Event Planning with
Stakeholders
Views, Motives, and Concerns
Bowling Green State University
Student Wellness Network
Eric Teske, M.S.
Faith Yingling, Ph.D, CHES
Real World Example:
World AIDS Day Carnival
Featuring:
• Raffle Prizes
• Face Painting
• Carnival Games
• Sex Olympics
• HIV Testing Locations
• Popcorn and Soda
Classification of Stakeholders
Voluntary Stakeholders
• Attend the event
• Aware of the event
• Put money into the event
• Put time into the event
• In close proximity
• Have a stake in the outcome
Involuntary Stakeholders
• Indirectly involved
• Unknowingly involved
• Don’t put time or money
into the project
• Are still indirectly affected
by the outcome
Real World Example:
World AIDS Day Carnival
Voluntary Stakeholders
• Anyone at the event
• Anyone who read the flyer
• Event sponsors
• Volunteers
• Student Union staff
• Webpage / Facebook traffic
Involuntary Stakeholders
• Student Union policy
makers
• Condom manufacturers
• Campus reputation
(newspaper articles)
• Community members
unaware of the event
Classification of Stakeholders
Primary Stakeholders
• The project/event cannot
exist without them
• Planners, contributors,
funders, volunteers
• Host or contributing
organizations
Secondary Stakeholders
• Community members
• Local residents
• Policy makers
• Other branch organizations
• Voters
Real World Example:
World AIDS Day Carnival
Primary Stakeholders
• Student Wellness Network
• Department of Recreation and
Wellness
• Center of Excellence for Health
and Wellness Across the Lifespan
• AIDS Resource Center Ohio
• Toledo-Lucas County Health
Department
• Ohio Advocates
• OutlinesToledo.com
• Bowen-Thompson Student Union
• Volunteers
• Anyone in attendance
Secondary Stakeholders
• Students on campus
• Faculty
• Staff
• Community members
• Anyone who read the
newspaper articles
• Anyone who saw a flyer
Influence of Stakeholders
• Power
– Can have a big impact on what the event looks like
– Controls and makes decisions about resources
(including money)
• Legitimacy
– Reputation or legal power
– Faculty opinion vs. Random student
• Urgency
– Demands attention in spite of power or legitimacy
Perspective of Stakeholders
• Views
– Unique opinions, perspectives, and biases
• Motives
– To accomplish their own goals
– May not align perfectly with other organizations
• Concerns
– Preferences, deal-breakers, control
Listen to Instructions
Then open your activity packet
Instructions
•
Designate TWO people at your table as the “Planners” of the event.
•
Hand out the Stakeholder Biographies to anyone who is not a Planner (you can
read the name on the biography, but keep the details secret). These people are
now “Stakeholders.”
•
Anyone who does not already have a job at this point can choose to partner as a
Planner or Stakeholder.
•
Stakeholders should read their biographies out loud. Pay attention to the details of
what you have to offer, and what you require in return. Don’t announce your
Preferences unless they come up during negotiations, and don’t read the Shhhh!
•
The Planners will collect and buy the necessary cards to fill out their Event Plan
sheet with at LEAST one venue, activity, food option, resource, and enough
volunteers to staff the event.
Checklist for Successful Event
 Venue
 Activities
 Volunteers
 Food
 Resources
HINT: The Planners might want
to start by getting to know their
community. Ask your
stakeholders to introduce
themselves and read their
biographies.
Ask a lot of questions, role-play,
and don’t be afraid to negotiate
a deal that works!
However, the “Deal-Breakers”
are concrete rules that cannot be
changed.
Let’s see how you did!
Debriefing
• What made event planning difficult?
• Did any conflicting interests get in the way?
• What motivated the stakeholders to
contribute?
• Which stakeholders had “power”?
Thank you!
For questions, comments, or to request a copy
of the materials:
Eric Teske
teskeej@bgsu.edu