Trip and Event Planning

1. Trip and Event Planning

2. What sort of trips/events might you be planning? • Participation in sporting events • A social trip • A society-related subject matter trip • A theatrical/musical/dance event • Social event (ball, Christmas party etc.) • A charitable event • A trip abroad • Visiting guest speakers………AND SO MUCH MORE!

4. The Aim? • Do masses • Have lots of fun • Stay safe • Break even or perhaps make money

5. First speak to the Manager/Coordinator for your area to sound things out: Sports – Hayley Curtis hayley.curtis@fxu.org.uk 01326 255966 Societies – Rosie Lea rosie.lea@fxu.org.uk 01326 255710 Volunteering & RAD - Kristy Wallace kristy.wallace@fxu.org.uk 01326 253631

6. What can FXU do for you? • Room/facility/space/accommodation*/travel** booking • Planning https://www.fxu.org.uk/activities/resources/usefuldocuments/ • Budgeting & Accounts/Finance advice • Ticketing/Sales • Purchases/Orders/Payments • Recommended suppliers • Undertake Guest Speaker Approval process • Liaise with FXPlus re outdoor spaces, performance space, amplified sound • * Remember re accommodation: You mustn’t use your account money (i.e. membership fees) to pay for upfront large-scale deposits. FXU can book accommodation for you AFTER ticket sales have taken place. If you plan on camping you must gain permission from the Council, private land/property owner and forward this to FXU • ** not flights • ** Have you got drivers in your Club or Society? Requirements for MIDAS training: Over 21? Held a clean full driving licence for at least 2 years. Cost is £50 for MIDAS training – driver pays upfront and may be able to reclaim from Club/Society. Contact Lucy Thomas at FXU for details – lucy.thomas@fxu.org.uk. Otherwise ask for help through Facebook group ‘FXU Minibus Driver Collaboration’ – NO PAYMENT

7. What do you need to do? • Plan early, and well • Don’t do it all yourself • Keep to budget • Consider all risks and mitigate against them

8. Standard Planning (- 4 months to – 4 weeks) • Ask your members if they are interested in what you have in mind • Meet as a Committee: share ideas & distribute tasksfor investigation • Come & see FXU for advice, tips, preferred suppliers, possible financial contribution • Meet again as a Committee: discuss & agree event detail. • COMPLETE TRIP/EVENT PACK & return it to FXU 4 WEEKS BEFORE TRIP/EVENT. WITHOUT SUBMISSION THE TRIP/EVENT WILL NOT TAKE PLACE

9. Standard Planning (- 4 weeks to -2 weeks) • FXU discusses/agrees Trip Pack (inc. budget) & puts tickets up for sale through website & office*, with customisations as appropriate (earlier if abroad) • FXU/Committee promote trip/event to encourage sales • FXU books and secures arrangements as income allows • FXU finalises numbers & arrangements with Committee after sales deadline • FXU pays invoices from Club/Society accounts • If risks not covered by generic Risk Assessment, COMPLETE BESPOKE RISK ASSESSMENT & return it to FXU 2 WEEKS BEFORE TRIP/EVENT. WITHOUT SUBMISSION THE TRIP/EVENT WILL NOT TAKE PLACE • * From 17/18 ALL Trips/Events must be ticketed by FXU (e.g. you can’t take money on the bus). This means FXU has full list of participants for insurance purposes.

10. Standard Planning (- 2 weeks to post trip/event) • Meet as a Committee to discuss final details & assign tasks • Attend/host/stage Trip/Event • Review the Trip/Event and keep a note of anything you would do differently or could be improved • Bathe in the glory of a fantastic Trip/Event!

11. Trip Abroad? A few extra considerations: • Is your destination safe? (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice) • Time of Year? Weather, travel conditions, events & festivals etc. • Travel to and from airport in UK & abroad • All inclusive visitor deals (city cards, museum passes, tours etc.) • NUS cards/student deals • Dietary requirements/allergies/health/access/NOK • Travel insurance & health cards • Passport details –valid now & for dates of travel? • Visa requirements for UK, EU and non EU nationals?

12. Trip Abroad? Note: • FXU no longer purchases flights on your behalf. Why? Because with a block booking we have to wait for everyone to pay up and, by that time, the prices have normally increased. This is not fair on those who commit early. • Clubs/Societies should work with FXU to determine ‘best or specific flights’ and ask people to purchase them themselves. This way the price you pay is up to each individual and each traveller is responsible for inputting their correct details.

13. Successful Trips Abroad: • Relevant and well organised - committee effort • Timing- avoid exam periods & aim for end of term when members can head home after trip • Deposit payments/deadlines made around student loan instalments • Participants: info pack- addresses, arrangements, packing lists etc. • Full & detailed itineraries – everyone knows what is going on (Committee, FXU, members) • Opportunity to meet/get together before trip so everyone knows each other • Make sure committee members can attend and that there are enough committee members there to be on hand for participants (ratio 1:10 for self -led trips or 1:25 for tour-led trips

14. Social Event? A few extra considerations: • Meet face-to-face with Venue/DJ/Photographer/Videographer etc. • Licence restraints: bar and music • Most venues now require DJ/Bands to have Public Liability Insurance & to have their equipment PAT tested with proof to venue before event • Security- for an event of over 50 people the venue may demand it. Cost? • First Aid Cover - will you need St John’s to help cover the event? • Decorations- do you need to decorate or will the venue do this for you? • Table places/seating plan • Menu choice/Dietary requirements? (warning: canapés are very expensive!) • Committee should attend in force and recognise responsibilities during the event

15. Two FXU documents to help you: Trip/Event Pack – at least 4 weeks before Risk Assessment – at least 2 weeks before No documents = No Trip/Event

16. A step-by-step guide to planning your Trip/Event. Includes lots of useful prompts. Has to be submitted to FXU at least 4 weeks before the Trip/Event

17. Your Trip/Event budget - a few extra considerations: • Include a contingency • Plan budget on 75% capacity. Anything more is bonus/profit • Income = sales of tickets through FXU; merchandise; sponsorship; any monies due from/agreed by FXU • Costs – don’t forget VAT/delivery as appropriate and get a few quotes. Minibus charged at 40p per mile (charged termly to your account). Private cars reimbursed at maximum 40p per mile (for first 100 miles) and 27p per mile thereafter. Note: travel must be more than 6 miles beyond Truro/Penryn/Falmouth campus and have 3 or more members in the vehicle

18. When looking at your Trip/Event budget you will need to make sure it is financially viable. We are limited to the amount we can give your clubs and societies due to the number of groups and the level of activity.

19. When looking at your Trip/Event budget you will need to make sure it is financially viable. We are limited to the amount we can give your clubs and societies due to the number of groups and the level of activity.

20. Think about potential hazards and how you will mitigate against them (control measures). Your Risk Rating is assigned by multiplying Severity by Likelihood AFTER control measures are put in place. If Risk Rating is Medium, FXU may need to review whether the Trip/Event can take place. If Risk Rating is High, the Trip/Event will not take place.

21. Risk Rating is determined AFTER control measures are put in place to reduce the likelihood.

22. So finally….. • Do masses – listen to your members • Have lots of fun – plan, communicate and share the load • Stay safe – make sure what could go wrong……doesn’t • Break even or perhaps make money – budget well and keep updating your figures