Event Planning Guide Step
1: Start with the basic questions
Who:
Who is responsible for the event?
Who is the sponsor or contact person for the event?
Who will answer questions regarding the event?
Who will be paying for any costs?
Who will be attending the event?
What:
What type of event is it?
What is the title of the event?
When:
Day? Date? Time? Is this a reoccurring event?
Have you allowed for set up, decoration, and clean up time?
What are the “official” start and end times for the event?
Where:
Where will this event take place? Single or multiple locations?
Do you know the building or room number?
Will this event affect other spaces near your location?
Will noise or traffic flow be an issue?
Why:
What do you want to accomplish?
What is most important?
Have you developed a brief mission statement to keep event planning on
track?
How Many:
How many people will be attending?
Step 2: Detailed
questions to answer
Room Set
Ups:
How do you want the room to look?
Does the event require a different set up that the room normally provides?
How many table and chairs will be needed?
Can you supply a room diagram?
Will Building Services be asked to set up and restore the room?
Some room setups greatly affect other rooms- have you visited the space?
Will this create overtime charges for the College?
Will food be served at the event?
Will you need extra trash receptacles?
Will you need coat racks?
Tech:
Will the event require microphones, sound or lights?
Do you want the event recorded or video taped?
Will the event include a PowerPoint presentation?
Will the presentation be on disk, CD, flash drive or networked?
Will the event require a data projector, VCR, TV, laptop or wireless network?
Do you need supplies? Who will be providing them?
Can you afford technical support, if the event requires it?
Guests:
Are you inviting any outside guests or speakers?
If so, have you determined their needs can be met?
Are your guests familiar with Saint Mary’s College?
Will you need to publicize your event?
Will the President or any members of the Cabinet be attending or speaking?
Should the College be aware of prominent guests that will be attending?
Other Considerations:
What other events are happening on campus?
Will enough space be available?
Where will your guests park?
Will the event require campus signage or posters?
If this is a weekend event, will SMC staff be available for support?
Does this event happen during a ND football weekend or during a break?
Do any of your guests have special needs? (i.e. accessibility, hearing impaired)
Cost:
Simple events can be accomplished at little to no cost. Generally, the
more services that an event requires, the more likely it will be that
then event may incur cost. Services that create cost include: catering,
decorations, tech support, and publicity.
If
a performance space is reserved (Carroll Auditorium, Little Theatre
or O’Laughlin
Auditorium) technicians will most likely be required to help manage
the event. Technical personnel cost $13/hour and require a three
hour minimum
charge. Please allow plenty of time to schedule these services
If an event is being publicized, the College will assist in designing
publicity materials but the cost for printing these materials will need
to be covered. Please allow plenty of advance time to accomplish these
tasks.
Outdoor event signs may be ordered to assist in guiding people to the
event, but these services also incur cost and require advance time to
order.
If a large event is planned during the weekend or after hours and includes
extensive set up or take down, Building Service personnel could log expensive
overtime hours.
Step 3: Services
The Office of Special Events
Kathy Bush, Administrative Assistant (284-5348)
Chris
Sallak, Patron Services and Marketing Manager (284-4625)
The Office of Special Events is the clearing house for campus events
and reserves most spaces on campus. The Office of Special Events also manages EMS
(Event Management System) which lists, in detail, all campus events, including classes. This office
also coordinates work orders for events.
These spaces are reserved by the following departments:
Welcome Center - Admissions
Reidinger House - Alumnae Relations
201 Le Mans - Alumnae Relations
Chapels/reflection rooms - Campus Ministry
Le Man 137 - President’s Office
President’s Dining Room - President’s Office
Student Affairs Conf. Room - Special Events
College Rel. Conf. Room - College Relations
Finance Conf. Room - Special Events
Church of Our Lady of Loretto - Sisters of the Holy Cross
During the academic year:
Angela - Athletics
Classrooms (daytime) - Registrar
Residence Halls - Residence Life
Reignbeaux Lounge - Residence Life
Moreau Practice Rooms - Department of Music
Regina Dance Studio - Department of Communication and Performance Studies
Regina Lounges - Residence Life
Dalloways Clubhouse - Student Activities
Note: during breaks and during the summer, Special
Events reserves the Clubhouse.
The Student Lounge and the Commuter Kitchen in the Student Center
are not available for reservations when classes are in session.
During the summer, most campus spaces, including residence halls, are
scheduled by the Office of Special Events.
Tech Services are scheduled through Special Events. Performance events
usually require technical support.
Special Events schedules all advanced tech classrooms for faculty members.
Online reservations
Student Activities
Tena Johnson, Administrative Secretary (284-4561) - The Student Activities
Office may be able to assist with most student sponsored events, especially
for those scheduled in the Student Center. Student Activities Managers,
when on duty, will be able to assist with minor room set ups and help
trouble shoot most technical services in the Vander Vennett Theatre.
Security
Dispatcher (284-5000) - The Security Department oversees safety issues
for Saint Mary’s and will most likely be the agency that will
lock and unlock spaces. This is particularly important if laptop computers,
data projectors or recording equipment is used. Security will also
respond to emergencies and help coordinate emergency vehicles in the
event of a medical emergency. They can also assist with parking and
traffic control issues, if the event is large (200 or more people).
Building Services
Marilyn Rajski, Director (284-4548) - Building Services provides set
up, take down and custodial support for events. They can also provide
event
deliveries (i.e. tables and chairs). Building Service requests need
to be submitted fourteen (14) days prior to every event. It is also
important to remember that normal Building Services hours are 7:00
a.m.-3:00 p.m. during normal weekdays. While Building Service staff
members are on the premises 24 hours, they cannot always provide
service beyond their normal work hours.
Maintenance
Noelene Thode-Lutes, Administrative Assistant-Facilities (284-4765)
- The Maintenance Department is responsible for insuring that buildings
are operating in a safe, comfortable and functional manner. In the
event of an emergency (i.e. electrical failure, plumbing breaks),
Security and Maintenance personnel will coordinate efforts to conduct
repairs.
Media Services (Audio Visual)
Bill Waymouth, Head-Media Center (284-5277) - Media Services maintains
the equipment in all advanced tech classrooms. Media Services staff
also manages all laptops, data projectors, screens, overhead projectors,
VCRs, TVs and event recording equipment.
Sodexho
Sara Monnett, Catering Manager (284-5345) - Sodexho is the exclusive food
provider for Saint Mary’s College. The Office of Special Events
asks that all event planners give Sodexho the opportunity to discuss
event
food needs and the opportunity to quote a price for catering.
Marketing
Communications
Zara Osterman, Administrative Assistant (284-4595) - The Department
of Marketing Communications can assist with posters, ads, public relations,
invitations, design and production of signage. Please give them plenty
of advanced notice and complete a creative
services request.
Information Technology
Doreen Nagy, Administrative Assistant, (284-4610) Information Technology
can help arrange computer/internet access for sponsored visitors to
campus or assist with IT issues.
Step 4: Make
the Reservation
Make the reservation by phone
Office of Special Events Monday - Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Kathy
Bush (284-5348), Chris Sallak (284-4625)
Make the Reservation on-line
The Office of Special Events offers 24-hour Web access to the EMS (Event Management System) campus event calendar at
Saint Mary’s. This
includes the capability of checking event status, room availability,
and making an event request on the Web.
Browse Events, Facilities, Room Types, Dates
Browse campus events by date, facility, specific room, or event name.
Use the boxes to navigate and hit the apply filter button.
Browse facilities and room types or you may also browse the campus for
the right space for your event. Event listings may also be sorted by
daily, weekly, or monthly views.
If you wish to see all events on campus at any given date, select the
pull down calendar for a date, choose all facilities, all event types,
all clients, and hit the filter button. Classes are listed for the
current semester only.
Event listings will be highlighted in blue. Selecting this text will
take you to the specific event reservation and all the information that
has been entered regarding that event.
Room Request
Making a room request for an event may be accomplished by following these
steps:
1. Create an account (if you
are a new user to EMS), under the “my
account” menu. You can use any login or password, it does not necessarily
have to be anything you presently use.
2. Go directly to the room reservation form. No need to wait for account
verification or return notice. Your account is active immediately.
3. Browse current events and space availability. At this point, you
will see most of the College spaces available.
Note: If you can not find the space you’re interested in, it may
be because the space is not normally available or has special restrictions.
4. Find the space you need, check availability and submit.
Please note any special needs that the event may have in the note
field (AV, special room setup, catering, sound requirements).
5. Once submitted,
all room requests go to Kathy Bush in the Office of Special Events,
who will process the request. You can check
the
status of the request at
any point. Once the event is confirmed, The Office of Special Events
will email a confirmation.
6. Making a room request does not guarantee a reservation. The event
will need to be approved and processed before the space may be reserved.
Step 5: Event
Tips
Please
plan at least two weeks in advance (the earlier the better),
especially if you are requesting work orders of any sort.
Table cloths and table skirting may be rented from Sodexho. A limited
number of green table skirts are also available from Special Events (284-4625).
Any problems or
concerns with the Master Calendar or EMS (Event Management Systems)
may be reported to the Office of Special Events.
If you are planning a multiple day event or large event (involving more
that 200 participants) please contact Special Events to coordinate all
activities and work orders.
In reserving lobby space, such as the atrium in the Student Center,
please be aware of public access and egress issues.
In reserving the lobby of the Little Theatre, please be aware that this
is also an art gallery. Certain art installations may interfere with
large event gatherings.
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