GROUP 3: EVENT PROGRAMMING COMMUNICATION PLAN 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Summary/Situational Overview
Opportunity Accomplishments Rationale Elements Success Factors

2
2 2 2 3 4

Mission Statement
Fanshawe College Mission Statement Goals Objectives

5
5 5 6

Publics Messages Rationale/Elements

Santa Claus Guest Speaker Master of Ceremonies Thank You Gifts The Program Entertainment Budget Contingency Plan

7 8 9
10 10 11 11 11 12 12 13

Conclusion

14

GROUP 3: EVENT PROGRAMMING COMMUNICATION PLAN 2

Summary/Situational Overview
Opportunity
Our opportunity as the event programming group is to provide entertainment in order to keep guests happy, through an interactive photo booth, as well as photos with Santa Claus. The photos will be made available through a Facebook page that guests can access following the Christmas event. We are also providing karaoke to the international students to enjoy the Christmas spirit through carols, or familiar songs that allow full participation.

Accomplishments
We wish to accomplish a successful event that gives the international students a warm welcome during the holiday season. Through our main areas of entertainment, Santa Claus, Master of Ceremonies, and a guest speaker, we are hoping to have a great turn out and participation from the attendees. We hope that our guest speaker, Gurneet Kaur, will offer an interesting speech to the international students regarding her experience in Canada, and encourage the guests to have a wonderful time celebrating Christmas at the North Pole.

Rationale
Our rationale in creating an event program is to inform guests of the agenda occurring throughout the evening. By organizing the events with timelines, and short descriptions, it will allow the CC&PR students to maintain time management skills, and allow attendees to see the plan for the evening, and the activities they can participate in. By creating a simplistic design with times and events, it offers a quick glimpse at the evenings entertainment while guests are waiting for dinner. We have also included entertainment, such as Santa Claus, a photo booth, photos with Santa, and karaoke, to offer opportunities for guests to participate in the

GROUP 3: EVENT PROGRAMMING COMMUNICATION PLAN 3 evening in a variety of ways. We wanted to utilize our time well, and provide fun and light entertainment for guests to enjoy with their friends. By providing a link to access photos on Facebook, involves the majoritys access to social media, and the ability to tag guests in photos and share with their friends and family on their private profiles. This was less costly in an alternative to printing photos, and allowed for further interaction between us as a class, and the attendees. Our guest speaker was chosen because Gurneet has been living in Canada since 2011. She has personal experience with the country, and can promote her opinions well. She is influential as an ambassador from India, who has worked as a project coordinator, student ambassador in the International Department, as well as Information Security Management pursuing project management. We felt that she would be able to speak on her time in Canada, and connect to the international students.

Elements
CC&PR Class: As a class, our overview was to host an international Christmas party to celebrate the Canadian holidays with Fanshawes international student population. We are asked to share in the holiday spirit, maintaining the theme of Christmas at the North Pole. In addition to planning the entire event, we are to have a member from each group attend the party on November 28th, 2013. Maintaining communication among all groups is key, as well as reporting back to the evaluations team with weekly updates regarding progress. Group 3: Event Program: The elements our group was responsible for include: Recruit a guest (Santa) and/or other speaker who is qualified to talk on the selected theme Brief speaker on event, length of time of presentation

GROUP 3: EVENT PROGRAMMING COMMUNICATION PLAN 4 Select a master of ceremony for event Develop an order of program Recruit a person to thank the guest Prepare an outline on the speaker and on the theme for the promotions committee Learn of the speakers AV needs (if any) and relay the needs to the logistics group Purchase a gift (value approximately $25.00), thank and present to speaker Send thank you note to guest speaker after event Provide information/link with evaluation and troubleshooting groups

Success Factors
Our success factors are collected through our strengths, and weaknesses. Our strengths were maintaining an organized goal of our group, setting rough outlines for the program itself, staying on track with timing and tasks, as well as the ability to rely on each other in terms of bringing extra props needed for our entertainment events. Our weaknesses included misinformed communication among team members, communication between different groups within the CC&PR class, time management among the logistics groups, and the fact that our original guest speaker could not attend the event, so we had to make different arrangements. Further, our success will depend on the guests who attend the event and participate in our activities. We will also provide a finalized program for each table to glance at during the evening. Our Facebook photo page will be successful depending on the number of guests who attend our photography sessions. Karaoke will be successful if guests prefer Christmas carols, or alternative music to sing along to throughout the night. Lastly, our guest speaker and Master of Ceremonies determine our success by their ability to relate to the audience.

GROUP 3: EVENT PROGRAMMING COMMUNICATION PLAN 5

Mission Statement

Fanshawe College Mission Statement

Provide pathways to success, an exceptional learning experience, and a global outlook to meet student and employer needs. Class Goal: The Corporate Communication and Public Relations program has been given the opportunity to plan and host a Christmas party that will successfully showcase and inform international students, with any host families, about Canadian Christmas culture. We would like the international students to leave the party feeling included in the festive celebrations. We want them to learn a little bit about Canadian culture during the holiday season. It is important to us that they enjoy the experience and feel welcome. In addition to pleasing the international students, this is a learning opportunity for the class providing experience in event planning. The project will teach; how to work in small groups as well as with other groups, how to plan for specific elements of an event, what to do when the event is running and how to evaluate success. Project team goal: Goal of the Program Team: To organize and deliver a well-planned event that is structured in such a way that the evening flows smoothly and attendees are consistently provided with opportunities to embrace Canadian Christmas traditions. The program team aims to supply entertainment that resembles Canadian Christmas traditions and have such entertainment to be engaging and relevant to international students.

GROUP 3: EVENT PROGRAMMING COMMUNICATION PLAN 6 Internal Goal: The program teams internal goal is to maintain consistent and up-todate information to all members of the group to ensure all aspects of the program and their details clear prior and during the event. External Goal: The program teams external goal is to work effectively with other groups to ensure the program runs how it is expected to with other aspects of the event. Objectives: o All team members are present an hour before at the venue to setup our entertainment sections for photo booth and picture with Santa, setup the stage for our guest speaker and master of ceremonies and see to it that all audio visual tools, cameras are up and working. o Coordinate with other teams, especially logistics and secret Santa to confirm that enough gifts are available and that food services are ready for the expected dinner time. o The event starts on time and the time frame of the activities throughout the evening is retained. This is to avoid any extra charges/ penalties for using the venue over the assigned time slot and to avoid any disturbance in our invitees schedules. o MC greets everyone and gives an overview of the agenda for the evening so that the students feel welcome and are aware of the activities that are part of the event o Santa will be contacted to ensure he is there on time, and has his Santa chair, as he will play an important part of the evening. His presence adds to the Christmassy feeling and holiday spirit in the festive celebration. o Check that the speaker (Ms. Gurneet Kaur) addresses the theme, Christmas at the North Pole in her speech and talk about the Canadian Christmas traditions as the goal of the event is to successfully showcase and inform international students about Canadian Christmas culture during the holiday season. o Cassandra and Delshad are present in their respective photo boots and Christmas swag like Santa hats, large candy canes, antlers etc. These props

GROUP 3: EVENT PROGRAMMING COMMUNICATION PLAN 7 are also available so that none of the students miss out the opportunity to get pictures of the celebrations with their friends and Santa. o Speaker is presented a thank you gift at the end of her speech and the Santa is presented a thank you gift at the end of the evening on behalf of the class to appreciate their time and effort by playing a notable part in the celebration by the Master of Ceremonies. o All team members would check on the students, engage them in conversations and encourage them to take part in the games, karaoke and other fun activities so that they feel comfortable and enjoy their time during the event. o Find out whether the pictures taken during the event are made available on the Facebook page so that the international students can retain their photos from the evening.

Publics
As the group in charge of the even program, we had three main audiences. Of these three audiences, one would be considered an internal public another would be an external public, and the third a hybrid of the two. Our first and arguably most important public is the intended party guests. The event is targeted towards international students at Fanshawe College, though international office staff and host families are also welcome. The intended international audience is between the ages of 18 and 25, both male and female, with a wide variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. This may be their first time away from home and for many it will be their first experience of Christmas in Canada. As one of the overall goals for the event is to help international students experience how Canadians celebrate during the winter holidays, they become a priority public. What is important to this public, will be having an enjoyable evening, getting what was promised in the event outline, and being able to embrace Canadian culture and customs in conjunction with their own backgrounds.

GROUP 3: EVENT PROGRAMMING COMMUNICATION PLAN 8 The second most important audience is the speaking guests of the event. As the event program group we were in charge of finding a speaker, Master of Ceremonies, and Santa for the evening. These three individuals constitute an internal and external public. The MC is a member of the event program group, while the speaker and Santa are invited guests. This public is both male and female, below the age of 30, and are students or were students recently. What is important to them is that they know the expectations of the evening, that they know their role in the proceedings, and that there is fluidity to the evening. The last audience is our fellow classmates and event planners. Working in conjunction with every other group, we rely on them and they rely on us, to reach the overarching goal for the evening. We are accountable to our fellow classmates in the same way they are accountable to us. This public consists of individuals that are 18 30 years old in age, male and female and members of the Corporate Communication and Public Relations program at Fanshawe College. What is important to them is a good grade, a successful event (measure of success varies by group) and open communication between groups.

Messages
For the International Student Christmas Event at Fanshawe College, the program is creating an educational experience to share Canadian Christmas traditions with those attending. The first key message is that Christmas in Canada is a time for loved ones to come together and appreciate one another. Christmas is a time for everyone to relax and enjoy themselves with the people that they love. Using this logic, the event encourages students to bring their families and friends to this event. One strategy for this event was to not limit the event to just students so we could increase the amount of people going and the variety of activities going on. The strategy our program used to promote attendance was hosting the event on campus. This location makes it very easy for students to attend as it is held in an accessible

GROUP 3: EVENT PROGRAMMING COMMUNICATION PLAN 9 location. Being held on campus is also less intimidating and more accommodating and convenient for our target audience. Santa Claus is the face of Christmas in Canada which is a major part of Canadian traditions. Using Santa as a symbol for Christmas is a key message during this event as most Canadian traditions associates with Santa. Santas presence known throughout this event; there will be a man dressed up as Santa Claus for the full three hours. Santa will be spreading fun and cheer throughout the event and providing everyone with an experience similar to what children receive when visiting Santa at a mall in Canada. Our event provides a similar experience, everyone who attends can have a picture taken with Santa and will be given a Secret Santa gift. Canadian Christmas traditions are warm, fun, inclusive and are meant to be a time to celebrate; this is another key message as it is the tone the event is trying to create. Hopefully everyone who attends this event will leave after having a great time and experiencing fun, Canadian traditions that will bring people closer together. The Canadian traditions our event used to spike interest for ticket buyers from a variety of ages and backgrounds are having a DJ and karaoke at the event because music keeps a party going and people enjoy it. Music is associated with being an international language and can be appreciated by everyone.

Rationale/Elements
Tactics revolved around trying to find the best ideas with the lowest costs. The program team has been assigned the responsibility for finding a Santa Claus, guest speaker, and MC, providing thank-you gifts, creating the program, and deciding on entertainment. In order to keep costs as low as possible we brainstormed on what we could accomplish through our own connections and resources.

GROUP 3: EVENT PROGRAMMING COMMUNICATION PLAN 1 0

Santa Claus
The task of finding a Santa Claus for the event was not difficult. Kori Fredericks friend Cam volunteered at the beginning of the semester and was more than happy to provide this aspect of entertainment for the night. However, he did not own his own Santa Suit. Renting a Santa suit was going to be $70.00 from a local costume store. Cassandra Dawson, a member of the program team, was able to locate a costume from family that could be used for the event at no charge.

Guest Speaker
A guest speaker that could relate well with the international student audience was desired to best capture the theme of the night. We found a speaker that was an international student previously, has experienced Christmas in Canada and is currently working in Canada. The speaker is a friend of Delshad Fitter and was willing to offer her time and experience for the night.

GROUP 3: EVENT PROGRAMMING COMMUNICATION PLAN 1 1

Master of Ceremonies
The Master of Ceremony for the evening will be Sophie Fretwell, a member of the program group. Sophie is comfortable being in front of large crowds and is familiar with the purpose of the event, schedule and is able to use humour to keep people happy and having a good time throughout the night.

Thank-you gifts
Presenting a gift valued around $25.00 to the guest speaker and Santa Claus. We decided to try and save money here by finding donated swag gear from around the College. We have collected t-shirts and other Fanshawe merchandise to present to our guests.

The Program
The program for the evening has still not been finalized as we are waiting to hear from other groups the plan for food, the dance team performance, and Secret Santa gifts. We have made a mock version of the schedule for the night and will review it with the other groups two days before the event. At this point we will finalize it and head to the printer. To keep costs down on printing we have decided to print programs for each table, rather than each guest.

GROUP 3: EVENT PROGRAMMING COMMUNICATION PLAN 1 2

Entertainment
To keep in line with our Christmas theme we decided to bring Christmas caroling to our event by offering karaoke. Sophie is able to provide the Karaoke machine free of cost. This combined with Kens music equipment will provide music for the night and allow people to sing for everyone and have fun.

We also decided on a Christmas photo booth and pictures with Santa. In the photo booth guests can dress up in Christmas decor and have photos taken that will later be accessible on a Facebook page. Photos with Santa will also be available for guests and again these photos can be found on a Facebook page after the event. The Facebook page URL will be provided on the programs or Secret Santa gifts.

Budget
At the beginning of the semester the program team was informed that they were required to give a $25 gift to the quest speaker. The Santa Claus attending the event is not a member of the Corporate Communications and Public Relations class of 2014, therefore the program team has also decided to give him a gift as well for his time. Thanks to a number of departments within Fanshawe College, the gifts for the speaker and Santa Claus have been donated and do not require the previous financial budget.

GROUP 3: EVENT PROGRAMMING COMMUNICATION PLAN 1 3

As for the entertainment equipment and supplies, all materials have been provided by members in the class, primarily the members of the program team. The Karaoke machine, cameras, Santa Claus suit, and photo booth props, were already owned by program members and are to be borrowed for the evening. Decorations will be purchased by program team members, which will decorate the photo booth, Santa chair, and MC stand. The cost for decorations will come to no more than $20. Printing and paper will also need to be provided for the programs and karaoke lyrics. The expected cost for these materials is $10. Final Budget for the Program Team: Gift Guest Speaker Gift Santa Claus Decorations Printing and Paper Total contingency plan. Donated Donated $20 $10 $30

The program team has been distributed $40 to work with, leaving $10 for the

Contingency Plan
Back Up Santa and MC As a backup Santa, if Cam is unable to make it last minute, we are going to ask the class if anyone would like to volunteer. If no one comes forward from the class, a member of our group will take the place of the Santa. If Sophie runs into any issues and is unable to be the MC for the night, an available member of our group will take over the position. They will be given Sophies notes and will still be able to follow her guidelines for the presentation throughout the

GROUP 3: EVENT PROGRAMMING COMMUNICATION PLAN 1 4 night. The whole group has also been briefed on the schedule for the night so will know they general outline of the MCs announcements. Back Up Speaker Should the speaker be unable to give her speech we have asked if it is okay to give it on her behalf. If this is the case Delshad will step in and give the speech on behalf of her friend, our speaker. The talk will then still be from the viewpoint of the guest speaker and will still be delivered by an international student. Karaoke Set Up If there are technical issues with the karaoke set up we have collaborated with Ken to use his microphone and sound system for any guests who would like to sing. The songs are being predetermined and will be burned onto CDs ahead of time. The song list will also be available for guests to see which songs are offered. We will also have a binder with all the lyrics of each song offered. Finances An extra $10 exists in the program teams budget for any last minute decorations or charges that come up on the day of the event.

Conclusion
Overall, the event programming team will use the members, tools, and resources available to carry out a timely and successful Christmas Party for the international students at Fanshawe College. At the event, the team will continue to coordinate throughout the evening with other groups and consider how the international students and their host families are enjoying the night. We will know that the event has run smoothly by assessing how the Master of Ceremonies and guest speaker connect with the audience, the participation from international students in the activities planned out for them, and the reception of Santa Claus. The success of promotion of the entertainment will be determined by

GROUP 3: EVENT PROGRAMMING COMMUNICATION PLAN 1 5 the number of students who are aware of the entertainment options such as; the photo booth, photos with Santa Claus, and participating in karaoke. We will know the event will be a success by keeping our goals in mind throughout the evening and doing everything we can to ensure a positive and spirited evening for the international students celebrating Christmas in Canada.