (from as far as the parking lot), there are other important signs that you may need for the day of the event. No food or drink - No Flash Photography - Please Turn Off Cellphones - Adult Content, Program Recommended for Mature Audiences Only - No Videos, etc.
• • Debriefing
  • So, your event is done, now you need to ensure that you can learn as much from this event as possible in order to ensure even greater successes for your future events. You need to honestly and critically evaluate the good AND bad of your most recent event, and as soon as possible. Discuss not only your efforts in regards to the event, but also the venue, service providers or band/speakers/guests who were a part of the event.Send Thanks You’s to those involved.
• • Evaluations
  • In addition to your own evaluation of the event, it is important to allow others to evaluate the event. Survey others through OrgSync, a Facebook pool or mass emailing. As in group evaluation, not only ask others to evaluate your actions, but the experience at the venue, with the particular set-up and exact performance. Be sure to offer up at least one open ended question in request for more information and allow evaluators to offer ideas for future events.

Random Acts of Marketing
There are a few “go to” marketing gimmicks, but be sure to think outside of the box.

• Facebook has several ways to integrate with marketing an event. Donate your status to for the day of &?“Tag” your page, event in your status. Or buy a Facebook ad. You’d be surprised at the number of clicks you get. Market on Unique Items
• Are you showing Bad Teacher, where the movie poster highlights an apple... work with dining services to advertise with stickers on cafeteria fruit. Print custom coffee sleeves for your lecture series. Hand out buttons for your cause, including details of the eventtra Credit
• Think through the majors, classes and then professors that would be willing to offer extra credit for attendance at your event! Use your resources
• Work with campus reservations to secure a display case, chalking, poster and table tent advertising. Don’t forget to create your event on OrgSync so that it can be submitted on the campus wide calendar!
• Sometimes the addition of funny hats or costumes while tabling on campus or attending other organization’s meeting will help make your event memorable.

Debriefing
So, your event is done, now you need to ensure that you can learn as much from this event as possible in order to plan for even greater successes for your future events. You need to honestly and critically evaluate the good AND bad of your most recent event, and as soon as possible. Discuss not only your efforts in regards to the event, but also the venue, service providers or band/speakers/guests who were a part of the event. Be sure to recognize them after the event by sending a thank you!

Evaluations
In addition to your own evaluation of the event, it is important to allow others to evaluate the event. Survey others through OrgSync, a Facebook pool or mass emailing. As in group evaluation, not only ask others to evaluate your actions, but the experience at the venue, with the particular set-up and exact performance. Be sure to offer up at least one open ended question in request for more information and allow evaluators to offer ideas for future events.