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B2589 Events Rough Guide St5

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    www.events.bham.ac.uk

    A guide to running

    successful events

    A well planned and executed

    event can greatly enhance the

    profile and reputation of your

    organisation, connecting you

    to the people that matter.

    Kirsty Mack, Events Manager,

    University of Birmingham.

    Challenge what you know.

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    Contents

    Introduction 3Know your audience 4

    What your audience and internal hosts

    need to know in advance a checklist 5

    Choosing the right date 6

    Planning your budget 7

    Booking high-profile speakers 8

    Hosting high-profile speakers before, 9

    during and after the event

    Choosing the venue 10

    Parking and transport 11

    Signage 12

    Setting up 13

    Marketing your event 14Support services for your event 15

    Appendix I Know your audience 16

    Appendix II Basic budget 17

    Appendix III Detailed budget 18

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    Events Rough Guide 3

    Planning an event can be a daunting task, particularly ifyoure doing it for the first time. This guide has been puttogether specifically for University staff so that you canavoid the usual pitfalls and execute a successful event.It also contains information for the University serviceproviders that you are likely to need.

    Introduction

    Why hold an event?

    The most important thing to consider before

    you even start planning your event is why you

    are doing it. Dont hold an event just because

    its always been held or because you think

    you should. Consider the following:

    What do you/your Department/School

    want to achieve by holding an event?

    Who is your desired audience?

    What end result are you trying to achieve?

    In essence, you need to set your objectives.

    What are your objectives?

    Objectives must be set before you start planning

    an event. They will determine if you hold an event

    at all and, if so, the format it will take. They will

    also allow you to determine whether or not your

    event was a success after it has taken place.

    If the main purpose of your event is to

    communicate a message you must first

    decide who it is you need to communicate

    with. Your event must be attractive to your

    audience in order to encourage their

    attendance. Outline what will attract your

    audience, for example, keynote speakers,

    black-tie dinner, networking opportunities etc.

    Research similar successful events and,

    where possible, speak to the organisers;

    find out what did and didnt work.

    If you want to raise your profile, the question

    is, with who? Is it with a particular audience

    or are you trying to generate publicity more

    widely? A specialist audience is likely to have

    very different expectations of an event compared

    to the general public.

    You should always design your event around

    your objectives. If it is a celebration it needs

    to feel celebratory. You may wish to include a

    toast, speeches, ribbon-cutting, champagne

    reception etc. If your primary objective is

    networking, you need to make sure you

    have allowed adequate time and provided

    an environment which will encourage youraudience to mingle.

    Determining your audience is key. This

    element alone will shape the format, size,

    timing and even the date of your event.

    This is discussed further in the following

    section, Know Your Audience.

    Yes NoObjectives (examples)

    Raising profilePublicity

    Communicating key messagesCelebration/occasion ie, new

    building launch/anniversaryEducating/training

    EntertainmentVIP hospitality

    RecruitmentNetworking/relationship

    buildingFundraising

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    4 Events Rough Guide

    Knowing your audience is as crucial as knowing your objectives.In reality, the two go very much hand in hand.

    Know your audience

    Specifying your audience will determine:

    What kind of venue the event should be

    held at

    What time of day, and day of the week,

    would be most suitable Type of refreshments

    Length of event

    What format the event should take

    Whether a keynote speaker is appropriate

    and, if so, who that should be and what they

    should be asked to speak about

    In June 2006, a one day conference and dinner

    was held to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of

    the Universitys Physics and Technology of

    Nuclear Reactors MSc. The timely positioning

    of this conference, entitled Past and Future

    of Nuclear Power, alongside the debates

    surrounding the Governments Energy Review,

    as well as strong keynote speakers, ensured

    that the event attracted significant attention

    from the nuclear community. This event met itsinitial objectives. The conference drew attention

    to the work and research taking place at the

    University both internally and within the nuclear

    community. The keynote speakers helped to

    ensure that the event was attractive to the

    desired audience. The evening dinner in the

    Universitys Great Hall provided the celebratory

    aspect, recognising the success of the course

    over the previous 50 years.

    The launch of the new Medical School Student

    Facilities Building took place in October 2006.

    A symposium, with 3 high-profile, keynote

    speakers, discussing Medical Education and

    the Role of Tomorrows Doctors, brought in the

    desired number of delegates from the medical

    field, the key target audience. Again, this eventwas planned in line with the objectives and with

    the audience in mind.

    These are just 2 examples of events that have

    been designed to pull in a specific audience

    and have succeeded. For those of you who are

    planning events for an audience that you are

    not necessarily a member of yourself, Appendix

    I lists some questions that you should think

    about when designing an event for a specific

    group. Even if you are used to planning events

    for your peers, this is still a worthwhile exercise.

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    Events Rough Guide 5

    What your audience and internal hostsneed to know in advance a checklist

    The more information you can give your guests prior to theirarrival at your event the better. A well-informed audience willarrive calmly, without confusion, and will ultimately go awaywith a much better impression of you and your organisation.

    Once your delegates/guests have registered theirattendance you should send them confirmation details

    at least one week before the event. This checklist is anabsolute must when sending out these details: Date Time (including end time) Venue (with directions and a map showing the specific

    venue ie, building name and room number) Parking (Free, Pay and Display etc.) Public transport details Contact details of the organisers Cost (if they havent already paid)

    Dress code (if the event is a dinner/evening reception)

    It can also be useful for your guests to know

    who else will be attending the event.

    If it is a conference, producing a delegate list

    to give out at the event is sufficient

    If it is a dinner, producing a table plan bookletfor each guest to look at during the drinks

    reception is a good idea. It allows people to

    see who theyre sitting with before they get to

    the table as well as avoiding the usual cram

    around the notice board displaying the plan

    It is particularly important for your internal

    guests/hosts to know who will be attending.

    Ideally they should be informed of who the

    guests are and why they have been invited.

    At a dinner, you should certainly do this

    as your external guests will then be well

    hosted, putting them at ease, and leaving

    them with a good impression of the eventand the University

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    6 Events Rough Guide

    Choosing the right date

    Choosing the right date for your event is

    crucial. The following points will ensure

    that you do this:

    Wherever possible dont choose a date

    around your own diary Think about the best time of year for your

    audience (bear in mind things like school

    holidays, exam periods, end of the financial

    year etc.)

    Research what other events are going

    on both at the University and around the

    country/world at the same time there is

    have very busy diaries and you should aim to

    confirm a date with them at least 6 months in

    advance of the event. This point is discussed

    further in the section, Booking and hosting

    high-profile speakers (page 8) Never rush an event for the sake of holding it

    by or on a certain date. It is far better to give

    yourself adequate planning time. This will mean

    that your audience is more likely to be available

    and that the event is properly planned

    no point competing for the same audience

    as another organisation/company

    If you do discover that another event is being

    planned, aimed at the same audience, think

    about the possibility of collaborating wouldit benefit you as well as the other company/

    organisation to hold a joint event?

    If you are booking a speaker, or speakers,

    contact them or their diary secretaries to find

    out when they are available. Your speaker

    should nearly always be your priority when

    confirming a date. High-profile speakers will

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    Events Rough Guide 7

    Planning your budget

    As with any project, the budget for an event

    should be set in advance. Often you will be

    given a budget to work to, other times you will

    be asked to produce a budget for approval.

    Either way it is important to make sure that itis as accurate as possible. Dont forget to add

    VAT when using external suppliers. Internal

    University suppliers will not charge VAT.

    Appendices II and III will give you some

    guidance in this area.

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    8 Events Rough Guide

    Booking high-profile speakers

    If you want a high-profile keynote speaker at your event, startplanning early. Most people in key positions plan their diariesat least six months in advance.

    Booking

    This is how to go about it:

    Before you begin approaching your speakers

    (6 months in advance) think about whether

    you want University senior managementsuch as the Vice-Chancellor at your event.

    You are advised to check your proposed

    dates (usually a 23 week time slot) with

    his office to determine availability

    Phone the speakers PA/diary secretary in

    advance and speak to them about the event

    you are planning. Let them know the 23 week

    slot you have in mind and ask if there are any

    dates that would be impossible for your

    intended speaker

    If you are looking for a panel of speakers, do

    this for all of them and then look at the date

    on which the majority are available

    Call the PAs back and ask them if they are

    able to provisionally mark the most appropriate

    date in the diary

    Send a formal invitation letter to the speaker(s)

    via the Vice-Chancellors office (or other host,ie, Head of College) with details of the event

    including the topic around which you are

    asking them to speak, and for how long.

    If you send the letter to the VCs PA she will

    issue it for you, usually within 48 hours.

    Include with this letter a short brief of the

    event and details of the speaker for the VCs

    information. Also include in the letter that you

    have spoken to the office of the speaker

    and have provisionally held the date (the

    University Events Team would be more

    than happy to send you example letters)

    The invited speaker(s) will then write back to

    the VC accepting or declining his invitation

    a copy of this letter will automatically be

    forwarded to you. If you still have not heard

    back after one month, call the VCs officeto double check that a letter has not been

    received and then call the speakers office

    to chase

    Always have speakers in reserve so that a

    second letter can go out quickly if the initial

    invitation is declined. Remember that if you

    are dealing with only one speaker you may

    wish to look at an alternative date, one that

    is more suitable for your second speaker

    Once a speaker has been confirmed

    you need to fill out a Freedom of Speech

    Form which can be downloaded from

    www.has.bham.ac.uk/documents Thiswill ensure that the appropriate people on

    campus are informed of this visit ie, security

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    Events Rough Guide 9

    Before

    Develop a good relationship with their PA.

    The PA will be able to provide you with all of

    the information you need prior to their visit

    Ask for an official biography and photo thatyou can use in any pre-event publicity/

    marketing and in the literature on the day

    Make sure that they know about the format

    of the event, any other speakers, who the

    audience will be and how many, well in

    advance of the event

    You need to know how they are travelling

    to the event. Will they have their own driver,

    be driving themselves or travelling by train/

    plane? If they are travelling by car make sure

    that parking has been reserved. If they are

    arriving at the station/airport organise a

    University car to collect them and dropthem at the venue

    If they are driving onto campus you will need

    to inform security of their expected arrival

    time so that they dont encounter problems

    getting onto campus

    Will they be using PowerPoint or require any

    other technical support? If so, ask if you can

    have a copy of their presentation in advance

    so that you can ensure that the stage is set

    and that there are no technical problems prior

    to their arrival

    Do they have any dietary requirements that

    you need to be aware of? Who will be introducing your speaker? If the

    Vice-Chancellor (or similar) has been asked

    to speak, write the speech and send it to his

    PA at least 2 weeks in advance of the event.

    You will also need to send the VC a full brief

    (regardless of whether he is speaking) of the

    event background, aims and objectives, who

    the audience is and how many, full format/times

    of the event, biography and photo of the

    speaker, speaker arrival/departure time and

    travel arrangements the more information

    the better

    During

    Organise somebody to meet the speaker

    on arrival. This should either be a senior

    member of the University management

    such as the Vice-Chancellor, or a seniormember of academic staff such as Head

    of College. The organiser of the event should

    also be present at this stage in case of any

    questions/problems

    You are advised at this point to show the

    speaker where they will be speaking, to

    ensure that they are comfortable with the

    set-up. Technical support should be on hand

    for a sound check and to make sure that the

    PowerPoint etc is running smoothly. Make

    sure that water is available for your speaker

    on the lectern/table

    Have a green room organised withrefreshments available so that the speaker

    can gather their thoughts before delivering

    the presentation

    Make sure that the speaker is hosted

    throughout the event including during

    lunch/dinner

    After

    At the end of the event, or at the designated

    departure time of the speaker, escort the

    speaker to their vehicle, ensuring that they

    have all of their belongings with them. Keep

    an eye on the time dont rely on the speakerto leave on time for their train/next appointment

    you may need to gently remind them that

    their car is outside

    If they are leaving in a University car ensure

    that it is waiting outside before you escort

    them out

    The following day, email the PA to thank

    them for their assistance, you never know

    when you might need their help again

    The VC/Head of College may also wish to

    write to the speaker and thank them again

    for their participation in the event you

    should remind them of this You may also wish to send the speaker

    any photos and press articles related to

    the event

    Hosting high-profile speakers before, during and after the event

    It is crucial that your speaker(s) are well lookedafter before, during, and after the event.

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    0 Events Rough Guide

    Choosing the correct venue is another important aspectto consider in the initial stages of planning an event.

    Choosing the venue

    Some events determine the location, such as

    building launches, and in these cases this

    will also determine your capacity. However,

    the majority of events do not determine the

    venue and therefore, by taking note of the

    following points, you should be able to decideon the best venue/location for your event.

    Location

    Think about where your audience are travelling

    from and how theyre likely to travel

    Is there parking available?

    Is it realistic to expect people to travel to

    your event or should you be taking the

    event to them?

    Wherever possible use a University venue.

    We have a fabulous campus and we should

    show it at every opportunity

    Impression

    What kind of impression do you want to give

    your audience?

    What kind of venue are they used to going to

    and therefore likely to expect from this event?

    How can you exceed their expectations?

    Capacity

    Think realistically about the number of

    people your event is going to attract and

    book your venue accordingly

    If you start planning your event in good

    time it should be possible to provisionallybook 2 venues until you have a clearer

    idea of numbers

    Be creative

    Dont automatically go for the obvious

    be creative

    How can you dress a slightly dull venue

    to make it more appealing?

    Ushers dressed as 19th century Greeks

    and a Gladiator on the door is not what

    youd expect from your average University

    event but the Institute of Archaeology

    and Antiquity certainly pulled it off at theirlaunch in March 2003!

    If youre avoiding certain venues ask yourself

    why and if the problems can be overcome

    An event held at a university in America used

    a tired old sports hall for a 1950s reunion as

    this was the venue the alumni of that decade

    remembered most fondly and associated their

    time at university with. Some simple dressing

    with bunting, flags and flowers, as well as agood clean, was all it took to transform the

    feel of the room and transport people back to

    the 50s. Another issue they encountered with

    this event was the lack of parking at the venue.

    The organisers turned this into a positive by

    beginning the event at another car park and

    transporting the guests in 1950s classic cars.

    This is perhaps a slightly extreme example,

    and certainly has a cost attached, but it shows

    what can be done with a little imagination.

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    Events Rough Guide 11

    Parking and transport

    Is there parking at your chosen venue?

    Yes

    Make sure people know about it Include a map or clear directions with allthe correspondence

    Make sure you tell guests if theres a chargeattached ie, pay and display

    Make sure that the capacity is sufficient forthe number of cars you are expecting

    No How are your audience going to get to you?

    Should you be providing a shuttle bus fromthe nearest car park?

    Is there a train station/bus stop that you canencourage people to use?

    Make sure you have arrangements in placefor disabled visitors

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    2 Events Rough Guide

    Putting up extra signage is crucial for almost any venue that youchoose. You are likely to know your way around but you must notassume that this is the case for your guests.

    Signage

    A few days before your event walk the route

    that your audience will use (remember that

    theres likely to be more than one route

    depending on which transport option

    they use) As you walk the route, make a note of where

    signage is lacking and which way the arrows

    need to be pointing (remember that you can

    rarely have too much signage)

    When doing this also make a note of what

    youre attaching each sign to. Do you need

    to find temporary posts to use on the day?

    What will you need to use to attach the

    signage Blu Tac? String?

    Also carry this procedure out for disabled

    access routes, which are often different

    Print all of your signage at least the day

    before your event, remembering that externalsignage may need to be laminated always

    print a few extra in case you have missed

    something on your initial walk

    On the day of your event (or the evening

    before) put up all the signage and walk

    the route following only the signage you

    have put up you will soon see if you

    have missed something Make sure that the toilets/lifts/stairs within

    the venue are clearly signed

    If guests are using a lift during the event,

    put a sign up in the lift telling them which

    floor they require

    These may seem like very trivial points but if

    your guests cant find the venue they will arrive

    late and hassled this is not the way to start

    an event and certainly not the impression you

    want people to take away with them at the

    end of the day.

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    Events Rough Guide 13

    Setting up

    It is important that the room(s) are set up in the most user-friendlyway. Some spaces like lecture theatres prescribe the layout, butthis is not always the case.

    sit in each area of the audience to ensure

    that there is nothing that will restrict your

    audiences enjoyment of the event

    Count the chairs! You would be amazed

    how many people dont realise that therearent enough chairs for guests until its too

    late. Wherever possible, allow an extra 10%

    capacity, to ensure the room does not feel

    overcrowded or cramped

    If you have VIP guests make sure that there

    is named reserved seating available for them,

    preferably on the front row

    Dont cram buffet catering into a small space,

    guests should ideally be able to move freely

    around the tables. Use the buffet tables to

    entice people into the room by placing them

    away from the door but where they are

    visible as people enter. This way you againavoid creating a bottleneck at the entrance.

    Dont block fire exits at any time

    Consider the following when looking

    at options:

    Cloakroom/coat racks these are generally

    best situated near the entrance but make sure

    you dont create a bottleneck by placingthem immediately inside the door

    People generally slow down when they

    enter a building so try to make sure that

    this space is as open and welcoming

    as it can be

    Dont place your registration desk

    immediately inside the door as this can

    create a queue outside, but make sure

    that its clearly visible and accessible

    from the entrance

    Always have somebody on the door of the

    building, even if the actual room or venue is

    some distance away this creates a nicewelcome for visitors and assures them that

    they are in the right place

    Make sure that there are no sight-lines being

    blocked within the room by AV equipment

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    4 Events Rough Guide

    Each event will be marketed differently depending on yourtarget audience, your budget and how many people you aretrying to attract.

    Marketing your event

    The most effective type of marketing

    is direct email to a named receiver.

    Building a database of the kind of people

    you are targeting can be time-consuming

    but you are likely to get a good return foryour time spent. This information is also

    freely available on the web and therefore

    ideal for low budget events. Start building

    your databases early and make sure the

    contact information is complete this will

    save a lot of time filling in the gaps later on.

    Starting from scratch, a database of 800

    CEOs can take up to 100 man hours

    to build

    If you are directly inviting people to your

    event you may wish to do this on behalf of

    the Vice-Chancellor if it is high profile, and

    especially if he himself will be attending. Theinvitation letter should always be sent from

    the host of the event. Send the invitation

    letter to the VCs PA, along with an invitation

    list, for approval. Once it has been approved

    you can send your letters out from the VC.

    Remember to include your contact details for

    guests to contact you for further information.

    What is special about your event that will

    attract people to it? If you have a high-profilekeynote speaker, or speakers, make sure that

    this information is in the first line that people

    read it needs to jump off the page. This is

    the hook for your audience

    If you are holding a public event which

    is not targeted at a specific audience then

    direct mail isnt always the best option.

    Having said that, if you have databases that

    you have built in the past you can always let

    them know about the event if you think it

    would be of interest. Use publications that

    are read by a wide cross-section of society

    such as the Metro newspaper this paper isread by over 55,000 people every day and its

    advertising rates are relatively inexpensive

    Inform the University Events Team of your

    event so that it can be added to the events

    webpage, student/staff portals and potentially

    be included in Buzz

    Always invite more people than you think

    youll need for conferences/lectures good

    quality publicity material sent in good time to a

    well-researched and appropriate database can

    expect a take up rate of approximately 10%.

    Dinners tend to have a slightly higher take up

    rate, generally in the region of 25 40% but

    this depends on time of year, amount of notice

    given, cost, venue, keynote speakers, etc. If you

    would like further advice on this please contact

    the University Events Team.

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    Events Rough Guide 15

    Support services for your event

    University Events TeamFor advice and support in the planning of

    your event please contact the Events Team.

    Ideally, please try and contact us before you

    start planning your event so that we can help

    you get on the right track from the outset.

    Kirsty Mack

    Events Manager

    0121 414 7254

    [email protected]

    Eleanor Leftwich

    Events Administrator0121 414 2950

    [email protected]

    Vice-Chancellors Office

    For the Vice-Chancellors availability, and to

    request his presence at an event, contact

    his PA on 0121 414 4536 or at

    [email protected]

    Technical support

    There will almost certainly be at least one

    speech/speaker at your event and you need

    to ensure that they can be heard and seenclearly by all of your audience members. To

    ensure that this happens, enlist the support of

    LRAT (Learning and Resources Accommodation

    Team), who will be able to provide you with

    the equipment and staff on the day. Make sure

    that you do this in good time, at least 1 month

    before the event. www.lrat.bham.ac.uk

    *There are also external companies that can be used

    if requirements are out of hours or very specific. The

    University Events Team can discuss this with you.

    Catering

    Most events will require some form of catering,be that tea and coffee, a buffet lunch or a sit

    down dinner. University catering services (part

    of Hospitality and Accommodation Services)

    can provide all of this:

    Fresh Thinking team (for all on-site catering

    ie, at the venue and all Great Hall functions)

    contact Regina Brooks or Anna Griffiths

    on extension 46250 or email

    [email protected]

    Staff House team (for all sit down meals in

    Staff House) contact Jenny Walker on extension46252 or email [email protected]

    Birmingham Conferences and Events

    If you are looking to organise events such as a

    dinner in the Great Hall, a residential conference

    or day meeting at the University, you can speak

    to the team at Birmingham Conferences andEvents who will be happy to help you make

    the arrangements. You can also book bed

    and breakfast accommodation through them

    for visitors who need to stay over. The team

    also promotes the University as a venue to

    external clients. You can contact Birmingham

    Conferences and Events on 0121 415 8400.

    Room bookings

    Central Room Bookings are responsible for

    booking the majority of the rooms on campus.

    They can be contacted on 0121 414 6884/

    8058 or at [email protected] can also visit the website at

    www.as.bham.ac.uk/work/teach/timetable

    Furniture hire

    If you would like to create a stylish, but more

    informal atmosphere at your events, round

    tables are available to hire from the Conference

    Office. There are: 80 round tables at desk

    height, 10 round cafe-style high tables and

    7 rectangular tilt-top tables on castors. All

    with light oak tops and silver metallic legs.

    For further information please contact the

    Conference Office on 0121 415 8400

    Central Printing

    For VC/Chancellor letterhead, poster blanks,

    copying and other stationery supplies contact

    Central Printing on 0121 414 6684

    Design and Publications

    For design and printing of invitation cards,

    brochures, leaflets etc. contact Design and

    Publications on 0121 414 7178. You should

    book work with them at the earliest opportunity,

    ideally 23 months before delivery is required.

    Photography

    The University does not have an events

    photographer but the Events Team have

    photographers that are used regularly.

    For further information on this contact

    the Events Team on 0121 414 2950

    Security

    You are advised to inform security of any event

    that you are holding for several reasons:

    If people are parking on campus security need

    to be aware of an increased volume of traffic

    If you have a high-profile speaker attendingextra security may be required

    If a venue needs to be open out of hours

    a security officer will need to be present

    Contact Clive Reid, Deputy Director of Security

    on 0121 414 5625 or at [email protected]

    Cleaning ServicesYou may need to book extra cleaning

    to ensure that the venue is presentable,

    particularly if you are holding an event at the

    end of the day in a venue that has been used

    for teaching. Contact Frances Warriner on

    0121 414 5638 or [email protected]

    or Cleaning Services enquiries (Frances

    secretary) on 0121 414 5633

    Portering Services

    If you require equipment moving/furniture

    rearranging, University Portering Services

    can organise this for you. Contact Jean Moranon 0121 414 5639 or at [email protected]

    Transport Services

    If you require transport for your event, Transport

    Services can organise this for you. Contact

    Jean Moran on 0121 414 5639 or at

    [email protected]

    Insurance

    Standard University insurance is usually

    adequate to cover events such as lectures,

    conference and dinners that take place in

    University venues and that use Universityequipment and catering. If you are planning

    anything more than this, particularly involving

    any third parties ie, bouncy castle/marquee

    companies, you are advised to contact the

    Insurance Office. When employing the services

    of third parties you must always ask that they

    have their own Public Liability Insurance to

    cover anything that they are bringing onto

    campus and arrange for a copy of the insurance

    document to go to Gill Kelsall in the Insurance

    Office at [email protected]. The Insurance

    Office can be contacted on 0121 414 6628

    Risk assessment

    It may be necessary to carry out a risk

    assessment for an event, particularly if guests

    are visiting labs, areas where machinery is kept

    etc. Risk assessment information can be found

    on the Health and Safety web page at

    www.hsu.bham.ac.uk

    Fire safety

    It is important that you contact the Universitys

    Fire Officer to check on maximum numbers

    allowed for your chosen venue if you are unsure

    about capacity. You should also inform the FOif you are bringing in extra or different furniture

    that will change the space available. Contact

    John Minton on 0121 414 5256 or

    [email protected]

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    6 Events Rough Guide

    Appendix I Know your audience

    What will your audience be expecting?

    Have similar events been held recently? If so, with what success?

    Do you know what your audience would like to know/discuss?If not, who can you speak to about this?

    What is the age range likely to be?

    Will your invitees want to bring partners/guests? (This is more likely at a dinner rather thana conference but should be considered for most events, particularly if people are travellingfrom overseas)

    Where will they be travelling from? (Consider this when setting start/end times)

    Will they require accommodation?

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    Events Rough Guide 17

    Appendix II Basic budget

    Event Provision Budget (ex/inc VAT)Room/venue hire

    Refreshments (coffee/lunch/dinner)

    Technical support

    Equipment hire

    Headed paper (written invitations etc.)

    Envelopes

    Labels

    Badges and holders

    Postage

    Signage

    Event giveaways

    Design and print costs programmes/brochures/flyers

    Marketing/publicity (advert costs etc)

    VIP speaker costs (travel/accommodation)

    Expenses

    Transport

    Porters (furniture/room set-up etc)

    Security

    Flowers

    Musicians

    Other entertainment/miscellaneous expenditure

    Contingency (generally at 10%)

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    8 Events Rough Guide

    Appendix III Detailed budgetie, Conferences

    Event Provision Number required Cost per item VAT TotalConference expenditure

    Day delegate rate

    Cloakroom hire

    Hire of venue(s)

    Hire of exhibition space

    Furniture hire

    Buses from hotels to venue

    Technical support/AV team

    Conference materials, eg, bags

    Headed paper (written invitations, etc.)

    Envelopes

    Labels

    Badges and holders

    Postage

    Signage

    Marketing and Publicity

    Design and print costs programmes/flyers etc.

    VIP speaker costs (travel/accommodation)

    Expenses

    Transport

    Porters (furniture/room set-up etc.)

    Security

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    Events Rough Guide 19

    Event Provision Number required Cost per item VAT TotalConference dinner

    Hire of venue

    Bar set up/late licence

    Drinks reception

    Dinner per head

    Table wine per head

    Table water per head

    Buses to and from dinner

    Flowers

    Entertainment

    Giveaways

    Other evening receptions

    Room/venue hire

    Canapes

    Drinks

    Conference income

    Delegate fees

    Early

    Standard

    Late/On site

    Student Early

    Student Standard

    Student Late/On site

    Exhibitor space (per stand)

    Sponsorship

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