Facilities Management (FacMan) Budgeting for Student Event Planners

So you’ve just hosted a great, successful event in which your org actually raised some money only to find out that you owe money to the college for various charges!? “What went wrong?” you wonder. This guide will show you how to avoid those costly little surprises.

Part of planning is budgeting for your event. In order to create an effective and responsible budget plan you need to be aware of FacMan service charges, as well as supply purchases and outside services that may apply.

Set-up
Don’t make assumptions about what will be there the night you get into your space. It is the event planners responsibility to specifically request chairs, tables, easels, risers, podiums, etc. Ask questions or refer to the “Helpful Notes” page of your event registration (PINK SHEET). Often, equipment and furnishings you believe to be a permanent part of a given room are actually moved around campus as need demands. This also means that if on your PINK SHEET you request tables which are not already in the venue there will be a fee attached to delivery and (possibly) pick up, even if the furniture seems to ‘appear.’

Clean-up
In ALL cases, event planners are required to guarantee the removal of all decorations and other large trash items from the space, and to leave the facility “generally picked up” with trash in appropriate barrels. For some events, especially dinner events and large party events, additional contracted custodial clean-up may be mandatory and fees will apply. Professional staff make this determination.

Planning Ahead
Sketch out a layout of your preferred set-up. (Budget sheet available in the Student Programs Office.) Consider furniture, floor surfaces, trash barrels (if this is a large event with food), and how you will get the equipment you need into a given space. Anticipate the cost associated with these elements.

Factors that Effect the Cost of Your Event
$ Audience $ Food $ Time Frame $
The more people that attend (and dine at) your event, the more effort it takes to return the venue into its original order. This translates into an hourly charge from FacMan, which can increase if the time spent is overtime.

$ Location $
Venues like Chapin have standard set-up and clean-up fees. For Blanchard, there is no charge for set-up or clean-up. If you are using Gamble AB then you will be required to pay for partition removal. Special attention is always given to classrooms and outdoor spaces as they are frequently used and/or highly visible.

Estimated Set-up/Clean-up Costs

Chapin: Clean-up for Regular Event: 1 hour = $25.00

Chapin: Clean-up for Large Event: 3-4 hours = $66.00–160.00

Chapin: Clean-up (outside regular business hours) 1 hour = $35.00*

Other venues: Set-up for Regular Event: 1 hour = $25.00

Other venues: Set-up (outside reg. business hrs) 1 hour = $35.00*

Chapin: Set-up = Standard Cost= $150.00*

Chapin NY Room: Set-up = Standard Cost = $50.00*

Blanchard: Clean-up/Set-up = Free

*Whenever possible FacMan will complete work within normal business hours but overtime charges may apply when necessary.

Saving Money
Be your own clean-up/set-up crew (approved by the staff at Student Programs)!!

Choosing to set-up and clean-up your own event is definitely one way to save money. The more volunteers you have the faster the process. You can offer your volunteers free admission to your event or other incentives for helping out. Even if you are required to hire cleaning services from FacMan, you can still minimize your cost by doing some preliminary cleaning. • Have an organized and clear plan together. No one wants to be waiting around with no instruction or understanding on how things are supposed to go.

• Be prepared with trash bags and diagrams of your set-up.
• Assign sections or jobs to people, or let them pick their own.
• Do a check of the venue when you and your crew are done.

• Did you put the chairs and tables away?
• Is all the trash cleaned up?
• *Remember, anything overlooked or left undone will be charged to your org!*