Logistics 101: Effective Event Planning & Hosting

Aprs PSU Studio

Logistics 101: Effective Event Planning & Hosting

Wendy Jo Hartsock and Laura KunigJune 2011

My name is Wendy Jo Hartsock, I am one of the Assistant Directors of Alumni Events. Laura Kunig Social Director Greater Pittsburgh Chapter PSAA I started working for the PSAA in February 2009

I have 11 years of meeting & event planning experience

I am a certified recreation therapist by profession, my specialty is working with individuals with Alzheimers as well as event planning

1Logistics 101: Effective Event Planning & Hosting

Lion Learning: Event Planning 101Lion Attack Adjustments: Preparing Plan BLions Have WISDOM: 99 Second Idea Exchange 2

Todays talk.

Some Event Planning Basics

Thinking about your Plan B

Then spend time on Sharing

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Lion Learning: Event Planning 101

ObjectivesWhy?Create a SMART ObjectiveNeeds assessments Post evaluations

3Pre-planning Steps that Make a Difference

It really does help to create an established objective for your program.

Why having an objective will help keep the planning process on trackPrevent events from morphing into something else.VISIONs are good things, but you need to share

Create SMART Objectives.

SpecificMeasurableAchievableRelevantTimely

It is important to check the MAIN PSAA Events to make sure you dont conflict. As well as communicate with your Regional Director to make sure nothing else conflicts. Not saying 2 events cant go on at the same time3

Lion Learning: Event Planning 101

Type of EventMeet & GreetMembership DriveFundraiserCharity EventAttract Specific GroupSocial Gathering / FunEducationalStudent Engagement EventCommunity Wide EventInformation Event4Pre-planning Steps that Make a Difference

YARD STICK SPACE4

Lion Learning: Event Planning 101

TimelineEstablish a timeline of the tasks involved to develop and implement the special eventMulti-TaskingHistoryHistorical data from previous events (if available)

5Pre-planning Steps that Really MatterTime lines will help you to prevent missing deadlines. When are contracts due When is draft text due for your advertisement When are food count guarantees due to the venue How long do you need to promote your event to get people to attend??

Time lines will help manage your ability to multi task

Keep and Use your historical data will help you negotiate future contracts will help you to minimize attrition fees will help you to plan a better event

Todays average participant/registrants EARLY done and over withLAST MINUTE so busy not sure what else is going to come up

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Lion Learning: Event Planning 101

BudgetsAccounting Process and ReconciliationsBudget verses ActualLearn to Stretch Your DollarsNegotiationsBarter

6Pre-planning Steps that Really Make a DifferenceNow more than ever know how to manage budgets!

Budget verses Actual

Manipulate budgets (Rob Peter to pay Paul) if there is something you really want then you need to be willing to give upsomething as simple as chairs chiavari $7.87 wood like resin $3.10 - 3 hour event not all seated

Be creative with your dollars make them stretch.

Negotiate! Come up with creative ideasDONT BE AFRAID TO ASK!!

BarterWho knows whoUse resources plumber- celebrity

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Lion Learning: Event Planning 101

CreativityDont be afraid to be goofy

7Pre-planning Steps that Really Make a Difference

Dont be afraid of being goofy or free spirited

Theme Had a 60s party. Great music playing Tie Died table cloths and VW Bug decaled with flower power as the centerpieces.

The menu soup course was like a pastry topped pot pie and for the entre course I had it served in foil tv dinner style trays. Of course had fondue for dessert.

HOOK CHAIN EFFECT hook them in then have drawings and raffles inside

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Lion Learning: Event Planning 101

Team BrainstormingUse a Team to brainstorm ideas for appropriate themes to achieve the event objectives.Website resourcesContractsAttritionForce MajeureCancellation and Rebooking clauseNegotiations

8Pre-planning Steps that Really Make a Difference Emphasize the use of TEAM: Together- Everyone- Accomplishes- More- Never underestimate the source of a good ideaNo Idea is a bad idea may need to developTake all ideas under consideration, work with your teamContracts KNOW your contract - will help protect you Learn your contract language

Attrition slippage on a room block

Force Majeure frees both parties from liability or obligation when an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond the control of the parties, such as a war, strike, riot, crime, or an event described by the legal term "act of God. After 911 the word terrorism was added.

Cancellation Know your dates and percentage amounts the amount of F&B cancel 6 months out, they didnt waste food!Proof of resold space no penalties double dipping

Negotiations Dont be afraid to ask or push back on contract language.

Hold Harmless/Idemnify both parties - venue contract may only protect them.

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Lion Learning: Event Planning 101

PromotionsSocial Media Twitter, Facebook, You TubeE-BlastWebsite resourcesADA compliance PSAA website

9Pre-planning Steps that Really Make a Difference Keep current with how to promote your eventTwitter,Facebook (Charlene Gaus great at pictures and what she is doing, attending, events.) Youtube etc.E-blast, E-mails E-vitesPSAA website, face book, twitter, blogADA ComplianceYou must be mindful of accommodating all attendees at your eventsAsk on your registration form if any special needsAsk verbally when registering any special need to attend this event? This is okay

What do you if you do need a special Request?? W/C, FOOD, SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER, AUDIO

WAMMER Welcoming Accommodating-Meaningful-..XXXXXX

Hotel (on site visit) need to modify entrance to put in ramp Great walking in with Boxes no button to open door. Bathrooms larger stalls Great but can get around and shut the stall door

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Lion Attack Adjustments: Preparing Plan B

Expect the Unexpected!!

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Unexpected: War stories.. BIG UGLIES picture.

Speaker had put the date on the wrong day on schedule.

Beaver Stadium Tour 30 stuck in freight elevator1st group, no PSAA Staff LAMBCommunication phone numberGet Higher ups involved Roger, Main PlannerOn Site Management Higher Ups Bobby WhiteAttendee called 911 not feeling like was getting the attention neededEMT at opening, water,SPECIAL PRIVATE TOUR, note of apology (IMMEDIATE) bottle of wine and chocolates sent to rooms

2010 Evening with Joe Harrisburg Put your suit of AROMR on!!Didnt get on plane they were trying to fix it with out communicating with plannerGrahm Zug, Coach McQueary, Coach Brady, Coach XXLunsdaleXX Panel Discussion

45 minutes prior to Doors OpeningPaper to tell who speakers are, Alternative signage about Coach not in attendanceMonetary Decisionrefund, attend anyway, no shows ( heard on radio not coming so they didnt show)found out afterwards could get refund and then wanted and called in after the eventSan Francisco on our check in day and the city was shut down due to a protest parade. People couldnt get from airport to hotel

Hired Disney Marching band that could not play the Mickey Mouse March.

Set up crew was late setting up our convention. Immediate reaction is to call the supervisor and we couldnt reach him and then to our other contacts until finally we found out the head setup manager had a heartattack and died in the room about two hours prior. The staff was all crying and nothing was getting done.

You have a special guest speaker and they are stuck in another city due to weather, how do you handle it?Travel team City Lights NASA 2011 XXXX

10Number One RuleAdvancing your site!

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Lion Attack Adjustments: Preparing Plan B

Expect the Unexpected!!

Always advance your sites at least an hour before.

Ive checked rooms the evening before, had them set properly and the next morning 7:00 AM, the room had been turned from theater to rounds. Had to be reset. All hands were on deck to make it happen

11Dealing with Big Lions

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Lion Attack Adjustments: Preparing Plan B

Expect the Unexpected!!

President Graham Spanier Roger Williams, PSAA Executive Director

Obviously these are our BIG LIONS however it demonstrates that you will be confronted with the unexpected!

Dr. Spanier is busy man start on time. Dinner Rolls and dinner staff not ready shrimp and rolls. 4 minutes at 2 minutes and not ready Open those Doors12The Mixology of Alcohol and EventsWeatherTransportation Double Bookings

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Lion Attack Adjustments: Preparing Plan B

Expect the Unexpected!!

Alcohol Entertainment, lots of food & beverages. Fun, fun, fun time. At end of the celebration, we had an individual that was just hanging around and hanging around saying things that were inappropriate. Obviously he had too much to drink and Monty was going to take him home. Monticarlo, which was a car .We are responsible called a cab and paid the driver to take the individual home safely.

We then would sweep each of the venues, making sure nothing was left and found a drunk attendee passed out on bench.

PLANNERS: If you are working an event, minimize dramatically or dont drink alcoholic beverages! You need to be able to deal with events. P&F Game watching. Wiskers across the hall

Weather tornadoes, flooding, power outage, THON 2010 no electricity and surrounding area Generators.

Transportation late planes, traffic jams

Plane - The plane the speaker was flight was cancelled. Didnt make it to speak. Hooked him on phone, to speaker phone, advanced his slides for him and the show went on

Guaranteed, if something goes wrongyour VIP will be on that bus, in that room, or in the location of the incident.

Driver in South Africa got lost and couldnt read. 6 hours past our expected check in time, dumped off in the south African bush.

13Emergency Planning

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Lion Attack Adjustments: Preparing Plan B

Expect the Unexpected!!

PLAN to be proactive verse reactive

WALK THROUGH Ive have found on numerous occasions emergency doors that are chain locked. Important Person escape route or Back Way Out, or Emergency Exit

You may hold an event in a venue that doesnt follow safety codes. Ask them if they have an established emergency procedure.

EMTs food, choking, large crowd, location all staff know where they are. Dinner event at NLI few years back.Alabama Mrs. Royster Big Uglies John Dr. Leading Parkinson's Research in country; Paul - Artist

Dinners AAA, Alumni Fellows , TRW EMTs on property

Medical Kit at all events

Emergency planning for your attendees but also your crew. Know their personal emergency contact info If you have a committee everyone needs to know Where are all of the emergency exits DOES Anyone know the way out of this room to safety??? Wheres the silver maple tree? Where you plant the EMT

14Lions have WISDOM: 99 Second Idea Exchange Meet & GreetMembership DriveFundraiserCharity EventAttract Specific GroupSocial Gathering / FunEducationalStudent Engagement EventCommunity Wide EventInformation Event

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99 Second Success StoriesOn Line RegistrationEblastEvites what are you all using

99 Seconds to talk about Best Practices EventsSocial / Fun Event / Meet & GreetEducational / Student Engagement EventFund Raising / Charity EventMembership / Special Group15Lions Have WISDOM: The End!

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Any Questions??

Some of the Events Team16