Program Planning Resources

Advertising

Advertising is an important part to getting your group or organization known. Here are a few ways to make sure people show up:
  • Be creative—get attention by changing colors, shapes, sizes….
  • Be consistent—put posters in the same place; everyone will know where to look for your latest event.
  • Be brief—just the necessary details. Too much information will be ignored.
  • Establish yourself—give yourself an identity different from all others
  • Location is important—don’t constantly change the place and time of your group’s meetings.
  • Be aware of conflicts—such as holidays, other organizational meetings and major College events.
  • Put it on the air—Channel 119: Lynx TV
  • Advertise online—post your event on Rhodes Connect, or email it to inside@rhodes.edu

Publicity Ideas:

  • Make T-shirts
  • Chalk the sidewalks
  • Paper footprints
  • Advertise in costumes
  • Serve food

Creative Types of Advertising:

  • Pizza boxes with information inside
  • Cartoons
  • Fortune cookies
  • White-out on black paper
  • 3D objects hanging from central locations
  • Shapes representing your event
  • Marker on cardboard boxes

Creative Places for Advertising:

  • Dry erase markers on mirrors
  • Paint windows
  • Dress a statue
  • Posters taped on sidewalks

Event Planning

The Guide to Program Success
Assess needs and interests through brainstorming and surveys

Tips for effective brainstorming:

  • Set a time limit for the brainstorming session.
  • Encourage involvement from all members of the brainstorming group.
  • Resist evaluating, judging, or criticizing any idea given. Give time to prioritize brainstorming ideas.
  • End the session on time.

Tips for effective surveys:

  • Be brief Be sure the questions are clear
  • Use campus resources

Research

Before putting a program date on a calendar, the following steps need to be taken:

  • Look at the campus calendar and the student activities calendar to find open dates and look for conflicts.
  • Make sure funding is available.
  • Look for the right performer, guest, or speaker.
Budget

What needs to be included in a program budget?

  • Fundraising costs
  • Long distance telephone expenses
  • Publicity (copies, paper, give-aways)
  • Performer/speaker expenses
  • Equipment
  • Volunteer rewards
  • Food Decorations (if applicable)
  • Recruit volunteers

Ways to attract volunteers to help:

  • Invitation (ask in person – harder for them to say no)
  • Food (this can attract a lot of people)
  • Specialized skill
  • Let them know how much their participation means to you
  • Interest in topic

Plan the Program

Use backward planning:

  • Start with the program date, and work backwards to set dates for when other program details need to be accomplished. 

Delegate

Including the group in the process can be more important than the end event.

Evaluate

What are some reasons to evaluate a program?

  • It is useful in subsequent program planning.
  • It may benefit others who want to plan a similar program or use some of the same ideas.
  • It is a record of what worked, what didn’t, what people thought, costs, etc.

What are ways to evaluate?

  • Evaluation forms
  • Audience evaluation cards
  • Survey people attending

Planning Your Program

Preliminary Stage
From a year to at least 2 months before an event occurs

  • During the preliminary stages, all plans are tentative. 
  • This is the time to assure funding, find out what the technical rider requires, collaborate! 
  • Until you are authorized to finalize arrangements, no commitments to speakers or performers should be made.
  • THINKING, THINKING, THINKING
  • Possible dates
  • Conflicts that may be present
  • Space availability
  • Facilities and equipment needed
  • Performer or speaker availability and costs
  • Collaborations with other student organizations

Things to start at least 2 months before an event:

  • PLANNING, PLANNING, PLANNING
  • Get final group approved.
  • Contact performer or speaker
  • Confirm time and availability of performer or speaker- does it fit with your schedule?
  • Budget
  • Reserve room space. If it is an outside location, reserve a back-up site in case of weather problems
  • Finalize food services or catering requests
  • Reserve equipment necessary (including operators for the equipment)
  • Physical plant needs
  • Technical requirements
  • Security needs
  • Complete contracts or write letter of confirmation
  • Review contracts with those people necessary - All contracts must be signed by the Dean of Administrative Services. (No student should sign a contract.)
  • Hospitality for the speaker or performer (hotel, food, parking, directions, airport rides, etc.)

Week before to the day before:

  • Reconfirm guest time of arrival, meeting point, all hospitality arrangements
  • Check on payment, be sure that the treasurer has the check cut from the business office
  • Reconfirm equipment needs and technical people
  • Reconfirm all helpers and volunteers for the event
  • Go through this list again, make sure everything is completed and ready

Day of the event:

  • Check facilities for readiness, make any adjustments
  • Attain payment for presenter or speaker
  • Meet presenter or speaker, show site of event, answer any questions- be hospitable
  • Take care of last minute details

During the Event:

  • Introduce speaker, performer or other entertainment
  • Announce the program sponsor
  • Recruit for your organization: make sure your organization gets credit for sponsoring (get your name out there!)
  • Evaluate the program as it happens
  • Monitor attendance
  • Have fun!

After the Event:

  • Give payment after the event is completed
  • Pat yourself on the back for an event well-planned!

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