Large-Scale: 6-8 weeks before event/program date
Late-Night Social: 4-6 weeks before event/program date

• Start discussing the event/program with other members of your club.
• Determine date, location, and time
  • Check Bates Engage and the Bates College events website to make sure there aren’t any other major events, or events that could have the same audience, happening on campus.
  • Consider accessibility when determining where you want to host your event. Campus Life is also happy to engage in conversation to strategize about this.
• Book the event/program space by registering it on Bates Engage.
• Start working on a budget for your event/program. This should take into account:
  • Materials needed (decorations and other supplies).
  • Production needs, including sound and lighting.
    • HPA Productions is our typical partner for campus events; you can get in touch with Greg Keneborus at gregspha@gmail.com for a quote. Note that for Late-Night Social Events, HPA’s services may not be necessary.
  • Talent – such as artist, performer, speaker, etc. All will have a fee, called a guarantee, and some may require covering of additional expenses such as food, travel, lodging, and backline (musical equipment that an artist does not travel with, and will have to be rented from HPA or other companies).
    • For more information on interacting with talent and contract negotiation, see the Contracts Policy.
  • Harm reduction needs – such as food and water.
  • Marketing needs – print advertising costs money. Contact Post and Print at postandprint@bates.edu for a quote on what your specific job would cost.
• Determine if the total anticipated cost of your event/program is feasible based on what is currently in your club account.
  • If the cost exceeds your funds on hand, identify additional funding sources for your event/program before committing to the event/program. When interacting with any of the entities above, a financial commitment should only be made when the funds needed are in your club account. To see funding sources that are available for clubs, please visit the Student Initiative Funding page. In general, BCSG-Recognized Clubs should primarily apply for funds via their Bates Engage Accounting Book.
  • External funding sources, in general, should not pay for aspects of your event/program directly – they should initiate a funds transfer to your club account, and all expenses should be paid from your club account.
  • When working in collaboration with other clubs, we recommend that you designate one club’s account to manage funding, as otherwise processing payments can be confusing to both event planners and Campus Life.
• Have your first meeting with your Funding & Activities Advisor (FAA), coming prepared to talk about all of the above.
  • After your meeting, a Campus Life staff member will review the event/program details and approve the space for your event.

 

Large-Scale: 4-6 weeks before event/program date
Late-Night Social: 3 weeks before event/program date

• Continue meeting with your FAA, if necessary.
• Continue thinking through accessibility, particularly in terms of event/program format and content.
• Continue working with funding sources, if necessary, to fully gather funds needed to execute your event/program.
• Finalize budget for your event/program, and work with Campus Life staff to finalize needed contracts.
• Begin working on marketing materials for your event/program. Formats to consider include:
  • Bates Engage.
  • Ad holders in Commons and the Den.
  • Paper flyers or posters (common sizes are 8.5×11”, 11×17” or 24×36”).
  • Digital signage (should be a .PNG or .JPG that is 1920 x 1080 pixels).
  • Social media.
  • Bates Today.
• Get your club members hyped up for the event/program!

 

Large-Scale: 2-3 weeks before event/program date
Late-Night Social: 2 weeks before event/program date

• Launch marketing for the event/program.
• Create “day of” schedule for your club members to sign up for shifts to assist. Consider:
  • Set-up tasks and time it will take to set up. Set-up should be completed no later than 45 minutes prior to the event start time.
  • Tasks that will need to take place during your event.
  • Clean-up tasks and time it will take to clean up.
• Once completed, communicate “day of” schedule to club members and ask for sign ups.
• If using Bates Dining to cater your event/program, place your order via the Catering Request Form.
• Continue to track event/program expenses.

 

1 week before event/program date

• Place orders for food (other than Bates Dining).
• Purchase materials and supplies needed.
• Check in with club members who have signed up for shifts to communicate specific responsibilities and ensure they understand the scope of what they signed up for.
• It’s best practice to test everything out prior to your event/program to help iron out any unforeseen wrinkles – schedule a time with a few club members to run through everything involved in the event/program.
• Make a last marketing push.
• If your event/program involves talent that has required they receive their check on site, make arrangements to pick up their check from Accounting.
  • Accounting, located in Lane Hall 221, cuts checks on Thursdays, and will have them available for pick-up on Friday mornings.
• Look for an Event Bulletin from a Campus Life staff member in your email inbox, which will communicate roles and expectations of all parties involved in staffing your event/program.

 

Day of event/program

• Arrive at the agreed-upon time for set-up and coordinate with club members to get things ready for event/program start.
• The event staff will arrive on site approximately 45 minutes prior to event/program start time. Set-up should be completed by this point.
• Attend the T-30 Meeting, which will occur 30 minutes prior to the start time of your event/program, and involve all individuals in lead roles for their functional areas. This meeting is intended to inform/remind everyone staffing the event what their role is for the duration of the event/program and what the general flow of the event/program entails. If some details are not clear or are incorrect, this is your chance to correct them before your event/program starts.
  • Please note that the T-30 Meeting is required to be attended by the event/program planner – if they are not in attendance, your event start time will be delayed accordingly.
• During your event/program, ensure that tasks are being completed appropriately.
• After your event/program, attend the event debrief and provide input.
• In conjunction with other club members, assist Facility Services staff with clean-up as necessary.

 

After event/program date

• Complete an Event/Program Survey to assist Campus Life with assessment of student events.

4-6 weeks before event/program date

• Start discussing the event/program with other members of your club.
• Determine date and time
  • Check Bates Engage and the Bates College events website to make sure there aren’t any other major events, or events that could have the same audience, happening on campus.
• Submit your event/program to Bates Today and Bates Engage.
• Start working on a budget for your event/program. This should take into account:
  • Materials needed.
  • Talent – such as artist, performer, speaker, etc. All will have a fee, called a guarantee.
    • For more information on interacting with talent and contract negotiation, see the Contracts Policy.
  • Accessibility – for example, if your event takes place on Zoom, you should ensure that live transcriptions are turned on.
  • Marketing needs – print advertising costs money. Contact Post and Print at postandprint@bates.edu for a quote on what your specific job would cost.
• Determine if the total anticipated cost of your event/program is feasible based on what is currently in your club account.
  • If the cost exceeds your funds on hand, identify additional funding sources for your event/program before committing to the event/program. When interacting with any of the entities above, a financial commitment should only be made when the funds needed are in your club account. To see funding sources that are available for clubs, please visit the Student Initiative Funding page.
  • External funding sources, in general, should not pay for aspects of your event/program directly – they should initiate a funds transfer to your club account, and all expenses should be paid from your club account.
• Start thinking about the methods by which you will engage attendees virtually, including:
  • What platform will you use? (Zoom, Google Hangouts Meets, etc.)
  • What elements will comprise the virtual event? Such as:
    • Lecture/presentation
    • Open discussion/Q&A
    • Interactive workshop
    • Breakout rooms
    • Collaborative documents and/or platforms (e.g., Google Docs, Padlet, etc.)
• Have your first meeting with your Funding & Activities Advisor (FAA), coming prepared to talk about all of the above.
  • After your meeting, a Campus Life staff member will review the event/program details and approve your event.

 

3 weeks before event/program date

• Continue meeting with your student programming fellow or a Campus Life staff member, if necessary.
• Continue working with funding sources, if necessary, to fully gather funds needed to execute your event/program.
• Finalize budget for your event/program, and work with Campus Life staff to finalize needed contracts.
• Think critically about the accessibility of your event/program. In particular, consider content and presentation.
• Begin working on marketing materials for your event/program. Marketing materials should include verbiage related to sponsoring offices, departments, and/or funding sources, and accessibility accommodations information. Formats to consider include:
  • Bates Engage.
  • Ad holders in Commons and the Den.
  • Paper flyers or posters (common sizes are 8.5×11”, 11×17” or 24×36”).
  • Digital signage (should be a .PNG or .JPG that is 1920 x 1080 pixels).
  • Social media.
  • Bates Today.
• Get your club members hyped up for the event/program!

 

2 weeks before event/program date

• Launch marketing for the event/program.
• Create “day of” schedule for your club members to sign up for shifts to assist. Consider event flow.
• Once completed, communicate “day of” schedule to club members and ask for sign ups.
• Purchase materials and supplies needed.
• Continue to track event/program expenses.

 

1 week before event/program date

• Check in with club members who have signed up for shifts to communicate specific responsibilities and ensure they understand the scope of what they signed up for.
• Make a last marketing push.
• If your event/program involves talent, connect with them and ensure they understand the nature and scope of your event/program. 
• It’s best practice to test everything out prior to your event/program to help iron out any unforeseen wrinkles – schedule a time with a few club members to run through everything involved in the event/program.

Day of event/program

• Run your event/program!
   

After event/program date

• Complete an Event/Program Survey to assist Campus Life with assessment of student events.