Congratulations on forming your new student organization! This is the time for you to seize the opportunity, make an impact and have fun while doing it!

But forming a new student organization comes with its fair share of challenges. To start with, finding and attractive new members is easier said than done. As a new student organization, I'm sure you want to increase the visibility of your organization and spread the word. Instead of sticking to traditional methods like flyers or social media, why not shake things up and throw an epic campus event? It's a great way to draw attention, retain members, and showcase what your club is all about.

1. Choose Your Event Wisely

First things first, you'll need to decide what kind of event you want to put on. Think carefully about the type of organization you are and what your goals are: do you want to appeal to the fun nature of your organization, or are you focused on providing value in a professional manner?

You want your event to reflect who you are, what you do, and the students you're seeking to attract. Are you a career-focused student body? Are you a cultural club? Or is your study body focused on sports and extra-curriculars? The nature of your organization will determine your event.

For example:

If you're a professional organization, you can hold networking events or seminars which will help students interact with each other and develop soft skills.
If you're a cultural student organization you can host a food feast inviting students to experience different cultures on campus and meet diverse students.

The event will be a great ice-breaker for students and also a good platform for students to meet and interact.

2. Nail the Details

Now that you have an idea for the event, it's time to break down the finer details. It is important to plan what you will do at the event but also arrange the location, cost, date and time etc. It is important to have all the details ironed out so that you can work on spreading awareness of your event and getting more students to attend.

While planning an event, you want to try to divide and delegate tasks between different teams so that each team is responsible for different aspects. You will find that you can achieve more this way than trying to do everything together. Divide and conquer!

💡 Pro Tip: When you set up your organization on iCommunify and create an event, you'll be able to get an accurate number of attendees, display your event time and location, and provide a list of members alongside the description of your organization. With one click, students can sign up for your organization! Your RSVPs are all in one place as members will get calendar invite, and when a new student signs up for an event, adding the event to their calendar is just a click of a button.

3. Crunch the Numbers

Once you have your detailed plan for the event, you'll be able to calculate your costs. It's as simple as this:

Create a spreadsheet with all the details of your event that will cost money, including the cost of the venue, transportation, food, prizes, equipment, etc.
Add in any additional costs that may occur (accidents, variable venue pricing, contingency plan pricing, etc).
Once you have the total costs of your event, present them to your organization's members and once it is approved by the e-board members, you can work on securing the funds.

4. Secure the Funds

Now that your details are ironed out and you have the official cost of your event, you have to secure funding. If you have funding through your school, you may already have an allotted amount of money for your organization. Decide as a group how and when to use these funds, and keep in mind any future costs you anticipate. Make sure not to use a big part of your funding towards this event. Remember that this is an introductory event and you may want to organize more over the academic year.

If you still have additional costs, it's time to start fundraising. You may go through a fundraising organization or organize a fundraiser of your own; the most common fundraising methods on campus is a bake sale. Something as simple as baking batches of cookies may raise the funds you need right on campus!

You may also turn to local businesses for fundraising opportunities, such as receiving a portion of the proceeds from participating in a car wash day or restaurant fundraising day. Fundraising can be a great way to bring the founding members of your organization closer together!

Soon, this step will be a blast from the past, as with iCommunify, we will help you to streamline sponsorships and fundraising efforts.

5. Spread the Word!

The success of your event will depend on how many people you attract and that is why it is important to create a buzz around your event. You have to get the word out, and get it out early! If you liked fundraising together, you're going to love advertising your event.

Some quick and easy tips:

You can create flyers, posters, and banners to physically place around your school, or you can distribute digital versions of these flyers through your college emails.
If you have a weekly or daily newsletter sent out to students, contact the distributer for permission to email your event flyer to the school; it's a free and easy way to advertise the event.
If you want even more exposure, personally invite other clubs to attend your event. You'd be surprised how many students from other clubs would be happy to join! Most students join more than one organization throughout the college career, so you may be the next on their list.
Connect with other student organization presidents to announce the event. Existing student organization already have a member base and you should collaborate to capitalize on that.
Don't be afraid to use social media; it's one of the single best ways to connect with multiple potential club members in one go!

6. Show Your Enthusiasm

On the big day, let your passion shine! Engage attendees, lead activities, and radiate enthusiasm about your club. When others see your genuine excitement, they'll be eager to join in.

With these six steps, your campus event will be a roaring success, attracting new members and solidifying your organization's presence on campus. Get ready to make waves and leave a lasting impression!

Organizing a Campus Event for New Student Organizations: 6 steps for success!

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