Event Planning Guide

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Risk Assessment

[brief prompt w types of risk and consult with advisor if these are present or to gauge if there are concerns]

Food

Having food at your event is a great way to incentivize attendance and create community. Here are some different options to consider:

· Catering from Aramark – while this option tends to be more expensive and does have some limitations, it is the most convenient source because it includes food prep, service, and clean-up. To start, visit their website for the menu options and you’ll complete the form available on that site. If you have specific needs (e.g. cultural dishes, allergens, etc), meet with them to see how they can accommodate those. You can also provide Catering with the WWU per diem rates for meals so as not to exceed these limits and generate some cost savings.

· Catering from an off-campus restaurant – if Aramark cannot provide what you need, you’ll first need to submit a Catering Exemption Request e-form for approval from Aramark as they have the contractual rights to provide all food on campus but may choose to grant exemptions. Submit this to your advisor first who will send it to Catering for approval. You’ll then work with the restaurant on a menu and coordinate delivery and service of your food to assure it meets Whatcom County Health Department standards.

· Providing pre-packaged food – this is a simple, easy, and worry-free way of providing food. Pre-packaged food can be purchased from stores such as Fred Meyer, Cash & Carry, Costco, etc and should be single-serving options that don’t need to be refrigerated or prepared in any way. For some stores, you can request a Purchase Order (PO) through the Expenditure Request (ER) e-form ahead of time. The VU Business Services office will print or email that PO document for you, which you will bring to the store as the form of payment. Be sure to over-estimate the costs and arrive at a “not to exceed” dollar amount as well as a list of what you will purchase. If the store does not accept PO’s, you will need to purchase the food yourself and request a reimbursement, which is best submitted before purchasing (or at least know that your budget can cover the cost). Reimbursements need a receipt attached to the ER after purchasing so be sure to hang on to that.

· Preparing food – in most cases, it is not recommended you prepare any food. Talk with your advisor about what you’ll serve and why this is the best option for your event. You’ll likely need a temporary food establishment waiver (or temporary event permit if higher risk foods) and food handlers permits from the Whatcom Health Department as well as a handwashing station, which VU Event Services can help you with. If this is for a fundraiser on Vendors Row, handwashing stations are already set up for your convenience.

· Potlucks – potlucks are a nice way to be in community with each other over food and an easy event to host. In most cases, this is reserved for private or members-only events or meetings where the guest list is known. Therefore, potlucks may not be promoted to the general public or to all of campus.

Potlucks are defined by the Whatcom Health Department as events where:

o People are gathered to share food,

o People attending are expected to bring food to share,

o There is no compensation provided to people for bringing food to the event,

o There is no charge for any food or beverage provided at the event and

o The event is not for commercial purposes. A potluck does not include events where coordinators are bringing food to share with others; in that case, see the section above about preparing food.

· Food Sales – a common form of fundraising is a bake sale where coordinators bake low risk treats such as cookies, cupcakes, and breads that do not need refrigeration or preparation on site. This type of fundraising is popular because it is easy and can generate a decent amount of revenue in one day.

Another form of food sales is by working with a food truck. The first step in this process is to submit a Catering Exemption Request e-form for approval from Aramark (again, submit to your advisor first). Once approved, you’ll then work with your advisor to create a contract with the vendor. In this case, rather than the university paying the contractor for their services, the vendor pays a fee to us, which is common practice. Work with your advisor on a reasonable price to charge, which is dependent on factors such as number of anticipated attendees, anticipated sales, and production costs. The vendor will also need to submit documents to you including a health department permit, certificate of insurance, and business license.

Paying Performers / Speakers (Contracts)

Contracts are needed anytime we are paying someone to provide a service (e.g. music performance, speaking engagement, vending, photography, etc). The contract serves as an understanding between the person (and/or agency) and the university with shared agreements. This will include details such as time and place, payment amount, and general agreements.

The creation of the contract will be completed by your advisor in an online platform called Contract Management Module (CMM). The contract will then be routed for approvals to the VU Business & Planning office and the Executive Director of Student Engagement/Director of the Viking Union. In some cases, particularly for higher risk contracts, it will need to go through the university’s Contract Administration office for other approvals.

Once fully approved, the Contractor (who we are contracting with) will receive an email to digitally sign the contract. The contract must be fully signed by all parties before they perform or provide the service. Don’t forget to also submit an Expenditure Request (ER) form for the process of paying the contractor. The goal is to have the contract fully executed by all parties and the ER approved at least two weeks before the event so that the check will be ready to be mailed out or given to the contractor immediately following the event.

AS Program Offices: you will provide all necessary performance and contact information to your advisor to create the contract.

Clubs: you will submit an Event Planning Checklist to submit the details needed.

Showing a Film / Copyright Concerns

If you are interested in showing a film or TV program of any kind, you will need to consider copyright laws. When showing anything to the public using university resources (i.e. rooms, equipment, etc), you’ll need permission to do so. This includes using discs from home or logging into your personal streaming accounts (e.g. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc) as those are meant for private viewing in your home. Here are some options for obtaining permission:

· For documentaries, indie, international, or educational films, you’ll sometimes be able to get permission for free but be prepared to pay for the rights or a copy of the film and this cost can vary widely. Contact the company or producer/director to ask for written permission. You might need to do a bit of research to find who to contact as this will be different for each production. It may also take quite a lot of time to hear back so be patient and give yourself time. Calling can be the easiest and more direct approach. Be sure to get email documentation of the granted permission.

· For well-known films from major studios, you will likely need to work with companies such as Swank or Criterion to secure a public performance license for the work you are showing. These companies have a large database of films from several decades and the cost will

include the rights as well as shipping and handling and will be dependent on various factors about your event such as number of times it is shown and expected audience size.

· ADD part about members-only MPLC license for blanket license (Casey)

· You should also check out these listings of films (most of them obscure, lesser-known) that are in the public domain and are therefore free to show publicly at any time.

o Public Domain Movies List o Wikipedia List of Public Domain Films

· For educational viewings and discussion, several options are available through the Western Libraries media collection. Using this service is meant for classroom use but can be extended to educational opportunities provided by clubs and programs. Talk with the Media Librarian for help and details.

Freedom of Expression & Assembly Events

Funding sources

There are several funding sources available for your event, depending who you are representing. Most of the requests below can be made through one form in WIN called the AS Unified Funding Form.

· AS clubs: Activities Council – the Activities Council is chaired by the AS Vice President of Activities and includes members from the Club Activities Office, club members, and students at large to make decisions about new clubs as well as funding requests. Funding can be requested for, but not limited to: supplies, event production costs, contracting cost, food (hospitality or if open to the campus community) and travel costs. Loans may also be requested for religious ceremonies and fundraising up-front costs to be paid back after the event. For requests under $75, the chair can executively approve the request. For requests greater than $75 but less than $300, the requestor will attend one council meeting for a vote. If greater than $300, the requester will attend one meeting for information gathering and return the following week for a vote. After approval, funds will be transferred you’re your account and will be spent via an ER for each cost. Considering this timeline, your request should be submitted as early as possible (generally no later than a month before the event date). After the event, any unused funds will be transferred back to the council for other clubs to use.

· ESC clubs: ESC Budget and Programming Committee

· LGBTQ+ clubs: Queer Guild Council

· AS Programs: Large Event Fund – AS program offices may request funding from a reserves account called the Large Event Reserve fund. This is designated for expenses that were not expected when the budget was submitted the year before. For example, if you are able to book a speaker that will be a great benefit to the campus but is beyond your budget, this is a great use of this fund. You may also want to provide the event at no cost to students (no ticket charge) so you’ll need extra funding to cover the costs. Requests must be over $500 and for events that are expected to attract more than 100 attendees and open to the campus community.

· Bookstore Donations – this funding is unique in that it is open to any club, program, organization, or department on campus. Donations from the bookstore are generally used for prizes such as gift cards and merchandise to raffle off and can be used as giveaways. Granted donations may not be used for personal gifts such as a thank you to a speaker or as individual incentives. After approval, the bookstore managers will be notified and you may speak with a bookstore employee about using your donation. The requestor must promote the bookstore on event promotion materials and at the event.

Note: the form for Bookstore Donations can be found on the Forms tab in WIN, separate from the AS Unified Funding Form.

Tickets

Many events will incur costs for production such as security, staging, room set-up, hospitality, custodial needs, contract payment and so on. By selling tickets, you can make up for these costs or at least reduce the overall cost for the event. It can be difficult to know full production costs ahead of time and how many attendees to expect so it is best to over-estimate costs and lower expectations of your audience.

You may also need to manage RSVP tickets that are not at a cost for attendees. This can be handled in WIN as part of your Event Submission and may also include a waitlist option for limited seating and guest (non-Western attendees) management.

Here are options for selling tickets:

· Performing Arts Center (PAC) Box Office – this is often used for pre-event ticket sales and allows for the Box Office staff to manage your ticket sales, rather than the program office or club having to do that. Note: there is a small fee that will reduce your income.

e-form: https://esign.wwu.edu/admcs/process/forms/Treasury/WWU_Ticketing_Agreement3.aspx

· Tickets at the door – you may sell tickets at the door rather than, or in addition to, pre-selling other ways. It is recommended you use VU Security staff in handling these sales in order for you to focus on your event and not worry about handling money. This can be arranged when meeting with the VU Events Coordinator. Be prepared to have set prices for non-Western attendees and reduced prices for students.

You may also want to accept donations at the door rather than set ticket prices and this should be handled the same as above. If you are accepting donations in addition to tickets, see notes in Money Handling below.

· eMarket (or CashNet) website for online transaction – this is can be used for sales prior to or at the event and the purchaser inputs their credit card information into a secure site.

WIN form: https://win.wwu.edu/submitter/form/start/444603

Fundraising

Fundraising can be done for your club or for a certified non-profit organization and there endless, creative possibilities!

If you are raising money for a non-profit, you will first need to complete the Benefit Authorization form for approval before marketing your fundraiser: https://win.wwu.edu/submitter/form/start/370483

Here are some common forms of fundraising:

· Bake sales – these are easy ways to raise money and involves the creation of baked goods by members and selling on Vendors Row or at an event. You do not need any permissions through the Whatcom Health Department unless the items being sold need special care such as re-heating or refrigeration. Talk with your advisor about the latest requirements and visit the Whatcom County Health Department for more resources.

· Selling of goods – you may also sell items such as t-shirts, buttons, homemade goods, etc. This should be done either online through an eMarket site, on Vendors Row, or at an event. You may not sell items on behalf of a vendor, those sales must be done by the vendor directly and through a vending contract handled by VU Event Services.

· Raffles – a one-day raffle event is a great way to raise money at an event. Many organizations receive donated items and then raffle them off. You can provide free tickets as part of an event entry so that everyone has the opportunity to win and/or sell tickets so that your guests gamble your chances to win. The VU Business Services & Planning Office has tickets for you to use and you will need a quick training on keeping track of your tickets.

Note: if you receive donations, you will need to complete the Western Foundation Gift-In-Kind e-form and you may also request items from the AS Bookstore by submitting the WIN AS Bookstore Donation form (those are approved by the AS Activities Council).

Note: if you are interested in a multi-day raffle event, talk with your advisor as the university is very limited in how many we can have in one calendar year.

· VikingFunder – vikingfunder.com is managed by the University Advancement (Foundation) office and serves an online donation-based fundraising platform that can be used for one-time, event-based efforts or for on-going donation collecting. There is some work needed for this including description of your effort and pictures to make this an appealing fundraiser for your donors. The website can also provide countdown dates and visuals of how much as been collected based on your goals.

· WWU Give Site – anyone may donate to WWU, to a specific program or area, scholarship, or to a specific organization through this Give website. Several support areas are listed and you may add your area/club to this list by contacting the University Advancement/Foundation office. Otherwise, your donors may write in your area/club to donate directly.

· Ticket sales – many events will incur costs for production such as security, staging, room set-up, hospitality, custodial needs, contract payment and so on. By selling tickets, you can make up for these costs or at least reduce the overall cost for the event. As a fundraiser, you can consider all of your costs, factor in how many audience members you hope to attend, and charge a per ticket amount that is more than the production costs. In this case, you would announce that all proceeds benefit your club or a non-profit organization.

For example: Your total estimated charges is $1000 and your expected attendance is 200 people. To break even, you would charge $5. In this case, you could charge $10 with half going towards production and the other half as the fundraiser.

Tip: Market your event towards who is benefiting (e.g. the non-profit organization) as a selling point as your audience might be more interested in helping the cause over the entertainment.

Money Handling

There are several ways to complete transactions including, but not limited to:

· iPad for credit card purchases – this may be used for sales (bake sales, selling items, etc), ticket sales, raffle ticket sales, etc. This might be for a fundraiser on Vendors Row or at an event and the purchaser swipes their card like you would at a store or restaurant. e-form: https://esign.wwu.edu/forms/AS/_as_ipad_user_req_agree_2.aspx

· eMarket (or CashNet) website for online transaction – this is typically used for ongoing sales such as promotional items (e.g. stickers, t-shirts, buttons), event registration, collecting club dues, and accepting contributions (not donations, which needs to be through the University Foundation). This can also be used at the fundraiser or event and the purchaser inputs their credit card information into a secure site.

WIN form: https://win.wwu.edu/submitter/form/start/444603

· Performing Arts Center (PAC) Box Office – this is often used for pre-event ticket sales and allows for the Box Office staff to manage your ticket sales, rather than the program office or club having to do that. Note: there is a small fee that will reduce your income.

e-form: https://esign.wwu.edu/admcs/process/forms/Treasury/WWU_Ticketing_Agreement3.aspx

· Change fund (cash box) – change funds are provided through the VU Business Services & Planning Office and can be reserved through your space reservation. This allows you to exchange cash with your patrons. This is often done in addition to the use of an iPad and only if the purchaser d

complete, return the cash box immediately to the VU Business Services office or to a Building Manager for deposit.

· Donations – you may set out a receptacle for accepting donations for your club or a non-profit organization and this should be treated the same as a Change Fund. These will be cash donations and there is not a tax benefit to the donator. If someone would like to donate online and receive a tax credit, they should do that through the University Advancement/Foundation Give site: https://wwu.edu/give

If you are accepting donations for a non-profit, you’ll need to complete the Benefit Authorization form prior to the event: https://win.wwu.edu/submitter/form/start/370483

All of the above options allow for revenue to go directly into your account. You should discuss the options with your advisor to decide the best option for your efforts.

Note: what is not allowed is the use of personal applications such as PayPal and Venmo to collect money for your program office or club. Money cannot be collected then deposited into your account using these options.