Get em there!

So I'm going to go back and detail a few of the steps that I took while working on the sendoff.  Today's lucky topic is marketing!

This is one of the more important parts of planning an event.  You can plan the coolest shin dig ever, but if you don't tell people; no one is going to be there.

So some tips for those of you with a low marketing budget:

1. Target your audience.  When deciding what type of event to plan, one of the things we talked about was making sure you knew who your target crowd was.  Use this information to help figure out how and where to market.  Whats the age range? Is there a particular interest among your target crowd? Where do they hang out? (If you are throwing a concert, then music stores are a good place to advertise) 

2.  Using this same information, what types of things appeal to them?  Would bright colors work better for the event? Is humor the best course?  Or do you want something more professional? What would attract more people for your type of event?

3. But diversify:  Don't be afraid to market outside of this zone to anywhere you think might get some foot traffic.

4. Use different mediums:  Fliers are underrated.  They do at least catch attention.  Facebook and social media are the new ways of getting anything out there.  Use them! If you aren't good with that type of thing, make a friend who is =).Other avenues include newspaper ads or articles, as well as local radio stations.  If your event is for a good cause many stations will promote it for free in their community events section. 

5.  Word of mouth: Don't ever underestimate this.  Make your friends and your partners, co-workers talk it up and get the people they know excited.  Its a chain. 

6.  Have a plan.  Develop a marketing strategy and know who is going to be in charge of what parts. 

7.  Be creative!  I've seen some really cool things done to market for events.  You could put the event title on balloons or other random objects and give them out.  You could dress someone up in a silly costume and have them hand things out.  Find something funky, fun and out of the box.

Senior Sendoff!

Hey !  So my event finally happened yesterday!

The day was beautiful and we had a pretty good turnout.  I was very happy with all of our volunteers and everyone that we worked with.  It was so great to see all the work that I put into this event come alive.  If you are interested, check out the article that was in URI's newspaper, The Good 5 Cent Cigar.

http://www.ramcigar.com/senior-send-off-event-held-for-students-soon-to-graduate-1.2189307

So Since I'm in the Event Evaluation phase I figured I would go over the types of questions to ask yourself when you finish up an event.  This is the event evaluation form that I created for the Student Programming Office.


1. What were our goals / opbjectives / expectations for this event?

2. Did we meet those goals / objectives / expectations with this event?

3. Did we meet our budgetary goals?

4. What could we have done differently to make the event better / more productive (number of volunteers,   preparation, management, advertising, professionalism, flow of the event)?

5. Did we face any group conflict with this program?  what was it? How was it resolved? What could we have done differently?

6. Would we bring this vendor / performer in again? Was it worth it? (financially or otherwise)

7.  Would we execute a similar program in the future? What changes would we make?

8. How does this program allow us to grow as a group, officers, and leaders?  Was it a good program?

The main course

Hey all sorry for the delay its been a CRAZY week.  But I'm back now for the meat of the planning. Yes that was intentional ;)

step 5: Programming

This includes whatever type of entertainment that you plan on having.  You can do so much with this.  If you are having a fundraiser you could use any of these options or many more.

You could hire entertainment of some kind.  There are many sites that offer performers, magicians, acrobats, live bands, to come in and perform for your event.  These can get rather pricey however, and you need to see what works in your budget.  You could hold a stand up contest, or hire a couple comedians.  A fun one that I have heard of and never gotten to try is a murder mystery dinner.  These aren't very hard to plan and  you could buy a kit online or just read the rules on a site and make the stuff up as you go.  With a fundraiser another good option might be too have a slideshow with pictures for the cause you are raising money for or have speakers address the group about the project or cause. Silent auctions (or the not so silent kind) can also be fun dinner entertainment if you have items that people would be willing to buy.  Many places will donate quality items for a good cause.  Just ask nicely!

If this banquet is more of a celebration dinner, slide shows are still a good idea but focused on the group and its members.  You could have departing members give speeches or perform 'roast'.  All of these things can be found online and you can get some how to do guides from there.  I'm sure I'll hit all of them eventually, but for now I would just so google them.  And keep in mind, these are only a couple of options, there is so much more you could do, just be creative! 

This is one site that offers a lot of great options in the Rhode Island area, There are many others:

                                                              http://funent.com/

A third option for a banquet is to make it an award ceremony.  In this case, you would need to create a timeline for the evening including how long any introductions are, if any important people need to give speeches, and how long you are giving them.  You need to know how many awards are being presented and the likely time of each award.  You need to order the awards (plaques; trophies; certificates; etc).

Step5 (part 2)
Once you decide what your doing, you need to organize it and fit it into your plan.  Because there are so many options I'm not going to go into each one, but I can give you some basic tips.  First, pick a form of entertainment.  Remember to consider your budget, your audience, and  your location when making this choice. 

When planning you need to come up with a timeline.  Figure out when you want the program to start, how long its going to go, and if there are things such as intermission.  You have to decide if you want it do be happening during dinner or after.  There are benifts to both.  Time constraints might mean you do both at the same time, but if a speech is really important, you would likely want to plan it while people are not eating.

You need to stay on top of things.  You need to keep in contact with whoever you are working with, outside companies and vendors etc.  Remind them of times and dates, handle contracts, and confirm payment methods.  Be clear about the time you expect them there to set up and if you have any requirements in regards to content (especially with comics and musicians!).  Make sure they have any equipment they need and make them be clear about what they expect you to provide.  This could range from microphones to lighting or just water for the performers.  Ask!

Make sure you handle your basic needs; tech stuff, microphones, projector if you plan on a slide show.  If you want publicity arrange for the press, or at least someone from your group to take pictures.  And if its a fundraiser of course remember to market, early, hard and to the right people.  

Without having a specific type of entertainment I can't give you too much more.  If you would like tips on working with any of my suggestions or an idea you have, let me know! I'd be glad to give my suggestions!

Well time to go catch up on life; wish me luck! TTFN

Banquet Dinners

Well Everyone, hope your all doing well.  Time for another event run down!  Last night was the A. Robert Rainville Leadership awards banquet for the university of rhode island.  I was not involved with planning this one, but did receive the award for outstanding student leadership.

I had a great time at this banquet and thought I would tell you how to plan one! 

First: why would you plan a banquet?  You could do it as a celebration (to close out a year, acknowledge seniors, or executives who might be leaving) or you could do it as a fundraiser.  To hold this event as a fundraiser the primary difference would be to charge each person who comes for a ticket.

Step One:
Pick a date:  Avoid holidays, or days that have other big things happening (superbowl for instance).  Have some back up dates in case you have trouble finding a location.

Step Two:
Reserve a Venue:  Consider size.  A fundraiser would likely require a larger area, a celebration is often more intimate.  Think of your expected attendance.  Some dinner Venues require you to use their catering services.  Compare prices and menus.  Find something that works for your budget.  Also consider tech needs.  If you would like to have a slide show or some other form of entertainment, you would like to ensure that your venue is equipped to handle it. 

Step Three:
Menu:  This can be done two ways.  You can have buffet style, or a more formal style in which the guests are served.  In either case remember to offer vegetarian options and to ask quests to inform you if they have any food allergies.  You can offer one main option and a vegetarian, or more.  Find what fits into your budget. 

Step Four:
Guests List:  You need to decide who is coming, and what your cap is.  For a celebration banquet this is much easier.  You just invite the organization and any special guests and work on an RSVP function.  Invitations should be going out as early as possible in order to give people to time respond and clear schedules.  I recommend a month at least.  I also recommend having the menu prepared at this time so that you will be able to inform guests of prices (if there is one) and to ask which option they prefer for a meal choice.  When doing this for a fundraiser your approach could take two paths.  You could invite past donors, members of a certain community etc... What this means is that there is a set number if invitees and who ever responds from that will be your guests (you may want to put a cap on how many guests each invitee is allowed to bring.  Even if you don't you should request to know if they are bringing anyone, how many, and what their dinner choice would be as well).  The second way to do this is to keep it an open event.  This would mean that you advertise to the general public and a larger less specific audience.  You would manage this by having a registration deadline and by limiting the amount of people that you allow to rsvp.  IE (first 150 people).


So these are your first few steps to planning a successful banquet dinner.  I have to run for now, but there is a bit more that you need to do.  Step 5
is going to be designing your programming and that's a big one, so we'll talk about it next time.  Time to go celebrate, have a good rest of the week everyone! TTFN!

Let it go...

Hey everyone!  I hope your all doing well on this dreary day. I thought this kind of weather was supposed to be gone by now.  All well, soon enough we won't have to worry about snow anymore.

Well it's time for crunch time.  Senior Sendoff is only a couple of weeks away and it seems like all the little tasks are piling up.  It doesn't help that i'm also planning two other events and trying to graduate on time!  But I'm sure you all know the feeling, not enough time to breath never mind sleep.

Well, since this has been the common trend in my life of late, I thought that some delegation tips were in order.  Also works well with the time management and stress relief tips we were talking about.  So here they are, take notes! 
 

1.  Be specific:  It's easy to give someone a vague assignment ("You take care of publicity") only to find out later that what they have a different idea of what that means than you do. People need to know what tasks they're responsible for and what the finished product should look like. Example: "Prepare a press release and send it to the local newspapers, TV and radio one month before the event." much more clear. 
    
2. But, don't micromanage: Tell them enough so they understand what's expected of them, but not so much that they have no chance to think for themselves. Leaving the person room to make some independent decisions lets them choose a style of doing things that suits them best. It makes them feel respected and trusted and part of the team. It builds a greater sense of pride and ownership in the project, and it gives them a chance to develop their skills and confidence. They might not do the outstanding job that you think you would have, but it might still be good enough--and the benefits to the person doing it are probably worth the tradeoff. So learn to let go!
   
   
3. Agree on deadlines: Make sure the person understands when they can expect things they need from other people, when their part of the task needs to be done, and how this fits in with the larger timeline for the whole project.  Its helpful to have a written calendar with all deadlines in a common place.
   
   
4. Follow up: Check back with the person you've delegated to, to find out how it's going. Ask if any questions have come up since you last talked. Make sure they have what they need to do the job, and that they're getting the necessary assistance and cooperation from others. Sometimes people are reluctant to admit they didn't understand something, or that they're having trouble. Asking gives them an opening and permission to say so. It's also a way of finding out if someone simply isn't doing the job, before it's too late. 
   
   
5. Match assignments with people's skills: Some people write well, but hate to talk on the phone. Some people can schmooze anything out of anybody, while others would rather do anything besides ask for donations. Find out what people are good at, and what they like to do, and make the most of it.
   
   
6. But don't box people in:  People with particular skills (artistic, computer, etc.) often get stuck with the same jobs over and over, because they do them so well. If they like it that way, that may be fine (although you might want to encourage them to stretch a bit and do something unfamiliar once in a while). But they may be more than ready for a change--and someone else may be just waiting for a chance to do "their" job.
   
   
7. Make sure assignments get handed out fairly: Most groups have at least one workhorse who tends to take on too much--sometimes to the point of exhaustion and burnout. Another problem is the person who gets carried away with the enthusiasm of a moment and volunteers for things, then finds her/himself unable to follow through. Encourage people to take a realistic look at their workload and abilities, and to take on the jobs they can reasonably handle.
   
   
8. Give accurate and honest feedback: People want to know how they're doing, and they deserve your honest opinion. Praise effort and good work, but also let them know where they might have done better. Encourage risk-taking and growth by treating mistakes and less-than-successful efforts as a chance to learn and do better next time. 

These tips came from "http://www.casagordita.com/delegation.htm".  I know how hard it is to trust others to handle part of projects that are important to you, but trust me it will make your life easier.  You'll have time to focus on the bigger stuff if you just relax and give others a shot to help out. 

Well TTFN everyone!

Making Time

Hey all! Hope you've been enjoying the spring weather! I'm writing from the sunny shore of Myrtle Beach on Spring Break.  It's so lovely down here and I hope you are all doing something equally as wonderful! 

It is rather daunting however to think about the amount of things that I have to do when I get back to RI in a couple of days.  I'm going to have to start using some of those stress management tips from last week!  Today I thought I would discuss the time management aspect in a little more detail.  Once you get your time managment skills up to parr, the amount of stress you have to deal with is sooo much less.  Also when your planning multiple events at once, this really helps to stay organized!

Time Management Tips

1) Realize that time management is a myth.
No matter how organized we are, there are always only 24 hours in a day. Time doesn't change. All we can actually manage is ourselves and what we do with the time that we have.

2) Find out where you're wasting time.
Many of us are prey to time-wasters that steal time we could be using much more productively. What are your time-bandits? Do you spend too much time 'Net surfing, reading email, or making personal calls? Learn track your activities so you can form an accurate picture of what you actually do that is eating up all of your time.

3) Create time management goals.
Remember, the focus of time management is actually changing your behaviors, not changing time. A good place to start is by eliminating your personal time-wasters. For one week, for example, set a goal that you're not going to take personal phone calls while you're working. For a look at behaviors that can interfere with successful time management, see this awesome article Time Management Personality Types. Find out if you're a Fireman, an Aquarian or a Chatty Kathy!

4) Implement a time management plan.
Think of this as an extension of time management tip # 3. The goal is to change your behaviors over time to achieve whatever general goal you've set for yourself, such as increasing your productivity or decreasing your stress. So you need to not only set your specific goals, but track them over time to see whether or not you're accomplishing them.

5) Prioritize ruthlessly.
You should start each day with a time management session prioritizing the tasks for that day and setting your performance benchmark. If you have 20 tasks for a given day, how many of them do you truly need to accomplish?

7) Learn to delegate and/or outsource.
No matter how small your business is, there's no need for you to be a one-person show. For effective time management, you need to let other people carry some of the load.

8) Establish routines and stick to them as much as possible.
While crises will arise, you'll be much more productive if you can follow routines most of the time.

9) Get in the habit of setting time limits for tasks.
For instance, reading and answering email can consume your whole day if you let it. Instead, set a limit of one hour a day for this task and stick to it.

10) Be sure your systems are organized.
Are you wasting a lot of time looking for files on your computer? Take the time to organize a file management system. Is your filing system slowing you down? Redo it, so it's organized to the point that you can quickly lay your hands on what you need. If you need some organization tips, you can go check some posts from a couple of week ago!

11) Don't waste time waiting.
From client meetings to dentist appointments, it's impossible to avoid waiting for someone or something. But you don't need to just sit there and twiddle your thumbs. Always take something to do with you, such as a report you need to read, a checkbook that needs to be balanced, or just a blank pad of paper that you can use to plan your next marketing campaign. Technology makes it easy to work wherever you are; your PDA and/or cell phone will help you stay connected.
You can be in control and accomplish what you want to accomplish - once you've come to grips with the time management myth and taken control of your time.

meltdowns and freakouts

Hey All!  How is everyone?  Hopefully better than me!  I'm just getting over a sinus infection and I feel like my head got runnover a couple of times... It's also the worst timing for that sort of thing.  Right in the middle of midterms, with a couple of big events going on.  I bet i'm not the only one who gets sick when there is so much happening. It's pretty common knowledge that getting stressed out can make us more susceptable to colds and other nasty little bugs.  So since the weather is finally starting to get nice, and being sick is the last thing we want right now, I thought I would  go over some stress management techniques.

Correcting long term behavior is the best way to prevent that 'tear your hair out' feeling. 

Long Term Stress Management:

1. Excercise regulary:  I know its hard to find time to schedule this in, but even doing it once a week will make you feel much better.  Excercise produces endorphines that make you happy, and it gives you a boost in self esteem as well as many other postive benefits!

2. Eat a Balanced Died:  undereating makes you tired and doesn't provide enough energy to keep up with a busy life, overeating makes you feel guilty.  When you eat properly your overall health is better, which reduces stress in itself and you also feel better about yourself. 

3. Set aside time for yourself:  Not having enough alone time is one of the biggest causes of stress today.  Take some time to turn that cell off and all your other electronics, and just do some of your favorite activies.  This will make you feel refreshed and ready to start doing work again. 

4. Get enough sleep!  This is so important!  I know it takes up time, but you really will feel better if you get a full 7 to 9 hours. 

5. Avoid Self Medication:  By doing this you will just be putting the problems aside to build up and deal with later.  Your only postponing the stress, not dealing with it. 

6.  Take Control! It is so important to order your own life.  Learn time management techniques. Set Priorities and stick to them!  If you learn how to avoid procrastination then you will have MUCH less to stress about!

No matter we good we are, there are always times when something is going to stress us out.  These meltdowns are an inevitable part of life.  We just need to learn how to handle them.  Here are some quick things you can do in the moment, to help come back down to earth. 



Short Term Stress Management:

1. Breathe!  You probly here this alot, but taking a couple of deep breaths really can help calm you down.  It will help to steady your nerves, slow your heartrate and help you focus. 

2. Prioritize:  It will help you to take stock of everything that you have to do and figure out which is the most important.  This way you can eliminate those tasks first.

3.  Focus on the positives:  Whatever you focus on will expand, so try to focus on good things.

4. Talk it out:  Find someone who is a good listener and just vent for a little.  Their perspectives may also help you to take a more realistic look at the situation. 

The most important thing to keep in mind is that stress is an emotion.  You can't control your emotions.  But you can control how you react to them.  By just remembering not to panic you can handle your stress much more affectivly. 

If you would like more info, this is a really good site!

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm

Well I hope this helps some of you avoid a breakdown, and stay healthy!  See you soon, and TTFN!