Section 6, page 1

Event Planning: Steps to Planning a Successful Event
The key to any good event is brainstorming what will work best on your campus or in your community and then, Think Bigger! While you are planning make sure you also think about a budget. Remember most colleges or universities have funds to bring speakers to campus but you must have a formal budget and outline to garner those funds. Make a list of committees you will need to plan the event. Committees should work closely with the FMLA Event Chair, Treasurer, Recruitment Chair, and Publicity Chair. Committees might include: Logistics Speaker / Performer Publicity / Outreach Press / Media Finance / Fundraising Set your goals! Sometimes there are multiple goals for event. Identify and prioritize all your goals. Think about what you want to accomplish i.e. raising awareness or open dialogue about an issue, affect campus policy, public education, obtaining signatures for a national petition drive, raising funds, etc. Set solid goals for the number of people you want to attend the event. This helps direct your publicity and media efforts. Identify your target audience. Who do you think would be most interested in attending the event? While you want EVERYONE to come, identifying your target audience will help direct your publicity and outreach efforts. For example, if you are planning an event about women in politics, approach Political Science, Sociology, Women’s Studies, or other Social Sciences departments for help with publicity, cosponsorship, fundraising, and / or extra credit opportunities for students who attend the event. Remember that first year students are often a good target audience. Think about approaching and working with influential people on campus – heads of other organizations, student government representatives, feminist contacts at your campus press outlets, and feminist-friendly