Event Planning

1. Event Planning Georgina Wood 27th April 2018

2. What will be covered in this session? • The SU’s Event Planning Process • Event Planning Packs • Risk Assessments • Financial Planners • Specialised Events • Trips and Tours • Conferences and External Speakers • Balls • Charity Events • Getting your event approved • Development Meetings • Finance and HR • How the SU can support your Event

3. The SU’s Event Planning Process • Event Planning Packs • Financial Planners • Risk Assessments • https://www.warwicksu.com/societies/activities-and-planning/events/

4. Event Planning Packs • The first step in planning an event is completing an Event Planning Pack. • In this you will need to include as much information as possible

5. Financial Planner • The spreadsheet will automatically work out your income and expenditure • The purpose of your financial planner is to ensure you break even at 65% attendance to your event.

6. Risk Assessments • The Risk Assessment is the most important part of the pack – It ensures the safety of those taking part in your activities. • 3 stages of a Risk Assessment: • Identifying the hazards – What could go wrong? • Evaluating the associated risks – How bad could it be? • Controlling the risks – What can we put in place to reduce the likelihood of it happening? • It’s a case of asking yourself ‘What would happen in a worst case scenario?’

7. Risk Assessments • The Risk Assessment should be completed by the Event Organiser and then communicated to anyone who it may concern.

8. Risk Assessments • The Risk Assessment is the most important part of the pack – It ensures the safety of those taking part in your activities. • It should be completed by the Event Organiser and then communicated to anyone who it may concern.

9. Risk Assessments • Based on the event pack and financial planner you have already completed, what other risks would you include on the Risk Assessment for this workshop visit?

10. Risk Assessments • Injury from equipment • Knitting Needles • Smaller Needles • Repetitive Strain Injury • Knitting Needle Specific Injury • Food from Bar Fusion • Allergies • Food Poisoning • Choking • Alcohol at Social • Drunk and Disorderly Behaviour • Injury • Alcohol Poisoning • Fire/Emergency in Building • Access/Egress • Allergies to Materials • Crowd Control • Tickets and Admission

11. SpecialisedEvents – Trips & Tours/Conferences/Balls • The financial risk is generally higher for Balls, Trips/Tours and Conferences, so as an SU we have to ensure that your Society won’t be financially implicated. • The process for planning an event such as a Trip/Tour is slightly more detailed than that of a normal event. • Once you have submitted your pack for one of these events, you will be contacted by the Coordinator to set up a planning meeting: • Balls – Georgina (Georgina.wood@warwicksu.com) or Hannah (Hannah.hough@warwicksu.com) • Conferences – Hannah (Hannah.Hough@warwicksu.com) • Trips/Tours – Claire (Clbullivant@warwicksu.com)

12. Specialised Events – Trips/Tours • Things to consider when planning a trip/tour: • Similarly to a normal event, fill in all of the details for the main pack. • A detailed itinerary is also needed, with information about times, events and any information about meeting points/locations. • You will also need to mention if you are organizing this event through a Tour Company (ie. I <3 Tour) or if you are booking everything independently.

13. Specialised Events – Trips/Tours • Tour companies will normally sort excursions, flights, accommodation and airport transfers however they will not organise your own insurance. • If you are organising your own tour, you will need to get quotes for everything that you are planning to spend money on; Flights, accommodation etc. • If you are unable to get quotes, please let your Coordinator know, and we will look into alternatives

14. Specialised Events – Trips/Tours Risks • There are numerous additional risks that are involved with Trips/Tours, due to the nature of the activity including, but not limited to: • Transport issues • Terrorism/Civil Unrest • Natural/Man Made Disaster • Getting Lost • Conflict with members of the public • Lost Luggage • Travel Insurance • To reduce these risks, make sure you have researched the location that you will be travelling to and, if you are unsure, have a discussion with your Coordinator.

15. Specialised Events – Balls • It is recommended that you meet with your Coordinator to discuss your Ball plans BEFORE you start to plan your Ball. (You can arrange to meet with Indy in Week 2) • Deadline for Event Packs for Balls is week 7 before the Ball is due to take place.

16. Specialised Events – Balls • There are certain things you should keep in mind when planning your Ball: • Don’t sign anything! • Don’t commit to anything • Keep you minimum numbers as low as possible, to reduce risk(Even if you think you’ll have 100 attendees, keep it at 70)

17. Specialised Events – Conferences • We ask that you submit your Event Planning pack at least ONE TERM before the Conference is due to take place • You will have a number of meetings with your coordinator leading up to the Event, to ensure that everything is being covered.

18. Specialised Events – Conferences • In a similar way to Balls, we ask that you consider the following when planning your Conference • Don’t sign anything! • Don’t commit to anything • Keep you minimum numbers as low as possible, to reduce risk(Even if you think you’ll have 100 attendees, keep it at 70) • Ensure you have completed your External Speaker Forms for ALL SPEAKERS at least 3 weeks before the event.

19. Specialised Events – External Speakers • Anyone who comes onto Campus to speak in public requires an External Speaker Form to be completed. • This excludes current staff or students at the University. • You must complete the form, which can be found on the University Security Website, with 3 weeks (21 Days) notice. • Any forms received with less notice than 21 days will not be approved. This is non-negotiable. • If your speaker is High Profile, or may attract controversy please let us know, with as much notice on top of the 21 days, as possible. • Your speaker has not been approved until you have received an email from us. If you haven’t heard from us after you have submitted your form, you should contact your Coordinator. • https://warwick.ac.uk/services/campus-security/events/

20. Specialised Events – Charity Events • There are regulations around how you can raise money as a Society. • With events, you will need to cover all costs of the event first, you will then be able to donate any surplus to the Charity you have chosen. • You will need to mention somewhere at your event that the proceeds of the event are going to charity. • You also need to inform the SU that you are fundraising and, eventually, the amount you have raised. You can do this by visiting www.warwicksu.com/rag or by emailing Sam Parr at charities@warwicksu.com • There are occasions where you may be fundraising but you do not need to complete an Event Planning Pack, however consult with Sam or your Coordinator before doing so.

21. Specialised Event • There are further sessions on specialised events, where you can find out more details on how to successfully plan specialised events: • Balls – 1pm – Friday 27th April • Charity Fundraising – 10am - Wednesday 2nd May • Conferences – 1pm – Wednesday 2nd May • Trips and Tours – 2pm – Wednesday 2nd May

22. Getting your Event Approved – Development Meetings • With any event, you will need to meet with the Coordinator processing your event to ensure that everything is on track, especially finances. • Please note that you will not be able to spend any money until your event has been signed off. • If you have any problems during the planning process, arrange to meet with your Coordinator to resolve them. • Important note: Keep track of payment deadlines (Venues, transport etc) because you will need to plan your meetings around them to ensure they are paid on time.

23. Getting your Event Approved- Finance and HR • Any event that has an expenditure of over £5,000 will need to be taken to Finance and HR before it can be approved. • In this meeting, they will look at the event and make a judgement based on the following: • Is the event financially viable? • Are the Society in a position to hold an event like it? • What data do we have from last year’s event (eg. Ticket Sales) • Are there any significant risks involved? • Is the event likely to be a success? • Once the event has been approved by Finance and HR, the event can go ahead. • Please note: Finance and HR Meetings usually take place in the evening, so you will receive the outcome the day after the meeting.

24. Getting your Event Approved - Event Planning • In order for an event to be signed off, you will need to ensure that: • The financial planner breaks even at 65% • Your Risk Assessment has been approved by the Societies Coordinator • You have all of the quotes and additional information that support your event • You have supplied any contracts that will need to be signed, after the event has been approved. • Do not sign contracts until they have been signed by Gerard, Student Activities Manager. • If you do, you will be liable to any payments and anything outstanding that has not been paid. • Do not spend money until the event has been signed off. • You will not be able to claim this back until the event has been approved.

25. How the SU can support your event: • The SU has a range of departments and resources that you have access to that can make the most of your events: • Marketing • F&B/Ents • Central Admin • Your Coordinator!

26. How the SU can support your event – Marketing • Our Marketing Team are available to help you with: • Printing • Logo/Leaflet Design • Distribution • Digital Screens • All Member Email • What’s On Wall Planner • marketing@warwicksu.com

27. How the SU can support your event – F&B/Ents • If you are looking for Catering or a Venue for your Event, you can speak to our F&B/Venues team. • Refresh – Internal Catering • Curiositea • Copper Rooms • Terrace Bar • Dirty Duck • The Graduate • You can also speak to the team to see if there is a possibility of having a theme for your upcoming event: • Curiositea Themed Week • Dirty Duck/Terrace Bar Themed Drink • Our Entertainments Team can also help you with your Technical Requirements for your Events. • Sufficient notice is required for all venues, regardless of what you require. • Curiositea plan their themed weeks terms in advance!

28. How the SU can support your event – Central Admin • The Central Admin team can help you book: • SU Rooms (Eg. Atrium, Meeting Rooms etc) • Transport to and from events (Eg. Balls, Trips and Tours) • Their office is located to the left of Reception on the 1st Floor of Warwick SUHQ • Please note that Central Admin cannot make bookings for University Rooms and Buildings • admin@warwicksu.com

29. How the SU can support your event – Your Coordinator!! • Your Coordinator should always be your first point of contact for everything to do with your event. We can help you: • Find a suitable venue • Keep your budget low, affordable and achievable • Contact venues/companies • Assist you in negotiations if necessary • Contact members of other teams within the SU

30. Important Information • The following deadlines are in place for all event packs: • Balls - minimum one term before proposed event • Conferences - minimum one term before proposed event • International Tours - minimum one term before travel date • Domestic Trips - minimum four weeks before travel date • Productions - minimum four weeks before tickets go on sale • Smaller events - minimum three weeks before event or ticket sales • If you are planning to do anything outdoors, it should be cleared by Security at the University. You are required to complete an Outdoor Planning form and submit it to them FOUR WEEKS before your event is due to take place. • Piazza Bookings are made through the Warwick Retail Website. • Flexigrid Bookings can be made through your Coordinator. • Bookings for University Spaces can be made through University Room Bookings.

31. Event Planning Any Questions?