Event Planning

Scheduling for Events and Speakers

Great! Your group has an excellent idea for an event or speaker. The Scheduling Office is ready to help you work out the logistics of where, when, and how that event will come off. Before posting publicity, purchasing supplies, or finalizing contracts with performers or speakers, you need to observe the following proper procedures to ensure that the space you want is available and that there are no scheduling conflicts with other campus events:

1. Determine the proposed date, time, and location of your event.
2. Check the Wittenberg Series calendar for possible conflicts. According to Wittenberg policy, no other programs may be scheduled at the same time as a Witt Series event.
3. Check the campus events calendar. If another group has an event scheduled at the same time you are considering, it could affect the attendance at yours.
4. Stop by the Student Center Information Desk or call 327-7445 and speak to Cathie Kuss, the Coordinator of Scheduling, to determine if the space you want is suitable and available for your event.
5. See Jon Duraj, Director of Student Activities, to have any and all contracts signed and verified. Student groups may not sign contracts.
6. See Cathie Kuss or another member of the Student Involvement staff for help in filling out and processing any purchase orders for contract requirements.
7. Fill out a scheduling form. Submit it in person at the Student Center or e-mail it to the following address: scheduling-request@wittenberg.edu.  Include your organization's account number on the form. There may be charges for any special services that are required at your event. These might include electricians, security or food service charges.
8. Wittenberg has an exclusive contract with Sodexo Campus Services for all food service needs on campus. No other caterer may be contracted for an event held on campus, unless approval has been granted by Dining Services. Be sure to include in your Scheduling Request whether or not your organization needs food service.
9. Call the Scheduling Office at least 48 hours before the event with any changes to your original scheduling request that may affect food service and/or the set-up of the room.

FOR WEEKLY MEETINGS:

To schedule weekly or recurring meetings for your organization, submit one scheduling form with all dates listed individually and the space needed. The scheduling office will try to schedule these meetings in the same room every time.

Advertising

A. General Information

Aside from planning, advertising is the most important element of a successful event. Promotion avoids the problem stated, "If they don't know, they won't show." There are several things to keep in mind when promoting your event:

1. Follow the posting policies for campus

2. Know the available means of advertising

3. Budget enough money for advertising when planning an event

4. Be CREATIVE!

5. Utilize more than one method of promotion - What works for one person may not work for another.

B. Ways to Advertise

Additionally, the Office of University Communications is an excellent resource for organizations wishing to do press releases that go to local media outlets, and which are posted on Wittenberg's home page.

Guidelines for Advertising on Campus

There are separate policies for residence halls and the rest of campus.  Click on the link to see the complete text.

Posting Policies for Campus and Residence Halls

Scheduling Events With Alcohol

Some of the most difficult events to plan well are those where alcoholic beverages will be available to college students. Don't worry, though, it's possible to have a fun and perfectly legal party as long as you keep some things in mind:

1. The State of Ohio has established 21 as the legal drinking age, and the city of Springfield has an open container law (you may not be outside with open cups or cans of beer). Wittenberg police and security officers as well as city police will enforce these laws.
2. If money is provided for any aspect of a party with alcohol, a state permit must be obtained and displayed on site.
3. On-campus events must be catered by Sodexo Campus Services (see Dining Services section), which is licensed to serve alcohol.
4. Wittenberg policy also requires that parties held in off-campus rental properties have less than 100 participants; that they are contained within your house or back yard; and that they do not infringe on the rights of your neighbors.
5. Wittenberg policy prohibits kegs in any properties owned by the university.
6. Springfield city ordinance bans any noise that can be heard more than 25 feet away. Wittenberg Security will monitor noise levels and intervene after midnight on Friday and Saturday evenings and after 11pm on weekday evenings.

If your organization is planning a party with alcohol, you must have a method for determining who is 21 or older. There should be limited and monitored entrances and exits to the event location. Finally, the organization should plan to have non-salty food available as well as alternative beverages on hand. Remember that many at the event may prefer to have few or no alcoholic drinks over the course of the evening.

More information on hosting events where alcohol will be present is available in the Programming with Alcohol Policy. 

Co-Sponsorship

Co-sponsorship involves two or more organizations working together to produce an event or program. There are several areas of co-sponsorship including financial, personnel, and informational. Informational co-sponsorship is useful when an organization that is experienced in a certain type of programming can provide information for an event even if it is not able to provide financial or personnel assistance. It is important that the executive officers of each organization agree about financial and personnel commitments before the organization and planning process has progressed too far. Here are some important tips for developing co-sponsored events :

1. Jointly set the purpose and goal of the event or program.
2. Both organizations should fully support the event or program - attendance by members of both organizations is critical.
3. Communicate!
4. Be willing to try new approaches to planning and executing an event.
5. Respect other organizations' programs and events -- do not cross-program. You should check the Wittenberg Web page and the Monthly Programming Calendar to see the dates of events that could potentially conflict with yours. Ask the Scheduling Office about particular dates, and they can tell you what else is scheduled for that day.
6. Ask about participating in major campus events. The major sponsoring organizations encourage additional programming and co-sponsorship for the events.

Parents Weekend - Alumni Relations

Homecoming - Union Board and Alumni Relations

Little Sibs Weekend - Union Board

CBS Weekend - CBS

WittFest - Union Board

7. Co-sponsorship can enable your organization to put together a better event.

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