The student must then post 2 replies of at least 200 words. For each thread, students must support their assertions with at least 1 reference from the textbook or the reading for that Module: Week and 1 biblical reference in APA format. Each reply must incorporate at least 1 reference from the textbook or the reading for that Module: Week and 1 biblical reference in APA format.
In addition, you are strongly urged to personalize your discussion entries. The School of Communication & the Arts operates on the foundational belief that all subject matter should relate to your individual lives, your personal vision for your future, and you’re LAL (Life after Liberty). The instructors are encouraged to give major consideration to those submissions that emphasize a personal link to the subject matter.
Student One: Jill
“Party for Change”, an event that raises funds to support “Saint John’s Program for Real Change – Real Change for women in crisis and their children in Sacramento, California” stands out as an event that has taken everything into consideration and runs as smoothly as I can imagine an event of this magnitude running. For the past three years I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer on the planning committee of this well established, meaningful event. “Give thought to the event style and the feelings that you want to bring out. Choose one that will capture the spirit of your event’s objectives and the emotions that will make your event stand out” (Allen, 2009, p17). The carefully planned itinerary for “Party for Change” really allows the guests to experience the emotions of what an impact they are having on the women and children of Saint Johns. With over 400 guests in an airplane hangar transformed into an elegant formal setting, when the client of Saint John’s that’s selected to sing each year finishes her performance, there’s barely a dry eye in the crowd.
As we take a look at what is vital to planning an event, the volunteers committed to organizing the event come to mind. “Successful events hinge on the recruitment and action of a strong leadership team” (Gilbert, 2014, p 134). The leadership team for this event ensures that everyone on the planning committee shares the positivity and motivation to produce a successful event. Last year Party for Change raised over $1,000,000 for Saint John’s.
This black-tie event offers sponsorship opportunities, a live auction, entertainment, education about Saint John’s and more, but one of the most memorable parts of the experience each year is the planning process. The planning committee meets twice a month for about five months leading up to the event. Members feel inspired by the cause and motivated by one another. Each person is heard and valued for their input. The expectations are clear and each member of the committee strives to exceed these expectations. About a month after the event we gather for dinner to review the event and discuss what went well and where there’s potential for growth.
We are so fortunate to be able to work together as a committee to help the women and children of Saint John’s reach their potential, get back on their feet, and pull through crisis. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2, NIV). This verse reminds us that together we can make a difference. This group is highly motivated to see these women and children succeed. The most common phrase I hear from committee members, even at the end of such a successful event, is “I wish I could do more”.
References:
-Bible: New International Version – (1978)
-Event Planning: the ultimate guide to successful meetings, corporate events, fundraising galas, conferences, incentives, and other special events – Judy Allen (2009)
-Volunteers: Keys to Successful Fund-Raising – Tonya Gilbert (2014)
Student Two: Ashley
In my lifetime, I have been to quite a few birthday parties, corporate events, and other personal events. The ones that register most frequently in my mind are the corporate events or weddings; however, I admit that throwing my son his first birthday party was hectic! I think the most vital portions of event planning are the location and food. I feel that some of the other proponents will fit into place. Various other proponents are important, but location and food seem to fit in with basic needs. Based on experience, I will say that I may have forgotten the time, décor, and other portions of an event; however, I always seem to remember where it was and what food I ate! According to Allen (2009), location comes together after other matters settle in accordance with the best possible layout for such an event in terms of the entirety of the planning. Such a feature makes choosing a location relatively easier than other choices, yet, the location must still be perfect because it is what people remember about the event. For example, I live close to the Opryland hotel, where my sister’s father remarried her new stepmother. When we pass this hotel, it always reminds me of their wedding. I cannot tell you the look of the overall décor, invitations, or other details that require careful planning, but I can truly recall the location and the food we ate! I will never forget the various cheese, chocolate, gravy, caramel, and punch fountains! Therefore, I see the location and the food as the most vital aspects primarily because they are the most formative ones; nevertheless, without all other aspects, the event will suffer. All planning portions are vital to the final product (Allen, 2009). Of course, Luke 14:28 propositions one of the most important aspects of planning: “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it” (King James Bible, 1769/2008). Budgeting is essential and all other aspects truly depend wholly on that subject.
For the most part, the events I have gone to come out beautifully and are full of strong, happy memories that coincide with excellent planning. However, I can recall one sour event that was an unfortunate happening likened to poor planning. During my time in middle management for a fast-food company, I went to several company events hosted by corporate, regional management, and district management. The corporate events always held prestige, and the others did well in what they could for their budget; notwithstanding, one of our first district training sessions through the last district manager I encountered. Our district was spread throughout the Nashville area, with seven out of ten stories in the metropolitan area, two in lower KY bordering the TN area, and one in a major city an hour north of Nashville. I hail from the major city north of Nashville, where it can sometimes take up to two hours to get to certain metropolitan areas around Nashville. The poor planning began with the location, which was the southernmost store in the Nashville metropolitan area. The store was roughly an hour and thirty minutes from our store and nearly two to two and a half hours from the district’s northernmost KY store. Combining the location with the meeting time, 5 PM created a staggered arrival due to traffic making it to where some would arrive an hour late. The itinerary for such an event was all over and became even more disorganized due to staggered arrivals. Another major issue became the food. The meeting was for general managers, assistant general managers, and crew managers; however, since the location was at one of the stores, some team members sat in on the meeting since the store was closed for that period. The planner did not consider the extra members of staff on duty in the store, and we ran out of food quite quickly. Of course, working in the food industry, it was not that big of a deal to make a few burgers for the displaced members; however, when you work with a certain food for so long, you want to indulge in something different. Perhaps, the main reason I find location and food so vital is this event’s major problems. I believe a centralized location on top of “exotic” food would be best for an event such as this. By exotic, I mean food that does not relate to the current industry.
On the other hand, the previously mentioned wedding I attended in my youth fits quite a bit of the proponent of a successful event planning methodology outlined by Allen (2009). The manner of the event was well planned, and the notorious usage of a beautiful landmark in the heart of the city holds a fervor for the well-meaning of history and future within a marriage (Finnell, 2018). The organization of the décor, event timing, chair space, procession, and various elements were in harmony. Transportation was set up well in advance, and there were no issues with arrival times. The staggering of arrivals went well with seating placement and ensured that there would be no long lines or wait times to join the chapel portion of the center. The food and beverages took all diets, ages, and favorable options. There were fun mocktail beverages for children and non-alcoholic adults. The most important thing about the food at the event was that the main dish matched the side dishes within a specified diet or option. For example, I do not eat pork, and at times events will offer a main beef dish with a bacon-wrapped side dish which in essence defeats the purpose of a non-pork diet. The wedding reception was host to beautiful water themes, and the appetizers/desserts had fountains to fit the theme. The lighting did well to highlight the bride and emphasize the main elements of the décor. There were various children and older adults at the event, so the hour of the event was a determination of inclusiveness for early departures for the evening. Overall, I believe the event held the best incorporation of all key themes for an event while keeping the primary key agents’ interests intact. According to celebrity event planner Mindy Weiss (2018), the essential portion of planning a wedding is deciding what is most important to the couple. After such, matters such as dates, guests, and budgeting come into play, but the matters of inspiration and personality can be pliable to all other matters (Weiss, 2018).
Have a wonderful week,
Ashley Menard
Sources
Allen, J. (2009). Event planning (2nd edition). Canada: John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd. ISBN: 978-0-470-15574-5.
Finnell, C. (2018). A History and Analysis of Weddings and Wedding Planning (Master’s Thesis, Johnson & Wales University]. ScholarsArchive@JWU. https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/cgi/ viewcontent.cgi?article=1037&context=student_scholarship.
King James Bible. (2008). Oxford University Press. (Original Work Published 1769).
Weiss, M. (2018, Dec. 6). Where to Start Your Wedding Planning. Mindy Weiss. https://mindyweiss.com/where-start-wedding-planning/.