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!

Now where did I put that...

Does this look familar to anyone?  I know it does to me... I'm that kind of person who has six million things going on at once, like most of you.  My organization style, well it makes sense to me, but anyone else might as well try to deciepher hieroglyphics then figure out where I put things.  And I know I know, we're all too busy to go find that proper folder and filing cabinet, why not just throw it in the pile and we'll organize it later?  We add a few more papers.  Then oh look, its time to leave... I'll just get to organizing these papers tomorrow.  Tomorrow becomes next week.  And then before you know it we have a heap of papers, no idea where anything is and we need to find one paper in the proveriable hay stack.  Then we're about to tear our hair out because we are waisting time searching through a mountain of memos, emails, and chinese reciepts. 

Well, ladies and gents the secret to avoiding this mess is to keep up with it.  I know a real shocker right?  Well because this is one of those "easier said then done" type of things, i've got some tips for you (and me) to make our lives a little easier.  And believe me when your planning an event (nevermind two or three at once) being organized (mentally & physically) will help you save time and accomplish what you need to, without that weekly meltdown. 

1. Have a list of goals:  Really have a couple.  At the beginning of a project, make a to-do / goal list for that project.  Break the tasks down into manageable bits. (Ex; Hiring Entertainment can be broken into Brainstorm, Research, Get Quotes, Decide / Confirm, Pay).  This goal list should be seperated into weeks.  Then each day you should make a list of the objectives for that day from all your various projects, doing the most important first. 

           *Keep all your lists in the same notebook or planner all the time! They won't help if you can't

             Find them!

2.  Deal with a Paper Once:  This is a big one.  Here is where we avoid the clutter factor.  When you get a file, an email, memo etc don't parially handle it.  If you don't have time to complete it, put it aside until you do. 

3. Plan for daily issues: Schedule in an hour to handle those memos and emails that come in so they aren't sitting around and piling up.

4.  Group Similar tasks together:  You'll save time and avoid losing papers by doing things in bulk, (ex. answering all emails at the same time, addressing envelopes to dif. ppl etc)

5. Physically Organized:  Invest in Bins, folders, binders.  Everything should have a designated place! Some examples of categories to have; Specific events, contacts, "to be filed", "phone calls to make" "To be reviewed/ signed", Urgent, Long term projects.  Find what helps you stay organized.

* Keep in mind that this works for your computers too! Create Folders for specific tasks and areas of them.  Someone who has never been in your office should be able to go in and find whatever they are looking for, so keep it logical!

 * One tool I love is an accordian folder.  This lovely little thing keeps everything in one place, but with a seperate category for all the different aspects of it.  This little baby is a disorganized gals best friend.  And you can get it in various color / patterns at any business type store, walmart etc.

6.  Maintenence:  Set aside a few minutes each day to maintain your system.  This will help you catch your little slips when you throw that budget paper aside in frustration.  At the end or start of each day look at your to-do list, cross off what was accomplished and make the one for the next day while everything is fresh in your mind.

Or... You could always do it his way.  Whatever works for you friend.  Well I'm off for the day, stay dry!  And Stay Organized!  TTFN



Phi Sigma Sigma Battle of the Bands

Hey Everyone! 

So last night there was an awesome event that I wanted to tell you all about. This was the Phi Sigma Sigma Battle of the Bands.  Phi Sig is a sorority on the URI campus that I advise from the programming office, as well as being a proud member of.  The Battle is an annual event that I started when I was fundraising chair a few years back, and was taken over this year by the lovely Lauren Silverman. 

The event last night consisted of five competing bands, Alphadelic, Cougar Skates, Haze, Short Handed Goal, and Sidewinder, as well as a guest appearance by VMA nominated band Air Traffic Controller.  There were also smaller performances by Paul R, This is a Band, and a crowd favorite, Zack Tripp. The show was sponsored by many local business such as Sumoskinny and Static productions who contributed to the first place prize, 300.00 worth of studies time as well as other great items.  The show went off with only a few hitches here and there surrounding technical issues and managed to raise around 700.00 for the National Kidney Foundation. 

As I was reflecting on how fun this event is, and how successful it always is for this organization, I thought that it might be helpful for some of you to know the step-by-step procedure in planning a Battle of the Bands in case you ever decide to hold one.  So here are the basics!

1. Find a Location.  Preferably one with a stage, but not necessary.  Make sure it has enough outlets in the area you want the band to play, musicians have a lot of electronics.  Also if your in a very populated area, check on noise restrictions, you may need a permit.  Lastly, consider the size of the venue and if its big enough to hold the type of crowd that you expect. 

2.Pick a Date.  This should be a couple of months from when you start planning, to do one of these right takes a lot of planning! Check all your calendar and try to avoid large conflicting events.  Make sure the venue you picked is available that day and remember to book it.  (I have found that Thursday nights work well on a college campus, your area might be different though)

3. Start Looking for Musicians.  You can post fliers at places like guitar center, and local concert venues.  Ask around to see if your friends or people you work with know any good local acts.  Look on myspace and send out personal invitations to bands that have the sound your looking for.  You can hold auditions if you like, I have found that audition by demo is effective and less time consuming.  Make sure you know your bands well in advance of the show date, this allows you to market better. When you choose your bands, get their contact info and stay in consistent contact with them. 

4. Start looking for prizes and sponsors.  Approach businesses about providing prizes.  This is the big one.  The better prizes you have, the better bands with want to perform, and will want to get their fans there.  Music stores, and other types of business that work with the same crowd are usually willing to help a good cause and get their name out there.  Make sure you include your sponsors on any marketing, and thank them during the performance. 

5. Arrange sound / lighting.  You should find someone who has a P.A system, and knows how to use it.  A venue that provides these types of services is ideal, but if you couldn't find one, find a company that does.  Tell them you are having a live concert, and if your not familiar with the techie stuff they should be. 

6.Find Judges. You should do this early in the game to make sure that they have time to put it on their schedule.  Fellow musicians, music appreciators and teachers, and individuals from sponsoring businesses are always good options.  If you have someone in your org. or the group that your raising money for that is really great too.  Try to find people who know music and like live shows, but its not necessary.  You could place a volunteer who knows more with them to answer questions if you need to. 

7. Equipment.  Once you know your bands, make sure that you find out what their equipment needs are.  Most bands expect the venue to provide a P.A, and the microphones at the least.  Also something to watch out for is let them know if the hookup for the P.A is not on the stage, because then they might need longer instrument cables than they are used to. 



8. Market. Market.  Market.  This is the biggest thing with any event.  Get the word out.  Facebook and other social media are great tools.  Get adds in local papers, especially ones geared towards the arts.  See if you can get local radio stations to mention it. Fliers everywhere your target audience might see it. The biggest thing here is your bands.  Require them to sell tickets.  Factor it into your rubric in some way.  Set a minimum that if they don't sell they can't compete.  They need to get their fans there.  That's the point. 


9. Little Details. 

Remember to make a rubric for your judges, include all the categories you think they should be judged on.  If you don't feel comfortable creating one, you can find one online or have a music savvy friend make one for you. 

Staffing. These events take a lot of people to pull off.  You need people at the door to collect money / tickets, someone with the judges, someone to do the tech (if you didn't hire someone) people for set up / break down, you need a host, you might need security, if your using curtains you need someone to open and close them, someone should be timing the bands and cuing them when they have a few minutes left, and when their time is up, and you need someone to "stage-manage" this is the person that makes sure all of the performers and people are where they need to be at any given moment.

Time Sheets:  Decide how long you want to give each band, and create a timeline of how the night should progress.  Remember to schedule in time for mistakes, because especially with events like this, it happens.  Have things available to fill time if needed. (A host with jokes, or fun facts, an mp3 player that can be hooked into the system between bands, acoustic performers that don't need set up who can fill time) 

 *One thing I like to do with this is to have acoustic performers playing, that are not a part of the competition, while the competing bands are setting up.  This keeps the crowd engaged and minimizes down time.*

Another important thing with regards to time is to have your bands show up at least 2 hours before their scheduled set if possible.  This means that they have time to run late, (don't tell them that though) and if the show is running early, or something happens to one of the other bands, then the next band should already be there to go on.  Make sure you have a check in table or sign in sheet for them. 

Another tip for keeping on schedule is to stay ahead.  Your first band should be set up before the show starts.  Your second band should be "on deck".  This means that they are waiting near the entrance to the stage with their equipment brought closer if it was at the back of the room or in another room. This pattern should continue all night, when band three is on stage, band four is waiting, ready to go. 

Room Setup:  For an event like this you mostly went a clear floor for people to stand, dance, and mosh.  You will want some chairs lining the room in case people need to sit, and you may want to have some tables on hand for bands to sell their merchandise.  You should also have a separate area (whether another room or just an area off to the side) for bands to keep their equipment.  You should map out a space for each individual band, it will help them and let you know who is there. 

During:  Providing food and drinks for your bands and performers is a nice gesture that usually makes people happy.  Water should absolutely be provided for performers, however.  Raffles are nice if you have things to raffle off. Or do a 50 /50. 

Take lots of pictures (maybe have a volunteer do this) and have fun! As the person running the event you should be on hand to handle any problems, but should not get caught up in a specific task. 


 These are the big steps to planning a Battle of the Bands.  Every event is different, so you might find some other things that work for you.  You may want to have a theme, or some other fun idea.  Make it your own!  Just stay organized and remember to have your bases covered.

TGIF and TTFN!

Grammatically Speaking...

Hey all! How ya doing? I'm good, getting over some graduation drama but still looks like I'm good for may! What a relief!

Well, I've been thinking about our brainstorming discussions, and I think that we should take a quick step back.  Most of the ideas and tips that I have been posting for you, are for someone who already has a general idea of what they are planning.  This could be because they are required to do a certain type of event, or are just so gun-ho about an idea that all they need is help refining. But really, a lot of us start with a blank slate.  We know we want to plan an event, but have no idea what kind. 

So today I want to go back and give a tried and true method of coming up with a skeleton outline, a place to use as a springing board for all the other lovely brainstorming that you are going to do to make your event amazing and one of a kind.   

All you need to know for this little tip, is some basic grammar.  Remember those six little questions that we were all taught to use, to think about stories.  Back to grade school we go... They were

Who, What, When, Where, Why, How

That last one always through me off... a random "H" word right?  Well anyways, as an event planner trying to figure out what you want to do, those questions are a great place to start.  We're just going to switch the order up a little for our purposes. 

Why? is going to come first.  So ask yourself, why are you planning an event at all?  What is your purpose?  Is it Fund-raising? Philanthropy? Recruitment? To Raise Awareness?  Is it bonding for your group? Or some good old fashion Fun? Once you know the answer to this question, you are more able to trim down the daunting number of options.  You will be more focused when trying to decide what type of event will help your organization. For example a group that is trying to raise money for a cause, might do better by selling something, such as a service (valentine card deliveries) whereas a walk for a cause might be better for raising awareness, as it can be done in public places.

Who? Is the next big question in the equation.  Who are you planning this for?  Does your organization represent certain values that need to be upheld?  A sorority for example can get away with doing a dance party, while a large non-profit might see that as unprofessional.  Another part of this question is who is your target audience?  If you are trying to raise money for a cause that affects the elderly it might be helpful to consider that when deciding what to do.  If you are trying to recruit young adults on the other hand, the type of events that are plausible for you will be very different.  This could very well be the most important question in deciding what type of event to do, make sure you know your target group well, and what would most interest them.

When? would come third.  This is the question in which you try to decide the best option in your calendar.  You could be working around an organizations busy schedule or your own.  You might decide to do something during a particular season, or holiday that could influence what type of event you plan.  Obviously a summer event eliminates the possibility for a snowman building contest.  So think about the time that is available to you, and what options are plausible, as well as upcoming holidays and cultural markers could help you focus your event.

The question of What? would come next, and then again later on.  What resources do you have available to you in order to make a successful event.  Do you have a budget?  How much money you can spend will put a limit on the types of events that you can do well.  Keep in mind that its better to hold a smaller, well done event, than try to do something to big for your budget.  But if you have people that you think would be willing to sponsor an event, they are resources as well.  If you have a low budget, think about what types of locations, performers, services, and supplies are available to you that are affordable or even free.  Another aspect of resources to consider is staff.  If you have a large volunteer force then you can do larger scale events, but a small event might not involve enough of your group.  For smaller organizations a large event might not be plausible to manage.  You can add these restrictions and resources to the mix to further refine what is possible for your organization. 

Where? is very closely linked to what in that it looks at what is available to you.  Specifically thinking about your location as a resource can help figure out some options too.  Are you near beaches, parks, or other locations that can make certain types of events possible?  Also, what trends are big in your area? Or what is something that isn't offered anywhere else around you?  A speed dating could be an awesome fundraiser, but not if four other locations already have them weekly. 

After you have thought about these things and come up with a list of ideas that work with your circumstances you can narrow that down.  Bring it to your group, have them vote on what they would like to do.  Having their support will make planning the event so much easier.  The other perspectives will also help, because while you may love an idea, it might not be the most appropriate for that specific time or group.  This is the second time What? comes up, what are you going to do?


When you have chosen an event is when your How? comes in.  This is the nitty gritty work of planning the actual event.  It involves the timeline, marketing strategies, budgeting, staffing, purchasing, and all the other fun details that we'll talk about later.

So I hope you found this helpful and remember next time your having trouble figuring out what type of event to do, remember your grammar  Why, Who, When, What, Where, What, and How.


Well I'm off for the day, have a good rest of the week and TTFN!

Brainstorming Again!

 Hey all!  Hope your week has been going well, the weather is finally getting warmer!  Well I'm back with some more brainstorming tips and strategies for you! Hopefully it will help you get your event off the ground and find some fun, exciting ideas!

 Listing: Take your topic or your general idea and you can list in three ways. Take each of these categories  and create a list of only one word items that apply to that list.
  
     1. On the general theme
     2.  On Specific areas of the theme (decorations, food, etc)
     3. Taking the items of the first two lists, come up with the opposites of those ideas

3 Perspectives: Use these prompts to approach your idea from different angles.

1.  Describe it:  What is your basic idea, whats interesting about it, what unique opportunities does it       present?  What are its most well known features?  What are its themes?
2. Trace it: What is the history of your subject? How has it changed over time? Why? What are the          significant events that have influenced your subject?
3.  Map it: What is your subject related to? What is it influenced by? How? What does it influence?          How? Who has a stake in your topic?  Why? How has your subject been approached by others?

Similes:

In this technique, complete the following sentence:
____________________ is/was/are/were like _____________________.

In the first blank put one of the terms or concepts your theme centers on. Then try to brainstorm as many answers as possible for the second blank, writing them down as you come up with them.
After you have produced a list of options, look over your ideas. What kinds of ideas come forward? What patterns or associations do you find?

Search For It!

When all else fails and you can't think of ideas or even a theme to start with, this is the technique for you.  Get a piece of paper, and a variety of resources.  Examples would be different types of magazines, textbooks, catalogues, brochures, even dictionaries and encyclopedias or a trip to the mall.  Flip through the pages, or walk through the stores and write down things that catch your eye.  Things that you think would be interesting, don't worry about plausibility at this point.  Going through different types of magazines and things that cover different topics (history, fashion, science, etc) will you give you a broader range to pull from.  These days you can also browse online and sites like stumble are awesome.  You'll be surprised at how much will spark your imagination.

The big thing to remember with brainstorming is to keep an open mind.  If brainstorming in a group make sure that everyone has the opportunity to speak, and that no idea is shot down or insulted.  This will stunt the creativity and prevent people from speaking out.  Creating an environment where people know their ideas will be valued is crucial to group brainstorming.   Time limits may help keep people on track, but other than that its just best to let the ideas flow unrestricted.

Hopefully some of these ideas will help you out of a rut it you get stuck.  I'm sure you have tons of great ideas for your events, you've just got to get them out!

Good luck and TTFN!

To the notepad!

Hey All! How's life? Cold I'm sure, but getting warmer...

Well, the work on the Senior Sendoff has really begun.  What is the Senior Sendoff? you may ask.  This is a program /one day festival that the Alumni Relations department at URI puts on every year to celebrate graduation with a few hundred seniors. The goal is to get them interested in the alumni programs.  The festival is usually themed with decorations, food, music, t-shirts and give-aways. This lovely little event happens to be my baby for the semester, from concept to completion.

Currently, brainstorming is the hot topic on the agenda. I sat there for a few days, staring at a blank notebook page, wondering what in the world should this event be?  What would seniors find interesting, entertaining? What could I work with easily?  When then I thought... What in the world....?  World... Around the world!  Cool idea right?  For graduating College, getting ready to go out into the real world, and URI's new thing is the think big, think global.  It works. The notebook is no longer blank, and that's a start. Now for the real note scrawling to begin.  What kind of food are we going to get?  Decorations?  How is it going to fit in the budget?  What should be put on the t-shirts? Pretty soon I have about six running documents full of random ideas, mostly ridiculous, the occasionally plausible, and some almost mundane.  But I have a hell of a lot to draw from now right?  I'm still working on it; I like to find a ton of ideas, and then narrow it down.  But how do you get to that point?

Well, Brainstorming for your event can be done in a bunch of different ways. The important thing to remember about this process is that anything goes.  No idea should be ignored, no matter how absurd it is, it could lead to something that is actually do able.

So some basic brainstorming techniques for you?

  Free Association:  I've already mentioned this one a little. Its what I used to come up with my theme of Around the World.  This is when you kind of just sit and think writing down whatever pops into your head.  Trying this in different settings is really effective because words or signs or other things that you might notice in different places could inspire totally different trains of thought.  This also works if you already have a basic idea like "Around the World"  Then you could do a more focused word association and think about whatever images come to mind in a particular category (food, decorations, games) etc with that theme.  You can go through and separate the lists later, right now you basically just want to capture the flood of ideas before they drizzle away or dry up.  Once you've done that, its good to put your paper aside for a day or so and then come back to it in a different place and different state of mind.  Keep the paper with you at all times though, you never know when an idea will bite!

Well that's all for tonight, but next time I'll be back with  more specific brainstorming techniques and tips to do individually and with groups.  TTFN!

So What is Event Planning Really?

Well, event planning is the entire process from start to finish that is necessary in order to have an event. If looked at a certain way, an event could be a puzzle, with various problems to solve, or a work of art, something beautifully created. It all depends on how you see your event.  Any event whether large, (your favorite bands concert, the MTV music awards, the Macy's day parade) or small (your schools car wash, a graduation party, an ultimate Frisbee tournament)  all have pretty much the same stages despite the differences in the details.  This means that pretty much anyone and everyone has planned an event, or will at some point in their lives. 

Now I just said that it involves the entire "process", and that's true enough.  An event is a process.  Some people seem to think that an event exists only on the day that it's scheduled for.  Those of you have planned something before know just how silly this is, and those of you who haven't, you'll find our very quickly. 

Any event first involves brainstorming; that messy period in which you throw all your ideas out on a piece of paper and try to figure out what the hell your doing.  Then you have to figure out how to make your scribbled out, diagram covered crumpled notepad paper turn into an event to go down in your friends (or bosses) history books.  This can be annoyingly difficult and fantastically confusing.  It can also be exciting, challenging, and fun.  There are people that you're supposed to work with, even though you'd rather do it all yourself, so communication skills are huge when doing this type of stuff.  Which means no, you can't throw that stapler at your assistant (or best friends) forehead.  I promise, it won't fix any problems.  Then there is the day of the event itself.  If you've done your job well, you shouldn't be too stressed, but you always need to be ready for a last minute catastrophe.  If you've planned for all the possibilities you should be fine though. Easy right? And people wonder why event managers are head cases...  Anyway, even after the event the work isn't done.  There's always cleanup and thank you notes to send, and if you planned this for an organization then there is likely to be some paperwork and reflection necessary.  And always remember to celebrate a successful event. 

So like I said, theres a lot more to it then people realize.  One of the often heard lines that new people in my office get is "You'll find out quick that it's not just party planning in here..."  But even if it was just party planning, doesn't that sound like a lot of work to you?  That's what I thought too.  Well, now that I've given you the run down I hope your not scared away, its really alot of fun once you get through the idea of it all.  Believe me when I say its worth it in the end.  Well ttfn and see you soon!