Other Event Planning Details

Food

If your group would like to serve food at your event, you must go through Bon Appétit catering services, x7888, catering@lclark.edu, or BAMCONW. If you want to secure food on your own, you must sign a catering waiver, available outside the Campus Events Office.

Decorations

Decorating your venue adds atmosphere and aids in conveying a theme. There are many creative ways to decorate using supplies and resources that are either very cheap or free. When it comes time to decorate, consider how you are going to hang wall decorations. Avoid damaging products like tacks, staples, glues, foam mounting tape, and strong adhesive tapes. Blue tape, though a little more spendy than regular masking tape, has a light adhesive and will ultimately save you from paying for repairs.

Security

For large events, such as dances and concerts, you may want additional security present. Members of your organization are great for this. If you do use yourselves for security, it’s a good idea to have some kind of identification, such as matching “event staff” shirts, nametags, and/or lanyards with “security passes.” You’ll want enough people to put around the perimeter of the space, as well as at the doors, guarding any sound or stage equipment, and near the green room doors. Be sure they are knowledgeable about the event and potentially dangerous behavior such as moshing, crowd surfing, stage diving, people sitting on their friends’ shoulders, climbing upon the stage, and violations of campus policy. Security should be there from before any audience arrives until the entire audience leaves. If you have enough people, you may want to rotate shifts so that everyone has an opportunity to enjoy the program.

Although no one wants to have to be “The Man,” it’s better to be that to one or two people than to have your entire event shut down because someone was injured in a mosh pit or smoking pot during a show. For situations where someone is violating campus policy and you would like assistance in approaching them, please feel free to call Campus Safety at x7777 (emergency) or x7855 (business).

Evaluation

After your event, take some time to review it with your group. Discuss things like cost, attendance, logistics, group cooperation, relations with the performer, and other aspects. Take notes on what went well and what could use improving, including suggestions for improvements. Ask: Is this an event you would want to repeat? Why? See sample event evaluation sheet.

Store these notes somewhere where they’ll be easily accessible to the group in the future. One suggestion is a notebook or binder that is passed down through the leadership of your group or kept in your organization’s office, if you have one. This additionally aids in maintaining your organization’s traditions and history for future members. See “Preparing a Transition Notebook”.