|
► HELP ON SUSSEX SU
Advertise
University of Sussex Students Union has various student marketing and student advertising tools that can promote your services direct to our students.
For all our student
marketing & advertising opportunities click the media pack button.
► How to...run an event
Putting on an event can be really rewarding and a great learning experience if
you’re well organised. The success of your event depends on the planning you put in
beforehand.
If you’re considering organising any sort of event, whether it’s a stall in Library Square or a
large formal Ball, make sure you consult the Activities Centre and Marketing and Publicity department for support and guidance. We can also offer Project Management training to ensure a successful and stress-free event, see
www.ussu.info/resources
Step One – Make A Plan
• Set clear aims and objectives for your event – as well as focusing your effort these will
help you evaluate your event later. Consider why you’re organising the event; fundraising,
publicity, social or a combination of all three
• Form a group of people who you can rely on to help throughout the process. There
should be someone with overall responsibility but you should delegate clear roles to
people, e.g. publicity, decorations, ticket sales
• Look at past events, reviews and evaluations, there’s no point trying to reinvent the wheel
or repeat others’ mistakes
Step Two – Do some research
• Who is your audience? Who are you targeting the event at? How many people are you
expecting? Do they have any particular requirements, e.g. access or childcare?
• How will you pay for the event? Ticket sales? Sponsorship? Union funds? See How to…
Get Money from the Union and How to… Make Some Money
• Where will you hold your event? On campus? In Brighton? Will it attract your audience? Is
the venue available? Will it clash with exams/other events/deadlines/holidays?
• Don’t forget that we’re here to help, see How To… Get Resources for some of the things
we can provide and come and ask us for advice and information.
Step Three – Get Specific…
… with money
• Set a budget which includes a breakdown of your projected expenditure (venue,
decorations, publicity etc) and projected income (ticket sales, sponsorship etc). Make this
as accurate as possible by getting quotes and estimates. Don’t forget to consider how VAT
may affect your budget
• Calculate your break-even point (the point at which will have covered your costs, e.g.
costs of £150, so 50 tickets sold at £4 gives a total of £200 less VAT = £170.21, sorted) and
make sure this is realistically achievable
• Form contingency plans for financial problems, cancellations and delays
• See How to…Spend Your Money for important information on financial procedures.
Don’t forget that the only person entitled to sign contracts of any kind is the Finance
Officer: Lee Vernon - finance@ussu.sussex.ac.uk / 01273 87 3353
… with your plans
• Set a timetable which includes all pre-event planning and tasks. Bear in mind that many
tasks rely on the completion of others, for example you can’t produce all of your publicity
until you know the venue
• Plan your publicity well in advance to accommodate design, print and distribution times.
For more advice see How to…Publicise Your Group and for guidance contact Tori Fowkes in USSU marketing and publicity department
• If you are including some form of entertainment you may need to audition, book and
rehearse potential acts and consider their requirements, e.g. sound equipment and
dressing rooms
• Utilise all of the skills and talents available from clubs and societies, e.g. film-making and
photography
• You are legally required to complete a risk assessment for your event. If you are planning
to serve or sell food this has extra health and safety implications. See How to… Be Safe
… with the logistics
• If you will be collecting money please ensure this will be securely stored and paid in as
soon as possible to the Finance Office.
• Consider publicising your group at your event with posters and mailing list sign-up sheets
so people can find out about your future events
• You can sell tickets/register participants through Reception as long as you let us know in
advance
• Once you’ve outlined your plan put yourself in the position of someone attending your
event; would you know where to go/how much things cost/what is happening?
Step Four – On The Night
• You should brief everyone helping out with details such as when and how to clear up
which will save you being bombarded with questions during the event
• Make sure you enjoy yourself too!
Step Five – After The Event
• Thank everyone involved; sponsors, staff, helpers, suppliers. Not only is this polite it also
makes them more likely to help you next time!
• Using your initial aims and objectives, evaluate your event thoroughly and objectively
both in terms of planning and organisation and the viewpoint of someone attending the
event
• Produce a listof recommendations for the next event you run
Running a stall
Running a stall is an easy way to recruit new members and promote your event. Here
are a few tips for success:
• Make your stall as eye-catching and welcoming as possible, e.g. with banners, photos,
friendly approachable people, posters, videos, gimmicks, freebies, music
• Be prepared – prepare your publicity and posters in advance and set up your stall in
plenty of time. If you are taking money you will need change and somewhere secure to
store your profits
• Wear club or society merchandise if you have it as it will link you to your group
• Consider having information to give out with your meeting/training times and contact
information. This will act as a physical reminder of your group
• A mailing list sign-up sheet will allow you to contact interested people in the future
Useful Contacts
Dave Owen
Activities Officer
Tel: (01273) 67 8155
Email: activities@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
General advice and links with other contacts, clubs and societies
Tori Fowkes
Marketing and events Manager
Tel: (01273) 67 8151
Email: vf34@sussex.ac.uk
Event co-ordination support and publicity advice
Tarek Khalil
Venue Manager
Tel: (01273) 67 8148
Email: t.khalil@sussex.ac.uk
Union bars and venue bookings, security, radios, fire extinguishers, tills, staging, PA and
lighting equipment
Jo Walters
Societies Development Co-ordinator
Tel: (01273) 87 7641
Email: societies@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
General advice, health and safety support
