Planning any kind of student event can be quite a daunting prospect, particularly if you have never done it before. There are lots of things to think about when organising your end of year event. From choosing the right date and venue to hiring equipment and of course, marketing and promotion. No two events are the same, but there are a few simple things you can do to ensure your event goes off with a bang.
Getting The Details Right
Whatever type of event you are organising, it’s crucial that you don’t leave anything to chance. You’ll need to ensure you pick the right date – checking it doesn’t clash with other popular events going on locally or a big football match on TV. Rooms and venues need to be booked, entertainment booked and equipment hired and all required deposits are paid. Meanwhile, some activities like putting up posters and leafleting for the event may need approval from your university first. Then once the event is underway, you need to make sure that your event doesn’t breach any health and safety rules and above all, everyone has a great time.
Choosing The Right Venue And Equipment
You might be limited as to where you can hold your event but you will still need to make sure it’s big enough for your needs and suits the type of event you are hosting. The venue needs to match the event and vice versa. You will also want to ensure that all students who attend, including those with disabilities, feel welcome and able to fully participate in the event. If there will be a guest speaker or a DJ or a band at your event then you will also need to consider the selection of speaker hire equipment you will need.
Marketing And Promotion
Social media has opened up a huge world of possibilities for event promotion. Twitter and Facebook provide a free and easy way to plug your event. Posting details of the event well ahead of time not only gives people the chance to share the event with their social media friends, once they hit ‘like’ or ‘interested’ the event will show up on their friends’ pages, providing you with an excellent and free source of world-of-mouth. You can also interact with your audience and potential event-goers the whole year round, run competitions, get feedback and promote future events. Don’t forget that traditional marketing tools such as posters and flyers still have their place. Hand out flyers around campus and put them up on noticeboards. If there’s a student radio station at your university, see if you can get a guest spot to help promote your event.
Organising a successful student event takes a lot of time, effort and planning. But with good organisation and a team of helpers, you can look forward to hosting an event that everyone enjoys.
