When to hold your event?

Timing is everything, even when planning your program. Think about the program itself. Would it work best during the afternoon or evening? At about what time should it start? How long will it last? When will it end? What day of the week? Month of the year?

Consider a comprehensive calendar of campus events to find a date and time that doesn’t conflict with other events that may draw away part of your audience. Also review an academic calendar; you may not get many people coming out to an event during final exams.

When you reserve a room, add extra time before and after for any setup or takedown that will need to occur. Reserving a date and a room happen at the same time, and again, it is best to do this as early as possible so as to obtain the optimal setting for your event.

In addition, as soon as you start planning your event, create a timeline of what needs to be done by when. A general sample outline can be found in this guide on pg. 49. Also create an assignment list of who will complete each task, the ideal date of completion, the actual date comleted, and an explanation of any discrepancy. This way, it will be easier to organize your event and the people working on your event to ensure that everything gets done in a timely manner.