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Division of Tasks

Event Chair | Treasurer | Logistics Team | Speaker/Performer Team | Publicity/Media Team | Outreach Team | Fundraising Team

Event Chair

  • Troubleshoot all problems and oversee their resolution.
  • Sit in on all committee meetings and/or communicate with the chairs of each team following their meetings in order to keep up to date on organizing plans, answer questions, and collect any questions for the Field Representatives.
  • Communicate with the Treasurer regarding budget goal and strategies.
  • Contact your Field Representatives to update them on plans and get feedback and suggestions.
  • Decide who will emcee or introduce the event if necessary.
  • Thoroughly review plans with all committee chairs 1 week prior to the event to make sure that everything is in order.
  • Thank all guests and co-sponsors formally during event, and again after with a letter.
 
The event chair is ultimately responsible for the delegation and completion of all tasks, and must oversee all committees.

Treasurer

  • Work with the chairs of the Logistics, Speaker, Publicity/Media, and Outreach Teams to create a budget for the event.
  • Work with the Fundraising Team to devise a plan for meeting the budget needs and making co-sponsor contacts.
  • Regularly communicate with the Event Chair to report budget expenditures and reimbursements.
  • Arrange payment for advance publicity, and cut checks for all other purchases. Remember to use your school’s tax exempt code if possible.
  • Receive and deposit all checks from co-sponsors before your event. This may require frequent follow up contact with co-sponsors who have not paid.
  • Keep very careful records of all money received and spent.

Logistics Team

  • Reserve a venue for the event almost immediately after deciding on conducting the action.
  • Investigate and reserve all necessary equipment and technical support for your event, including AV staff and security.
  • Create a budget for your committee. Possible costs include fees for lecture room and equipment, supplies for decorating the lecture room such as a banner, signs, tape, and markers, and staff for the event such as security and technical support.
  • Submit your budget to the treasurer, and work with the treasurer to meet costs.
  • Alert campus security of your event, keeping in mind the potential for protest or opposition.
  • Shortly before the event, confirm all room and staff reservations, as well as all volunteers. Make sure all staff and volunteers know exactly when they are needed and what their job is.
 

Remember: Volunteers can help with essential tasks!

  • Room set-up and clean up crew

  • House manager

  • Light/Sound technicians (if not hired)

  • Ushers

  • Security

  • FMF table crew

Speaker/Performer Team

  • Discuss travel and housing plans for all guests with the event chair.
  • Reserve overnight accommodations for all guests or speakers. Make sure to ask guests about their housing and food needs. Also investigate college-owned guest houses and/or hotels that may be free or discounted for college guests.
  • Create a budget for your committee. Possible costs include overnight accommodations, air/train/ car travel, and meals for your guests.
  • Submit your budget to the treasurer and work with her/him to meet the costs.
  • Confirm travel arrangements with all guests prior to the event, and give them emergency contact information for their date of travel. Do not forget to arrange for ground transportation to and from airports and train stations.
  • Greet all guests upon arrival, and escort guests to all dinners, lectures, and events during their stay.

Publicity/Media Team

  • Meet over a month before a major event to create a plan of action for publicity and media. Publicity & Outreach | Working with Media
  • Get cost estimates for posters, flyers, newspaper ads, banners, and other materials.
  • Create a budget for publicity and media with the treasurer.
  • Get deadlines for printing, newspaper ads, advance stories, public service announcements, and other publicity, and create a time-line for your publicity strategy.
  • Publicity should begin at least a month before a major event, with a sharp increase in publicity two weeks prior to the event. Launch your publicity "blitz" one week prior to your major event.
  • Design your logo and poster graphics. Consult guests regarding press photos and lecture titles before finalizing your poster design. Also be sure to include the names of all co-sponsors on your posters and flyers.
  • After the event, be sure to send articles and pictures to the Field Representatives at FMF.
 
Publicity and media for a major event require a lot of people power and time. This committee should be large and convene very early in the planning process.

Outreach Team

  • Work closely in coordination with the publicity committee, but focus on alerting campus groups, academic departments, and other campus communities about an event through direct outreach. Publicity & Outreach
  • Brainstorm progressive campus and local organizations, as well as progressive departments and faculty as the target of your outreach.
  • Develop an outreach strategy that includes meeting and classroom announcements, mailbox flyering, phone calls to all key group leaders and faculty, tabling, and e-mailing.
  • Encourage student organizations and faculty members to attend, to pass the word along to their contacts, and to consider making attendance part of their group programming or coursework.
  • When delegating outreach responsibilities, make sure to account for several "rounds" of outreach at different time intervals before your event.

Fundraising Team

  • While the fundraising team need not be large, the team must begin meeting as early as possible since no other committees can financially obligate the group until the Leadership Alliance has the funds to cover the event.
  • The fundraising team should work with the treasurer to establish a fundraising goal for the event, and a strategy for meeting the goal. Learn about Fundraising
  • Identify those groups you wish to approach as potential co-sponsors, draft a proposal to present the groups, and make appointments with group officials to discuss the proposal.
  • Thoroughly follow-up with each co-sponsor, and work closely with the treasurer to ensure that the Leadership Alliance receives all promised funds prior to the event.

 

Getting Started | Timeline | Division of Tasks | Event Planning | Day of the Event

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