Organizing a campus event can be TOUGH. There is a lot of planning, time, and communication that goes into getting any campus event off of its feet and running. You have to contact certain people, make sure your group knows what they need to do, get support for the event, and raise awareness of the event to get people to attend. So far in my college career, I have put on quite a few campus events including Dancing with the Profs, Orientation Board Off Broadway (a musical Cabaret performance), All Campus Cookout, So You Think GCC Can Dance?, and the Spring Dance Company Performance for the past two years. I have had my fair share of success, pains, and plans that have not gone the way I have wanted them to.
Dancing With The Profs Winner: Education Professor Connie Nichols
I am not the only student who has put on a campus event, and I am certainly not the last… So, if there is any knowledge that I can pass down I believe it can be summed up in five tips.
- Plan early and plan well
- Planning should be done early. Ideally a few months before the event because you have to contact tons of people. To plan well, write every little detail out. It will make things easier down the road.
- Make a list and stick to it
- Once you have planned out all of the details, figure out how to get those things done and make a “To Do” list for you to follow. Make sure you are following this list carefully and even setting dates for you to get things done by.
- Do not be afraid to ask for help
- Chances are for most events, there are people who have done them before or who have put on similar events. Find those people and ask for more tips or tricks on your event to make things easier or to speed up certain processes. It is also helpful to have people give you assistance to lighten to load of stress that often comes with these events. Also, Student Government will contribute monetary funds to events to help contribute to the campus community.
- Advertise sooner than later
- If you are holding an event, you want people to come to it, right?? Coming up with creative or strong ways to advertise will get people just as excited as you are to put on the event.
- Do not stress the little things
- Things will go wrong, no matter what event it is. But it is so important to not stress the small things or you could lose sight of the big picture! If you forgot something or something falls apart, take a second to breathe and move forward. The way you handle the hard stuff is a testament to your character and will prepare you for the next time that may happen.
Spring Dance Company Photo 2016
These five tips will not make for a perfect event, but it will help make your event planning and organizing go by so much faster and will be more enjoyable for you. Organizing a campus event can be a great way to contribute back to the vibrant community Grove City College has, and it is a rewarding experience that could help in the future with fine tuning various skills.
