Every great event begins with a well-defined, measurable goal! Use this section as a guide to assist you as you map out your strategy, outline your production and communications timeline, define budget parameters, and measure your outcomes.
Conceptualizing Your Event
1. Define Your Event Strategy
- Define your goals and key audience with the Event Strategy Sheet Template.pdf.
2. Secure a Date for Your Event
- Reference the following event calendars when determining your event date.
- UW Holidays Calendar
- CAS Trumba Events Calendar
- UW Seattle Campus Trumba Events Calendar
- Washington State Council of Presidents' Calendar of Holidays and Religious Observances
- Consider popular local, public sporting events, concerts, and traffic patterns.
3. Build an Event Production Timeline
- General Event Production Timeline Template.docx
- Task Date Generator for Production Timeline Template.xlsx
4. Think About Your Event Budget
- Identify Workday Worktags early!
- Acquire written documentation of the approved cost center details for your event purchases.
- Ensure your department has discretionary funding set aside for purchasing alcohol or going over Per Diem (view Per Diem Look Up Tool here).
- For more support, connect with your department's administrator.
- Form a written agreement of budget terms when working with event partners (as necessary).
- Identify what happens if you go over budget.
- Track your expenses with the Sample Budget Spreadsheet.xlsx
Event Communication Planning
1. Consider Your Audience List
- For broad-based engagement events, the Digital Production team typically send invitations and reminders to all constituents of your department/unit.
- For smaller or more focused events, you may wish to curate a specific list that meets the needs and intentions of your event.
2. Forecast Your Email Send Dates
- Outline your internal and external communication plan with the Event Communication Timeline Template.docx
3. Request Event Promotion Support
- Complete a Project Inquiry Form (PIF) for event support from the Digital Production Team to create email list,
- View Digital Production Jeto/Marketo and Cvent Resources
4. Select Visual Assets for the Look and Feel
Planning Your Event Program
1. If inviting the University President or Provost to attend or participate at your event...
- Complete and submit a PARF form.
- Before submitting a PARF, you must notify Kevin Thompson, Associate Dean of Advancement AND Hannah Hirano, Assistant to the Associate Dean of Advancement.
- In your message to Kevin and Hannah, please provide: the event briefing, intended guest list, and outline with as much detail as possible what responsibilities you would like to request of the President, such as remarks, thanks, greetings, etc. Any materials you would plan to submit with your PARF should be included in your request to Kevin and Hannah for context.
- Once Kevin has granted written permission, complete and submit your PARF to request the President’s attendance.
- Before submitting a PARF, you must notify Kevin Thompson, Associate Dean of Advancement AND Hannah Hirano, Assistant to the Associate Dean of Advancement.
2. Pinpoint your speakers, topics and themes
3. Create a Program Outline
- Outline each activity that will be happening on stage with the Program Timeline Template.docx
- Ensure enough time is allotted for each scheduled activity.
Post Event Task Checklist
1. Send a Thank You Message to Your Guest Speakers and Volunteers
2. Conduct a post-event debrief meeting with your planning team and/or stakeholders.
3. Gather Photos from the Event
4. Ensure Your Event is Recorded in Tandem.
5. Measure Your Event's Success
- Capture your reflections and strategic outcomes in a Post-Event Reporting Template: