How to Organise an Event

1. Set your Aims

Events are a really exciting prospect, and there are so many options available to you. It’s common for committees to decide what type of event they want to organise without thinking carefully about whether it really is the best way to achieve their group’s aims, so when thinking about what kind of event you might want to hold, ensure you consider the following:

• Will your idea support your group’s aims and objectives?
  
  

• Will your idea benefit your members/charity?
  Note: Depending on the type of event, this benefit might be from an academic, emotional, physical, and/or mental perspective.
  
  

• What audience outside your membership, if any, will your event attract?
  Note: You can make your event members-only, but consider the implications this could have on engagement.
  
  

• What feedback do you have from previous events?
  Note: Going back over this will help you understand what your members want out of your events.

Once you’ve got an idea, you can set about planning - but don’t jump right in. To hit the ground running, you need to know a few key things. As a committee, answer these five questions:

• What sort of event are you expecting to run?
  For example: a small social; an awards evening; a weekend conference; a talk

• When will your event take place?
  Tip: Check term dates so you know that you are organising at a suitable time. Make sure there aren’t any other major events going on that you might clash with - email events@yorksu.org to check! And be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get everything sorted.

• Who will be involved?
  Note: Consider the type of people who will attend, and be sure to be realistic in terms of numbers. Think about who will be involved in organising the event too - we’d recommend defining organisational roles so that a clear point of contact is established early on.

• Where will it take place?
  Note: The University can provide you with spaces of various sizes and types if you’d like to host your event on-campus. Match the profile of the event to the venue; consider the size, flexibility, location, and accessibility. Remember, the earlier you book your venue the better. See the Booking Rooms on Campus guide for more.

• How will your idea become reality?
  Note: Consider the resources you will need at every stage, from technology to furniture.

2. Write an action plan

Action plans should be completed after the committee has agreed the aim of the event. Write the aim on the plan so you can keep referring back to it. Putting together an action plan at the beginning of the process will support you immeasurably in effective time management and organisation. It will help with the following:

• Being clear on individual action points at the beginning of the planning process so they can be divided amongst the team equally.
  Note: This means there is less chance that a small group of people end up doing most of the work.

• Being clear on action point deadlines and who should be completing each one.
  Note: This allows you to know your responsibilities and focus on them, but also allows committees to hold members to account if they aren’t pulling their weight.

• Knowing how much work is involved in planning the event and how much time you’ll need to put aside to organise everything.
  Note: This leads to better time management, and therefore less stress!

• Understanding exactly what you as an individual need to do, why it’s important to the bigger picture, and when you need to complete it by.

Write down everything you need to do to plan the event, no matter how small. Never assume that an action is so obvious that it does not need to be written down – people can forget the obvious! 

Some key parts to include are:

• What do you need to achieve?

• How will you achieve it?

• Who?

• By When?

3. Time Management 

This often catches out even the most experienced event planner. Try not to underestimate the time you will need to plan your event, and remember it’s always better to have too much time than too little. The more time you give yourself, the less stressful (and more fun!) the experience will be. Some groups make an effort to plan the majority of their annual events when they first become committee members, so they can set out a strong timeline for the year ahead - but you can decide if that’s the right way forward for your project. 

4. Forms you may need to complete 

There are different sets of forms depending on the type of event you’re hosting. Please note the following:

• All events will need both a Risk Assessment and a Budget.
  
  

• On-campus events require an Events Management Form at least 21 days in advance of your event.
  
  

• If you’re booking university rooms, you’ll need to do this via Planon as early as possible.
  
  

• Off-campus events or events in York SU venues need to complete the Events Booking Form. More info available on the Room Bookings Page.

5. Budgeting

To ensure your event is successful, you’ll need a detailed budget for it. Budgets can look complicated, but at their most basic they are a list of all the money you have and all the money you need. This helps you to identify all the resources you need to make it happen, how much money it will cost, and the funds you’ll need to raise. You can use our budget template to help track your spending for your event, and you’ll submit this to your designated staff member for approval.

Income 

You might find that you don’t have enough money to run your event, but there are plenty of ways you can raise money, from membership fees to funding to sponsorship agreements. Remember to be realistic about how much you will raise through particular events, and be careful that your fundraising event doesn’t cost more than what you’ll raise. 

Expenditure

Buying the products and equipment you need for your event needs to be carefully monitored. 

To consider whether your event is value for money, you should think objectively about whether the following are too high or too low: 

• The total cost of the event 

• The subsidy for members (if applicable)

• The income of the event 

• Amount spent on each item 

If you’re using external suppliers for items, don’t automatically use the first one you contact; contact a number of different companies to find out which offers best value.

Note: Don’t forget about the VAT (Value Added Tax)! Not all quotes display the VAT cost, which amounts to 20% of the cost of the item. Check that your quotes include it, as it could have a major impact on your project's finances if you’re not aware of it. 

Here are a few tips for budgeting:

• Create a spreadsheet of costs to calculate how much you’re paying for items, how much you expect to receive, and how much you actually end up receiving for things like ticket sales and sponsorship.
  We’ve actually done the hard work for you! Use our event budget template, which has everything you need.

• Plan for the worst case scenario. That way you know you’ve prepared!
  For example: The lowest ticket sales; the highest costs.

• If you’re intending to break even (cover all your expenses) or make money from your event, ensure your predicted ticket sales will bring in more money than your highest estimate of costs.

• Find out exactly how and when your venue and suppliers need to be paid, and if they require a deposit, when you obtain quotes from them. It’s always best to have as much information as possible.

6. Risk Assessment 

You have a duty of care to the attendees of your event. ‘Duty of care’ is a legal term; it means you have a legal responsibility for making sure that those who attend or are affected by your event are kept as safe as possible. This is done through a process of risk assessment.

As a student group of YorkSU, you must have a general Risk Assessment which covers your group’s usual activities. This is signed off by Geoff, YorkSU’s Health and Safety Coordinator. If you have concerns about your project's Risk Assessment, contact Geoff (g.ward@yorksu.org). If you are planning an event that is not covered by your project Risk Assessment, you’ll need to complete a second event-specific one. We will notify you if this is the case after you have filled out your EMF or Off-Campus Event Notice Form. 

Risk Assessments sound complicated, but they don’t have to be. See the Risk Assessment section of our Health and Safety Guidance for support; we’ve also got a blank Risk Assessment template available for you to use. If you’re ever the slightest bit stuck, just get in touch, either with with your designated staff member or Geoff (g.ward@yorksu.org). 

Please note: If we ask you for a Risk Assessment, you must write one. Without one, we can cancel your event. 

7. Contracts

A contract is a legally binding agreement between parties. There are four parts to a contract:

• Offer: You request a service
  For example: We would like to use your venue for three hours on the 5th April for £500
  
  

• Acceptance: The other party accepts your offer.
  For example: Yes, you can use our venue as described above.
  
  Note: There could include a counter-offer; e.g., the venue owners state it will cost £550 for the above use, and you accept this offer.
  
  

• Consideration: What each party offers.
  For example: The venue is their consideration; the £500 is your consideration
  
  

• Intention to create legal relations: Both parties demonstrate the intention to enter a legal agreement.
  For example: Signing a written agreement.

This last part is particularly important. Remember, if you agree to book a venue or a supplier before you know for sure that you can go ahead with your event, then you may be liable to pay the costs even if the event doesn’t go ahead.

Oral, email, and written contracts are all legally binding. Make sure that you do not agree to anything over the phone or by email if you are not in a position to officially accept. You can negotiate terms and provisionally book the goods/service but do not agree to enter into the contract. Ask for the paper contract and any terms and conditions to be sent to you. 

Before you sign a contract or agree anything, we must see the contract to check it over. Please bring the contract to your designated staff member at York SU, or it email it to them.

8. Promotion

There are lots of ways you can publicise your activities. Check out the in-depth pages on promotion, marketing and social media for more info on different methods you can use.

It’s best to never rely on just one form of marketing; mixing up your techniques will maximise your reach. However, it’s also worth bearing in mind what forms of promotion will work best for your event and the audience you’re hoping to attract; what might work for an 18-year-old undergraduate might not peak the interest of a mature student, for example. 

9. Ticket Selling

You can sell tickets to your event online through the York SU website. We recommend this over other external ticket-selling sites; although York SU will charge a small booking fee as card transactions cost money, this is less than other ticket sites, and we can support you if something goes wrong. 

First, you’ll add your event to the website, and then you’re able to add tickets. You can add different prices for different types of ticket (e.g. member and non-member). Once you’ve added in all the information, the tickets are approved by York SU Volunteering Staff and Finance staff before going live. Click here for more information on how to add events and tickets to the website. 

You can also choose to sell tickets in person if you wish. You’ll then need to pay in the money to the York SU Finance Office. 

10. The Event 

After all that effort, it’s finally the day before the event! Here are a few suggestions to ensure you and your team are as prepared as possible before the big day:

• Run through the action plan with everyone to remind them of their roles and responsibilities
  Note: If you’re the Responsible Person, make sure you know what everyone else’s roles are too! Follow this link for an online training module on Health and Safety Basics.
  
  

• Are you still waiting on equipment to be delivered? How are you going to set it up in the venue?

• Have you got enough interest from people or sold enough tickets?

• Have you briefed the appropriate people about the risk assessment? if not, how will you do this?

• Do you know what to do if something goes wrong?

• Have you got contact details for everyone that you need them for?
  
  

Try to get some rest before the big day! And once your event kicks off, try not to get too stressed out. If you’ve planned well, it should run smoothly - so relax, feel confident, and enjoy it!

11. Evaluate your Event 

This is a really important step, and one that’s often forgotten. Regardless of how well the event ran and whether or not you managed to achieve the aim, spending a bit of time evaluating what went well and what could have gone better will help you, and the future committee, next time. Furthermore, collecting monitoring data will enable you to prove the positive impact of your event.

Questions?

Planning an event is a big task - often bigger than we realise! Hopefully with our guides you’ll feel pretty prepared, but if you ever have any questions, just drop an email to events@yorksu.org or your designated staff member at York SU. Good luck! 

Contact your link staff member, Gen Andrews (g.andrews@yorksu.org), Geoff Ward (g.ward@yorksu.org), our Volunteering (volunteering@yorksu.org) or Events (events@yorksu.org) Teams