Haas Retreat 2006
Building An Annual Calendar
And Event Planning
Why Build an Annual Calendar
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Great view of holes in your plans – both by
theme and time period
Allows enough time to address holes
Creates a outline for each board meeting
People work towards deadlines and planning
ahead helps establishes deadlines
Allow sufficient time for milestones or sponsor
and partners contacts
Event co-promotion: web, acveta, email and at
events
Identify areas where alumni office assistance is
needed so they have enough time to assist
Allow time Avoid event fatigue – helps avoid a
calendar of all the same types of activities or
too many close together
Balance Activities Types
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Cash Generating Events
Professional Speakers
Wine & Food Events
Money Losers
Bar Nights
Dean’s / Professor visits
CAL and Other Joint Events
Outdoor/ Family events
Sports/ School Spirit
Balance The Year
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Free or low-cost activities and higher
ticket events
Look at holidays to avoid
Avoid conflict with Major sports
events - Or make them an event
itself
Talk to potential event partners
months ahead
Our Annual Calendar Scary when Empty
Jan
Feb
Mar
April
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Tailgate &
Game
Holiday Party
CAL EVENT
Our Annual Calendar in the works
Jan
Feb
Professional
Event
Mar
Wine Dinner
April
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Tailgate &
Game
Holiday Party
CAL EVENT
Our Annual Calendar Annual Events
Jan
Feb
Professional
Event
Mar
Wine Dinner
April
May
June
Welcome
July
Golf
Aug
Summer BBQ
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Tailgate &
Game
Holiday Party
CAL EVENT
Our Annual Calendar Partner Events
Jan
Bar night
with HAAS
MBA’S
May
Bar Night
Feb
Professional
Event
Mar
Wine Dinner
April
CAL Event
June
Welcome
CAL Event
July
Golf
Aug
Summer BBQ
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Tailgate &
Game
Holiday Party
CAL EVENT
Our Annual Calendar fill the holes
Jan
Bar night
with HAAS
MBA’S
May
Bar Night
Feb
Professional
Event
Mar
Wine Dinner
April
CAL Event
Bar Night
June
Welcome
CAL Event
July
Golf
Aug
Summer BBQ
Sept
Professional
Event
Leadership
Dinner
Oct
Nov
Dec
Tailgate &
Wine Dinner? Game
Holiday Party
CAL EVENT
Choosing Speakers and Topics
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Review History of Successful Events
Look at other HAAS chapters
Speak to other Alumni Organizations
What Topics are Hot in the News?
Talk to Alumni Office About Available
Professors or Alumni (road trip for
prior successes)
Before Proceeding Make sure you
have enough interest on your Board
Event Budgets
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Determine Profit goals
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Make Money or Break Even or Spend
Excess Reserves
Look at Variable Costs Separately
from Fixed Costs
Per person food and drink, parking,
name tags, acveta fees, etc
 Venue, speaker gifts, A/V, comps, etc
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Budget for Sponsor donations
Estimate Attendance and set price
Partnering With Other Organizations
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Partner with CAL Alumni, Boalt
Alumni, or UC Alumni
Partnering with other Business
Schools
Partnering with Professional
organization and associations
Sample Event Plan – New Student/
Recent Grad Receptions
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Event History
Budget
Geography
Secure Sponsorships (N/A for this
event)
Calendar Constraints
Promotional Timeline
Responsibilities
– New Student/ Recent Grad
Reception Event History
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Annual attendance from 43-90 people
Budget of up to $300-400 for FBTT (food
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We pay for food and 1st drink / pitchers
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Prior Years
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beverage tax and tip)
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2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
June
June
June
June
June
??
27th
19th
18th
23rd
29th
El Torito Grill Beverly Hills
El Torito Grill Beverly Hills
Q’s Brentwood
Madame Wu’s Fairfax
H. Hamlet Brentwood
Shift in Demographics
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Alumni are
mostly 310,213,
& 323
New admits are
mostly 626 with
many 909, 714 &
949
New Student/ Recent Grad
Receptions Calendar Constraints
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Commencement UG’s May 14/ MBA’s May 21
LA Alumni Board meeting June 14th
Alumni Annual Retreat June 23-25
Cal So UG transfer Orientation June 29th
UG summer school Session begins July 6th
Alumni Office Request for as late as date a
possible to allow for promotions
Potential dates for New Student Event
SUN
MON
TUES
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
May 21 May 22 May 23 May 24 May 25 May 26 May 27
May 28 May 29 May 30 May 31 June1
June 2
June 3
June 4
June 5
June 6
June 7
June 8
June 9
June
10
June
11
June
12
June
13
June
14
June15
June
16
June
17
B
Meeting
June
18
June
19
June
20
June
21
June
22
June
23
June
23
June
June
26
June
27
June
28
June
29
June
30
July1
24
Potential dates for New Student Event
SUN
MON
TUES
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
May 21 May 22 May 23 May 24 May 25 May 26 May 27
May 28 May 29 May 30 May 31 June1
June 2
June 3
June 4
June 5
June 6
June 7
June 8
June 9
June
10
June
11
June
12
June
13
June
14
June15
June
16
June
17
B
June
18
June
19
June
20
June
21
June
22
June
23
June
23
June
June
June
June
June
June
July1
Potential dates for New Student Event
SUN
MON
TUES
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
May 21 May 22 May 23 May 24 May 25 May 26 May 27
May 28 May 29 May 30 May 31 June1
June 2
June 3
June 4
June 5
June 6
June 7
June 8
June 9
June
10
CAL
June
11
June
12
June
13
June
14
June15
June
16
June
17
Board
Meeting
June
18
June
19
June
20
June
21
June
22
June
23
June
23
June
June
June
June
June
June
July1
New Student/ Recent Grad
Receptions -Ideal Timeline
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Feb Finalize date and location
March Invitations with HAAS Acceptance Letters
Apr
 Deadline for article in Haas Week newspaper
 Website with all locations and dates across the
country
 Begin 1 line mention of event in emails for other
events
May
 Begin email campaign of single event emails
 Assign phone call invites
June
 Complete Phone calls 3-7 days before event
 Final Email Reminders
 Registration Confirmation Reminders
Event Responsibilities - Ideal
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Event Champion – overseas all aspects
VP Event Logistics – contracts with
venue
VP Communications – Promotions
President – general remarks to the
group (and trivia game)
Secretary – Name Tags/ Acteva
registration
Membership/ Outreach – handles
distribution of phone tree
Venue Selection Basics
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Geography – the right part of your
promotional region
Easy Freeway access
Parking Constraints
Room Sizes/ Configurations (70%/150%)
Ambient Noise
Where are Other Groups Holding Events?
Everyone in our chapter suggests venues,
but unless there is a personal relationship
negotiations are handled by 1 person.
Venue Selection: Sell the idea of
working with HAAS
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Quality group of potential clients with high
disposable incomes
Emails, web page, etc will be in front of
thousands of people
Venue listed as an event sponsor and include
their logo and a few lines of text describing the
place
We are coming on a slow night and represent
incremental profit, even if our margin will be
lower than their normal or average
Every venue has a different negotiations
strategy, but generally:
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Hungry venues negotiate more than
city hot-spots. Choose places that
appreciate your business
Downtown lunch spots at Dinner,
New Hotels, Weeknight at
Restaurants
Private Clubs, Banks, Book stores,
Wine stores, Party spaces, Gyms &
dance studios
Every venue has a different negotiations
strategy, but generally:
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Room rental fees can be waived
Audio visual equipment must be specified
BEFORE contract negotiations are
complete or the venue will gouge you.
Many add tax and tip to these fees as
well. Some charge a plug fee or set up
fee for outside A/V equipment. This can
be waived if negotiated prior to contract
signing
Every venue has a different negotiations
strategy, but generally:
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Food prices are negotiable & menus can
be altered to fit the budget. Pasta &
antipasto buffets cost less than seafood.
If you do not see a menu that fits your
budget – tell the venue what you would
like to spend & eat
Prices should either be clearly indicated as
inclusive – meaning tax & tip are included,
or ++ (plus plus) meaning you have to
add tax and tip to the quoted price
Every venue has a different negotiations
strategy, but generally:
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Tips should not be negotiated – even
when the amounts are too high. If
you get the venue to reduce the tip
they cut the amount from the portion
the staff keeps, and service levels
plummet
Every venue has a different negotiations
strategy, but generally:
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Dessert prices – offer to bring in
dessert and pay a plate fee. It is
often less money than buying a
house made dessert. Plate fees are
negotiable and can be waived
Every venue has a different negotiations
strategy, but generally:
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Drink: We know that our events average
between 1.1 - 1.3 drinks per person,
because after each event we review the
bar totals
We want to know this even if we are not
paying the bar tab ourselves – because we
can tell a venue to expect this amount of
revenue. Hotels generally require a bar
guarantee for each bartender or each bar
set up. This is part of their profit for the
event, and should be taken into account
for negotiations and or costs
Every venue has a different negotiations
strategy, but generally:
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Outside wine and corkage fees –
negotiable especially when you are
spending enough on the meal. For
our annual wine maker dinner the
corkage is waved because we
purchase 60-85 multi course dinners
on a weeknight when they are quiet.
Every venue has a different negotiations
strategy, but generally:
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Deposits: We never put down a nonrefundable deposit before people are
signed up for an event.
Excuses – can you resend the contract –
I have misplaced it
 Our board meeting is next week – we’ll
get approval then
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Annual Plan and Event planning
Q&A