Event Planning Part I

This guide is to provide you, the event planner, with assistance in properly planning out your activities and major events. This process can certainly be adjusted to fit your own needs as an event planner or the needs of your individual programs. The process has several steps to it; however, you may move in any direction through the planning process. Remember this guide is meant to assist you with your event planning processes and not here to cause you added stress. First and foremost remember to learn something and have some FUN!

Part 1A: Complete the Event Proposal

Today's Date :


Format: MM/DD/YYYY

Event Title:
Date of Event:
Format: MM/DD/YYYY
 

Day/day of event:

Start time:

End time:

Multi-day event:

Start date:

End date:

Location:
 

If off-campus, list the proposed method of transportation:

Sponsor:
 
Organization's Event Planner Information
Name:
Contact E-mail:
Phone #'s: Land-line:

Cell:
 
Event Description :

This includes the purpose of the event and its targate audience:

Is this event open to the public? Yes No
Admission Charge: Roanoke College: Other(s):
Advance tickets on sale: Yes No
Order tickets from:
Event Link:
Proposed Event Budget:

Please list the specific uses of the money:

Other Funding Source(s):

Academic Department
Dean's Office
Jordan
General Studies
Center for Teaching & Learning
Student Life Council
Other

Please list the amount received from source(s) checked above:

 

Requested Allocation from:
Campus Activities Board Colket Center
Own Expenses
Total Requested from CAB or Colket

 

CAB and the Colket Center mandate that at least three methods of campus publicity must be used to advertise the event.  Advertising for the event must begin two weeks before the event.  Failure to advertise the event may result in the withholding of funds.  List the methods in which you plan to publicize this event and the proposed date that advertising will begin:

Web Announcer
Brackety-Ack PR
Brackety-Ack Advertisement
Campus TV Informational Channel
Flyers & Posters
Table Tents
Classroom Announcements
Department E-mail to Students
Faculty Listserv, GST, Hum.
WRKE Announcement
Other

Please specify below ONLY if you select "Other:"


Now that you have completed the program proposal, reserve any campus facilities that you might need!

Part 1B: Linking the Program to the College's Vision & Goals

Vision
Roanoke College aspires to be a leading national liberal arts college, a model of integrative learning, and a community committed to open discourse and civil debate as ways of learning and as preparation for service in the world.

Mission
Roanoke College's Mission is to engage students in his/her development as whole persons through an integrative learning approach that stresses intellectual, ethical, spiritual and personal growth and prepares our graduates for responsible lives of learning, service, and leadership in a diverse and changing world.

To achieve the mission of the College, the following goals have been established:

Goal I

Be recognized for excellence in integrative learning.

Goal II

Create a student-centered culture built upon openness and collaboration between faculty, staff, students, and alumni

Goal III

Enhance our campus environment to support the achievement of our vision.

Goal IV

Build strong connections to our community, region, and the world.

The mission and goals of the College are very important to the focus and operations of the school. With this in mind your event should have a focus that meets the needs of the college's mission and fulfills at least one of the goals listed above. To help you better think about how your event works within the mission of the college please answer this question:

How will my event meet the specific needs stated within Roanoke College's Mission and Goals?

Step 2: Choosing Your Event

The first step towards becoming an event planner is coming up with an event to plan.  Coming up with an event starts with YOUR own creative brain.  You can try to come up with an event yourself or brainstorm with other members of your organization.  You obviously want people to come to your event so you need to plan an event that would be attractive to your target audience (students or faculty or staff).  Select an event that people talk about but either do not see often or do not see at all.  Surveys are good ways to ask students what they want!  Important components involved with deciding what to do are 1) to look at the mission statement or purpose of your organization; 2) survey or talk to your target audience to see what they want or need, or 3) survey other students to see what they want to do.  Make sure to run the event idea by your advisor or supervisor to see if the event is achievable.

Step 3: Learning Outcomes

Since you have connected your event with the college’s mission and goals it should be easy to connect learning outcomes to your event.  What do we mean by learning outcomes?  Learning outcomes are basically skills or knowledge that you hope to achieve in planning and doing your event and perhaps giving your audience a bit of that skill and knowledge in the process.  Learning outcomes are the key benefits that you receive from your event planning experiences and will allow your volunteers to gain more knowledge about your job so that s/he one day can take on your role.  Learning outcomes can be as simplistic or as complex as you want to make them.  Talk with your advisor or supervisor about some key learning outcomes that could be established within your own event.  Remember not all learning outcomes are attainable when first set; however, ones you may not have suspected to gain do appear.  Below are some questions that can help you establish learning outcomes for your event before or during your meeting with your advisor or supervisor.

What are some important reasons for doing this event? (Note: Most campus events at Roanoke College should not be done simply for fun, but should have other educational, recreational, cultural, spiritual, social, or philanthropic purposes. However, sometimes we just want to have fun!)

What are three (3) things that I will learn or experience from planning this event? I will learn or experience...

What are two (2) things that my audience will learn by attending this event? The audience will learn or experience...

What are two (2) things that the participants will learn by participating in this event? The participants will learn or experience...

What practical steps will you take to accomplish the learning outcomes of this event? Learning objectives will be accomplished by...

  
  
 

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