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 Raise the visibility of the organization throughout the campus and community. Raise awareness about the importance of violence prevention. Gain support from students, faculty, and staff throughout the university.The first step in planning such an event is to create a list of potential dates, times, and locations. To ensure maximum participation, check the University calendar to ensure the Kickoff Banquet will not conflict with another event, holidays, or exams. Also, make sure it is held at a time when students and faculty/staff on your campus would be most likely to attend. Next, it is important to brainstorm a program and potential keynote speaker. Although the organization is composed of both men and women, it is important to concentrate your efforts on getting men involved and a man to speak on behalf of the organization. Usually, the head Football Coach or Athletic Director is a good spokesperson, because he is generally respected in the community and by athletes. Attached is a sample MAV Kickoff Banquet program. It is now time for you to consider Banquet logistics. Some of the questions to answer include: Who is our target audience and how many people do we expect? What are our audio/visual needs? Will we need a sound system or other equipment? Will we have food or refreshments available? Door prizes? What will the setup look like (i.e., round tables, head table, food setup, etc.)? Are there any special guests we want to invite (e.g., University President, local rape crisis center Director, etc.)? What are the best ways to advertise and reach the community?Finally, you must advertise for the banquet. This can be accomplished in a number of ways: posting flyers across campus and the community, writing and faxing a press release to news outlets in your area, soliciting an article in school/local paper, sending out an Evite© or formal invitation, and creating pluggers to hand out at local events, venues, and campus functions. Attached is a sample MAV Kickoff Banquet flyer. |
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