Event Coordination and Management Guidelines
The Global Studies Institute supports various academic, scholarly, and research events and activities on campus. We compiled this guide to share effective practices and lessons learned through planning and managing numerous events. Over the years, we have found that planning and managing events, which provide opportunities for the university community to engage in complex scholarly topics at any time, requires logistical efficiency and intentional design. This is especially true if the event includes emotionally-charged topics.
The same basic principles apply for one-hour public lectures to multi-day, multi-guest conferences. Here you’ll find a guide for faculty sponsors and event planners, offering educational and planning strategies that foster meaningful, high-impact visitor experiences. These practices are designed to help create events where students, faculty, staff, and guests can engage fully and contribute to broadening global understanding and perspectives.
First steps
Planning basics
Start strong by defining your purpose, knowing your audience, and setting clear goals. Good events begin with great planning!
Next steps
Planning beyond basics
From shaping the agenda to coordinating logistics, this is where ideas turn into action and plans become reality.
Final steps
Event day
With thoughtful preparation behind you, it’s time to lead with confidence, adapt with ease, and create an experience to remember.
Event Planning: Where to start?
Section Links
First: Clarify your goals, purpose, and the intended audience
To create meaningful and impactful experiences for participants, it is essential to thoughtfully define the target audience, clarify the event's purpose, and decide on the desired outcomes.
Consider:
- What are the educational goals of the event?
- What is the ideal outcome?
- What type of event activities will help support these outcomes (e.g., class visits, public lectures, readings, meals, etc.)?
- What pre-event learning will help create the best engagement (e.g., reading before the event, class visit discussion, meeting with student organizations, etc.)?
- Which individuals, communities, or stakeholders will be in the room? How can you ensure they feel welcome and able to participate?
- How will we create an event environment that ensures safety, participation, and engagement by the widest possible campus audience?
Second: Schedule public and academic events
Location, location, location! Choose the event space (and time!) that are accessible to the broadest possible audience to meet the event outcomes. Then, think about the connections you could draw to get the word out about your event in various networks. For your event (including public lectures, class visits, conferences, or workshops) to have the desired impact, you want to make sure you thoughtfully select an event space that aligns with your goals and purpose and is accessible to your intended audience.
Consider:
- What is the broadest range of student organizations that would be interested in the event? Connect with those student leaders to promote your event.
- How to schedule a wide range of class visits to ensure visitors connect with a diverse and broad array of students? Which faculty is teaching courses well-aligned with the event?
- What kind of pre-event preparation events are possible to plan and schedule to generate interest and awareness?
- What other campus activities do you need to plan around to ensure attendance?
- Who will coordinate logistics with campus facilities?
Third: Visitor logistics
As the event host, you can ensure a warm and positive experience for guests by coordinating their travel logistics and designing itineraries that offer a balanced mix of visits and engagements across campus, aligned with the program’s goals.
Consider:
- Which visitors will help us meet the educational goals of the event? What materials (e.g., publications) from the visitor will help the campus community prepare for their visit?
- When will guests travel? How long will they stay at the University of Oregon? Where will they stay? How much will they receive in honoraria? Who will act as host during their visit? Who else will they visit?
- Will we host international visitors? Who will request a courtesy appointment, a visa, and tax paperwork as needed?
- Share contact information for any last-minute questions that visitors may have.
Fourth: Event Budget
While planning an event, you want to consider all components of the visit and associated expenses. GSI provides budget templates that can help with developing a comprehensive event budget.
Consider:
- Have we accounted for all the many visible and invisible expenses for hosting an event? Including:
- Travel (flights, taxis)
- Lodging
- Honoraria
- Meals (as part of the event, hosted with UO participants)
- Event, technology rental, and personnel expenses
- Publicity costs
- Excursions
- Staff administrative fees
- Have we contacted co-sponsors across a range of organizations and departments across campus? Who will be good partners in supporting the visitor, event, and publicity? How much are these organizations willing to contribute?
Fifth: Create & Share Advertising Materials
Your advertising materials will be the first exposure people have to your event. Once you are clear on your vision, dates, space, and visitors, create advertising material with compelling visuals that clearly articulate the goals, purpose, and audience of your upcoming event.
Consider:
- Who will create advertising materials and support a plan to share information?
- How will you most effectively reach your intended audience?
- Effective strategies include:
- UO Events Calendar
- Global Studies Institute Newsletter
- Posters
- Online platforms (e.g., social media, websites, events calendar, canvas page)
- Department newsletters
- Class announcements
- Student organizations, departments, institutes, centers, faculty, etc.
- Class visits with guests
- Direct emails
On all material, make sure to…
- Include the correct date, time, location, and registration link (if applicable)
- Ensure appropriate and approved UO branding (logos, colors, fonts, etc.)
- Acknowledge your event co-sponsors or co-organizers
- Provide a link or contact for more information
Event Planning Next Steps
After you have the basics of event goals, location, visitors, budget, and advertising, you’ll want to turn your attention to planning the flow of activities, aligning the structure and schedule of the event with intended outcomes.
We recommend using the following questions to guide planning:
How can you design and structure the event to ensure it is engaging, inclusive, safe, and supports meaningful learning for all participants?
As you reflect on these questions, be sure to align your event outcomes with a thoughtful consideration of your audience and the overall event design.
Consider:
- Who do you hope will attend the event?
- What do you want attendees to learn? Use these types of questions to help guide the process and decision-making.
- At the beginning of the event, plan to provide an overview of the topic that allows novices and experts to have a space and place in the event. As an academic institution, it is important not to assume that everyone has the same level of knowledge, comfort, or motivation to learn about the topic.
- As you plan the event, establish ground rules that align with the event’s purpose, topic, educational goals, and audience. Consider how participants and speakers will engage with one another. For example, we often recommend having participants submit written questions to encourage broad participation. Determine who will supply notecards and pencils, who will collect the questions, and who will facilitate the Q&A with the speaker.
Which space will best support the learning and educational outcomes?
The University of Oregon offers a wide range of event spaces managed by various campus units. Many are coordinated through EMU Scheduling and Event Services, while others are overseen by departments such as UO Libraries, University Housing, campus museums, and the Ford Alumni Center.
Consider:
- Do you want a space that evokes a classroom or a discussion space?
- How many guests are you expecting?
- Have you been to an event in a specific space that you liked? What worked well about the space?
- What types of activities will you have? What kind of space is needed for those activities?
- Do you have specific dates in mind?
- Is the physical space or the dates most important for your visitors?
- Do you have a backup space if there are other activities on campus?
- Are there any competing activities on campus?
What is the best event flow?
Prepare a detailed itinerary and run of show that clearly outlines the sequence and timing of all event activities. For public events, we recommend collaborating with the EMU Scheduling and Event Services team to develop a room diagram that supports smooth event flow and minimizes lines or congestion. If the event is held in a different location, consider creating your layout to ensure an efficient and welcoming experience for attendees.
Consider:
- Who needs to meet with any visitors? What’s the best time to do that?
- For public-facing events, who are the personnel needed, and when should they arrive for set up and sound/tech change?
- Who is leading the public event? How long will visitors have for presentation time?
- Who is bringing supplies (e.g., notecards for questions and answers, participant participation questions)?
- How much time is needed to transition between parts of the event? Is there food? Passing time between panel discussions? Multiple rooms?
- Who will be responsible for passing microphones, tracking time, etc.?
What kind of food will create the atmosphere we’re trying to evoke?
Providing food at events can enhance attendance and foster community engagement. When coordinating with UO Catering, their team will guide you through key questions to help ensure the menu aligns with your event goals and audience needs.
Consider:
- Do you want hors d’oeuvres, a sit-down meal, or just coffee, tea, and/or light refreshments?
- Will the food be served buffet-style, plated, or as boxed meals?
- What dietary restrictions or preferences should catering accommodate (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal, kosher)?
- Will alcohol be served, and if so, have we arranged for the necessary approvals?
- Does the event cover multiple days or hours?
- Do you need to coordinate meal or coffee breaks within the program schedule?
- How many meals will you provide?
- Have we signed up for “left over text over” so students can pick up leftover food?
Do you want guests to register in advance?
Depending on the size of the room, catering quantities, or other considerations, it may be beneficial to have guests register in advance.
Consider:
- What’s your plan to balance registration with the widest possible participation?
- What platform will you use?
- Who will track guest registration?
- If participants have registered, make clear signage at the event directing guests where to check in.
How to set up the room to optimize engagement?
The Event personnel at the venue can advise on how to arrange seating that promotes inclusivity and encourages interaction.
Consider:
- Do you want seating in the round or at tables to encourage discussion and enhance community?
- Will there be food? How will guests get food and get back to their seats?
- Will all participants have clear sight lines to the speaker?
- Are aisles wide enough to ensure accessibility?
How to ensure accessibility?
Audio-visual support is very important. Make sure to request and use microphones – even in small spaces – and provide speakers. Assistive technology (such as captions on slides) can make a big difference for some participants. Remind everyone to use a microphone anytime they speak to the entire audience (avoid the refrain “I’ll just use my teacher voice”).
Consider:
- How many microphones are needed in the space?
- If there is audience participation, who will be available to pass the microphone?
Who is going to work the event?
Determine who is going to be present throughout the event and what their role will be to ensure that visitors, technology, participants, catering, and event support all have sufficient personnel and everyone knows who to go to with questions.
Consider:
- Are your faculty hosts also participants and handling technology?
- Do you have someone who will be responsible for calling catering if they arrive late?
- Who will make sure that participants know where to sit (find the restroom, check in, etc.)
The Day of the event
Here, you will explore effective approaches for creating engaging, interactive, and welcoming environments that encourage active participation at public lectures and workshops.
Before the event
- Arrive early enough to greet your staff and troubleshoot any last-minute details.
- Have staff and volunteers greet visitors at the door. If applicable, confirm registration or allow for day-of registration opportunity.
- Have volunteers and staff available to support attendees with any logistical needs (e.g. know how to find a water fountain, restroom, or elevator).
- Post directional signs (i.e. check-in, bathrooms, bar, etc.).
- Provide paper and pencils for questions.
- Distribute a written program.
Starting the event
- Begin with a welcome announcement to set expectations and clarify any logistics (e.g., directions to restrooms, water fountains, exits, details about program length, or speaker order.
- Orient your guests with a grounding, and facilitate connection among audience members.
- Provide an overview of the topic that allows novices and experts to have a space and place in the event.
- Don’t assume that everyone has the same level of knowledge, comfort, or motivation to learn about the topic.
- Develop ground rules appropriate for the event - the topic you’re trying to engage, the educational outcomes, and intended audiences, including interactions and engagements among the participants and speakers.
During the event
- Provide opportunities for event attendees to engage with each other.
- Create space for grounding and connection among audience members.
- Create opportunities for small group discussions (pre-prepared questions, tabletop handouts).
- Encourage small group reflection (as appropriate in a variety of formats, including writing, drawing, and discussions) to give participants an opportunity to process the content and their experience with it.
- Share resources that participants can access after the event.
- Provide engaged facilitation
- Moderated Q&A helps prevent harmful questions and manage group energy.
- Maintain an awareness of the emotional dynamics in the room, adapting the approach as necessary to ensure psychological safety.
- Use real-time feedback (e.g., polls, cards) to gauge the emotional responses of the participants.
- Provide index cards or QR code links for anonymous questions. This increases participation across power and comfort levels Share opportunities for audience members to reflect on their own learning.
- Allow for multiple modes of participation (written, spoken, polls, drawing, visual, quiet zones, music, etc.).
- Tie the in-person event to class learning, pre-event activities, and other campus engagements.
Event Wrap-up
- End with reflective prompts to allow participants to think about what they’ve learned or experienced.
- Share resources for more learning, engagement, closure, and expansion that participants can access after the event.
- Share information about other upcoming events on campus.
- Collect feedback about the event (logistics, content, structure, etc.).
- Have catering send leftover text over to students on campus.
After the event
- Share resources that participants can access after the event, along with a contact for any follow-up questions.
- Plan follow-up activities that connect the event to other speaker events, courses, and activities that build on the knowledge.
- Clean up event space.
- Communicate with catering about cleanup.
- Be sure to thank event coordinators for their time and attention!
- Follow up with attendees to thank them for attending.
- Follow up with visitors to continue and grow collaboration.
Important note: Events with food
- Display relevant allergy information alongside catering.
- If there’s food before a talk, provide time for participants and guests to eat before the main content of the event begins. Consider having music playing during the food.
- If there’s a reception after the event, ensure that the guest speaker has refreshments after their talk.
- For longer events, schedule coffee breaks to allow participants to mingle, take a break, and recharge during the event.
Resources
Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How learning works: Seven research-based principles for smart teaching. Jossey-Bass.
Brown, B. (2018). Dare to lead: Brave work. Tough conversations. Whole hearts. Random House.
Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make it stick: The science of successful learning. Harvard University Press.
Eyler, J. R. (2018). How humans learn: The science and stories behind effective college teaching. West Virginia University Press.
Hodges, L., & Narum, J. L. (2015). Teaching undergraduate science: A guide to overcoming obstacles to student learning. Stylus Publishing.
Lang, J. M. (2021). Small teaching: Everyday lessons from the science of learning (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
National Deaf Center. (2022). Effective communication access: Microphones and accessibility tips. https://www.nationaldeafcenter.org/
Parker, P. (2018). The art of gathering: How we meet and why it matters. Riverhead Books.
Sathy, V., & Hogan, K. A. (2020). Inclusive teaching: Strategies for promoting equity in the college classroom. West Virginia University Press.
Tanner, K. D. (2013). Structure matters: Twenty-one teaching strategies to promote student engagement and cultivate classroom equity. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 12(3), 322–331. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.13-06-0115
Vandegrift, EVH, AB Mulnix, JR Yates, and SR Chaudhury. (2018). Workshopping a Workshop: Collaborative Design in Educational Development. To Improve the Academy 37(2), 207-227.