Planning Great Events:
How to choose a date, location, and speaker
choosing_a_date_location_speakersperformers.pdf |
Choosing a Date, Location, Speakers/Performers, etc.
Getting a date, location, and speakers/performers can quickly become messy because they can all depend on each other. For example:
To avoid wasting time going back and forth endlessly between different people and venues, you need to prioritize but know how to be flexible.
Getting a date, location, and speakers/performers can quickly become messy because they can all depend on each other. For example:
- You may have a date in mind, but the venue you want isn’t available.
- You may have multiple speakers or performers who all have different availabilities.
To avoid wasting time going back and forth endlessly between different people and venues, you need to prioritize but know how to be flexible.
- Prioritizing: What is really drawing people/accomplishing the purpose of the event?
- Date will be most important if, for example, you’re celebrating a religious holiday
- Venue will be most important if it’s a special activity, e.g. bowling, skating, etc.
- Speaker/performer will be most important if you specifically want to see them
- Date will be most important if, for example, you’re celebrating a religious holiday
- How to be Flexible: Have three choices for each, and present those choices to your priority (e.g. offer the dates to the venue or speaker). How do you pick your choices?
- Dates: Make sure your choices don’t conflict with:
- Exams and midterms (in your faculty and faculty of target audience)
- Personal schedules of key volunteers
- Relevant religious and statutory holidays
- Co-op interview times (if relevant to your school and/or target audience’s program)
- Events of other clubs and organizations (especially of similar clubs and faculties of relevant faculties/Departments, or of different clubs but who did similar events)
- PRO TIP: Trying to figure out what’s going on on campus is a great way to discover places to advertise your event and do an impromptu user test of how people use those websites and calendars
- PRO TIP: Trying to figure out what’s going on on campus is a great way to discover places to advertise your event and do an impromptu user test of how people use those websites and calendars
- Your own events (you may not want two events so close together or you may want one to build off the momentum of a recent event)
- Exams and midterms (in your faculty and faculty of target audience)
- Venues: Make a list of what you need and would like in a venue keep a database of venues to avoid repeating efforts each event. Some factors to consider
- Location
- Travel time (walking, by transit, etc.) (Need max 20 min, Want 10 min)
- Capacity (how many people can it hold? What’s the minimum number of people they expect?) (min. 20 ppl, want 30 ppl)
- Accessibility (is it wheelchair accessible, is there a place for a sign language interpreter, etc.)
- Costs (space, equipment, refreshments, etc.) (max $300, want $150)
- Amenities (what do they provide? Kitchen, equipment,)
- Ambiance (decor, smell, lighting, etc.)
- Parking
- Layout
- Insurance (consult your club coordinator to learn more about event liability)
- Acoustics
- To learn more about what to look for in a venue check out this article.
- PRO TIP: Bring these categories to the venue, keep it by the phone, or send it in an email and use it as an interview guide.
- Location
- Speakers/Performers: Here is a chart for potential speakers for your event.
- Do you need a speaker to deliver this content? (Will your audience find this elsewhere?)
- Will they stick around and really engage?
- How does what they do connect with the goals of the event?
- Are they good speakers/performers (have you seen them speak/perform)
- Are they available/flexible?
- Are they reliable?
- Do you need a speaker to deliver this content? (Will your audience find this elsewhere?)
- Dates: Make sure your choices don’t conflict with: