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Plan an Event or Conference

Submit an Event

If you are organizing an event associated with UGA or the College of Education, you may advertise it to a wider audience by submitting its information to the UGA Master Calendar. Your event details will appear on the College website and, if appropriate, will also appear on the Master Calendar.

Submit Your Event

Work with an Event Professional

Services offered by the Office of Outreach and Engagement.

The Office of Outreach and Engagement provides Conference and Event Planning services for events sponsored by the College of Education. Please note that the staff of this office are the only College representatives authorized to sign contracts for speakers or room rentals on behalf of the College of Education. Below is some helpful information to review before deciding to plan an event. The Outreach Office is equipped to help implement any/all of these tasks as needed. Just contact Melanie or Beth to get started.

The Outreach office is able to help with any and all tasks related to the planning of an event. The only thing not included is the planning of the educational content – that is left up to the experts! Services include the following:

  • Planning the structure of the agenda
  • Budget development
  • Bookings and reservations of space and other items
  • Route contracts through the proper agencies for signature
  • Plan meals and breaks as needed
  • Make sure meeting rooms are set and equipped with the proper technology
  • On-site presence to make sure everything runs as expected
  • Registration services including websites and name tags
  • Marketing services including printed materials and sending e-blasts
  • Financial services including paying invoices
  • Organize folders of materials to be handed out at registration
  • Event evaluation development and facilitation

Fees for Services

Outreach charges a percentage based on income to cover operating expenses and the services outlined above. The Office of Outreach and Engagement does not support events financially.

  • If registration for the event is run through Outreach, the fee is 15% of the gross revenue.
  • If registration is handled through the Georgia Center, the fee is 10% of gross revenue because they provide name tags and manage the registration process.

One of the most important things to ask yourself before deciding to plan an event is…..“How am I going to pay for it?” Event expenses (such as space, food, and materials) are usually covered by charging a registration fee to each participant or by support from funding provided by donors, departments, sponsors, or others.

Planning Your Event

Some decisions need to be made before the budget can be finalized, the registration fee set, and before advertising can begin.

Title of Event

What will the event be called?

Theme of Event

Will there be a sub-heading for the event?

Dates

  • Provide first, second and third choices
  • Can be Monday-Friday, or on Saturday or Sunday as well

Location

  • There are two “free” spaces that can be used for events: Rivers Crossing and the Gwinnett Campus. Aderhold Hall is also an option but not encouraged because of the difficulty with parking.
  • The Georgia Center is another popular option. The Georgia Center is a one-stop shop because everything needed is available under one roof: hotel rooms, catering, and meeting space.
  • If those two options won’t work, there are many venues in Athens that can be discussed.

Budget Development

A working budget will be created based on many factors. The budget will be based on income and expenses with an end goal of ending up with a surplus at the end of the event that can be used to plan the next event or to support faculty initiatives in the college. These definitions of financial aspects of an event are helpful to keep in mind as you plan an event:

  • Income: funds from registration fees and any other support/sponsorship provided for the event.
  • Expenses: all costs needed to ensure a successful event. Below are many of the popular line items.
  • Surplus: anything left over at the end of the event

Proposal Submission Process

For events such as conferences that involve the submission, evaluation, and acceptance of proposals, all aspects of this work are handled by the faculty member(s) sponsoring the event. The participation of the Outreach Office in this part of the process is limited to posting links on the COE events page and on other related web pages.

Agenda

A basic agenda is needed to reserve space, schedule a calendar listing, and plan the budget. The details of the agenda (content, speakers) can be fine-tuned along the way, but the basic time structure should be set before we begin planning.

Speaker Costs

Speaker expenses can drastically affect the event budget. Some speakers are willing to provide their talk in exchange for vita experience and being published in the proceedings, and some are paid healthy honorariums and expenses. Some questions to consider for those who require an honorarium:

  • Can I negotiate the rate?
  • Have they ever worked for UGA before? Note: If the person is a former UGA employee (graduate assistant, faculty member, staff member), there is a lengthy process that must be followed as they must be put on payroll (which involves the speaker “applying” for a job at UGA). If your speaker has worked at UGA previously, it is essential that you let us know this as soon as possible but no less than 3 months in advance so that we can work with the appropriate offices on campus to get the person back on the payroll system.
  • Paperwork: There are multiple forms of paperwork that the speaker will have to complete before we can process payment.
  • Reimbursement guidelines: Speakers can only be reimbursed for travel expenses using State of Georgia rates and coach-level air travel.

Facility Costs

Varies by location. Consider the following:

  • Room Rental: Some venues will charge a fee for space.
  • Technology: We provide laptop computers for free, but the projectors usually have to be rented.
  • Refreshment Breaks: AM, PM, or both? Coffee only or full refreshments? Budget will play a part in deciding this.
  • Lunch: Full-day events usually offer lunch as part of the registration fee.
  • Other meals?

Other Activities

Will anything need to be coordinated outside of the main event activities? This may include:

  • Pre- or post-event workshops
  • Day trips
  • Tours
  • Receptions
  • Dinners

Transportation

Will group transportation to any activities need to be arranged?

  • Campus transit: bus rental
  • Automotive center: van rental
  • Some venues also offer transportation upon request.

Registration

Registration can be handled by the Office of Outreach through the UGA Marketplace system or by the Georgia Center through their in-house system. Registration includes:

  • Website for participant registration
  • Financial services
  • Nametags
  • Staff to hand out name tags and hand-outs

Event Handouts

The Office of Outreach will put together a folder of materials to be given to each participant, usually at registration. This packet usually includes:

  • College of Education-themed folder
  • Speaker handouts
  • Any other handouts
  • Venue map
  • College-themed notepad and pen
  • Evaluation form

Giveaway Items

In addition to the folder of materials, The Office of Outreach can assist with ordering custom give-away items for event participants. These items have to be paid for by the event budget or another source, and, if they include any form of the UGA logo, must be printed by a licensed and approved vendor. Ideas include:

  • Custom tote bags
  • Flash drives
  • Pens
  • Lanyard
  • And more!

Marketing

In order to encourage attendance and distribute information about registration procedures, the following steps are usually taken. We work with the College Communications team to follow procedures regarding design.

  • Printed materials: Normally a flier is created to share at other conferences and exhibit opportunities.
  • Calendar posting: The event is posted on the UGA Master Calendar and includes all information about the conference including the registration link.
  • E-blast sent through Mailchimp: This will encourage participants to register and will link to the registration site. This e-blast is customizable but must follow the format approved by Communications.
  • Mailing lists: Outreach maintains email lists for superintendents, principals, assistant principals, and others. We can send communication to these lists or other lists provided by the organizers using Mailchimp for the purpose of advertising events.

Evaluation

An important part of each event is the distribution of an evaluation form so that the planning team can gain useful feedback in preparation for the next event. Qualtrics is the system used to design the evaluation and a hard copy is included in each folder. An electronic copy can also be sent if needed. A summary of the evaluation is completed by The Office of Outreach and shared with the planning team.

Next Steps

Ready to plan your event? Please contact Melanie Baer or Beth Massey to set up an appointment. We can’t wait to work with you!

Submit a Calendar Event

Host an Off-Campus Alumni Reception

If you are faculty or staff and it would be helpful for student ambassadors to volunteer for your event, you can submit an online request. We may not be able to guarantee requests submitted for events that are closer than two weeks away.

Plan an Alumni Reception

If you have received approval from your department head or supervisor, you may request support to plan an alumni event.

Request a Conference Reception

Request Ambassadors to Help with an Event

If you are faculty or staff and it would be helpful for student ambassadors to volunteer for your event, you can submit an online request. We may not be able to guarantee requests submitted for events that are closer than two weeks away.

Request Ambassadors for an Event