TABLE OF CONTENTS - Portfolio

Create Your Own Event Project ……………………………………..…… 3-12

Special Event Hands-on Observation & Critique Paper …………..…. 13-18

Student Team Event Project …..…………………………………..…..… 19-36

Class Journal Entry #4 …..…………………………………………………… 37

Class Journal Entry #5 …..……..………………………………………..…… 38

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TABLE OF CONTENTS - Create Your Own Event Project

Event Vision …..…………….……………………………………………..… 2-3

Event Day Timeline …………………………………………………………. 3-4

Next Day & Overall Timeline …..…………………………………………..… 4

Budget …..……………………………………………………………………… 5

Venue …..…………………………………………………………………..…… 5

Vendors/Equipment …..……………………………………………………….. 6

Volunteers …..…………………………………………..…………………….… 6

Event Communication …..………………………………………………..… 6-7

Research …..………………………………………………………….………… 8

Event Evaluation …..………………………………………………………… 8-9

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EVENT VISION - CONCEPT, THEME, PURPOSE and THE 5 W’s

Thanksgiving is a holiday usually spent with family, so my friends and I like to celebrate our second family with

an annual potluck dinner the weekend before Thanksgiving day. I will be planning our 3rd annual Friendsgiving

event. This event will be an opportunity for us to show our friends how truly thankful we are that they are in our

lives. This will be a private event, and on an invitation-only basis. My friends, and their significant others (if they

so wish) will be invited. There will be about 25-30 guests attending the event, which will be taking place at the

house of my friends’ house, in Mar Vista, at 4188 Marcasel Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066. The event will take place

Saturday, November 21, form 3:00pm to 11:00pm. Because of the Thanksgiving theme, we want to make the

event as warm and cozy as possible. We will use fall colors for decorations, and have string lights light up the

dinner area. Our dinner area will be outdoors, in the backyard, but the California November weather will allow

for us to comfortably eat outside without getting too cold. The Friendsgiving event will buffet and banquet style.

We will have banquet tables set up so it forms one long table, we will put canopies over the tables, and hand

string lights along the canopies for ambience and lighting. We will also have candles along the table for a

formal but cozy feeling.

Because this is a potluck event, all guests will bring at least one dish, and a six-pack of beer or bottle of wine.

Guests will sign up on a spreadsheet posted online for dishes that they would like to make, this is to ensure that

there is no overlap in dishes, and that all Thanksgiving Dinner staples are present. They will have the choice of

signing up for different courses, such as appetizers, main course, side dishes, and desserts. Guests are also

welcome to bring more than one dish if they so wish. The dishes will then be set-up in the kitchen and be

available for guests buffet style. Guests will arrive, and we will have an hour of appetizers and drinking, then

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dinner will start. After dinner, we will start activities such as drinking games and karaoke. Once the event has

ended, or guests decide they want to leave, guests are free to serve themselves a take-home plate from all the

leftovers. Some of the equipment needed will be brought by guests and equipment that we are lacking will be

rented from a party rental company. All guests will also donate $3 to cover the costs of table and chair rentals, as

well as the cost of table covers and take away boxes.

My objectives with this event include staying within the budget, guest satisfaction, excellent food, an effective

communication plan and a smooth planning and organization process.

DAY-OF TIMELINE

9:00am Take turkey out of fridge

9:30am Make pumpkin cheesecake

11:00am Put turkey in the oven

12:00pm Call to confirm pick-up time with Aby Party Rental

1:00pm-2:00pm Marcasel residents to clean 1st floor, reorganize furniture to make

room for activities

2:00pm Take turkey out of oven

3:00pm Arrive at venue, Marcasel house

3:15pm Pick up tables and chairs at Aby Party Rental

3:30pm Set up dinner tables, canopies, lights and buffet tables

4:00pm Guests begin to arrive and place their dishes on kitchen tables

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4:30pm Guests can begin to serve themselves and seat themselves at the

dinner table

5:00pm All guests at dinner table say what they are thankful for

8:00pm Dinner ends and activities begin

11:00pm-12:00am Event ends/clean up begins

NEXT DAY TIMELINE

10:00am Help Marcasel residents do last of clean up

10:30am Pack up rental tables and chairs and bring them back to Aby Party

Rental

OVERALL TIMELINE

September 21 Create Facebook Event

September 21 Send Save-The-Date

October 31 Make sure all guests are invited

November 4 Make sign-up spreadsheet and post on Facebook event

November 12 Check spreadsheet and make sure everyone has signed up

November 16 Confirm all attendees and call rental company to place order for tables and

chairs

November 19 Post remind on Facebook for what everyone needs to bring

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BUDGET

All costs will be covered by friends. Each guests will bring food, alcohol and donate $3 for table/chair rentals,

and other expenses. With 28 guests attending, we had a budget of $84.00.

VENUE

Our venue is located at 4188 Marcasel Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90066. This is a private home where my friends

Chris, Sam and Tommy currently live. I chose to have our event at the Marcasel house due to its size. None of our

other friends had a house that could fit the set-up I envisioned. Instead of setting up the banquet tables in the

living room, we will use the backyard as our dinner area, which is much larger, and will make for a more

comfortable space .

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3rd Annual Friendsgiving Putluck Dinner

PROJECTED EXPENSES

Item description Projected Actuals

Equipment

Tables ($8 x 3) $ 24.00 $24.00

Chairs ($1 x 26) $ 26.00 $26.00

Table clothes ($3 x 3) $ 9.00 $10.00

Take-away boxes $ 15.00 $10.00

Subtotal $ 74.00 $70.00

Total Expenses $ 74.00 $70.00

VENDORS & EQUIPMENT

Equipment Vendors

Tables Aby Party Rental, Mar Vista, CAChairs Aby Party Rental, Mar Vista, CA Table clothes Party City Styrofoam take-out boxes Costco

VOLUNTEERS

1. Samantha Cardenas - volunteer everything 2. Will Eberts - volunteer everything 3. Chris Wonder - volunteer set-up & clean-up 4. Tommy Hessenius - volunteer set-up & clean-up 5. Andrew Pita - volunteer to pick-up & drop-off rentals 6. Everyone - volunteer to bring extra string lights, chairs, tables, and candles

EVENT COMMUNICATION

Save the date

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Facebook Event Invitation

Spreadsheet

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RESEARCH

My friends and I have been celebrating Friendsgiving for the past two years, and try to make it better each year.

The first year, we had a perfect venue and a great turn out. My friend Lindsay’s house had living room large

enough to accommodate our 30 seat banquet table set-up, and a perfect counter area to arrange the food for a

buffet style serving. The kitchen was also big enough to accommodate any last minute cooking or warm-ups

needed for the dishes. The only issue we had that year was the heat, with 30 people filling up the bottom floor, it

got pretty hot and uncomfortable, even after all windows had been opened.

The second year, we held it at the Marcasel house for the first time. Although the house is big and a great venue

for the celebration, the way the bottom floor is sectioned did not allow us to do a banquet style dinner set-up

like the previous year. Instead we arranged the tables in the living room the best way we could and had them in

more of a square formation. All guests were able to get seated, but it did not have the same feel because not

everyone could see each other and talk across the long table like we had the year before. In addition, we had a

shortage of chairs that year and had to use some couches for seating.

EVENT EVALUATION & ANALYSIS

The event was a huge success and everyone had a great time. All 28 guests came with what they promised to

bring, and more. Budget goals were met, and all excess money collected from guests will be put into a party

fund for future events. There was much less wasted food than in previous years, thanks to the take-away boxes,

and the set-up in the backyard provided for a more comfortable, yet sophisticated dinner set-up.

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One issue we encountered was the re-warming of the food. Because some guests arrived before others, some of

the dishes got cold, and there wasn’t enough oven and stove space to accommodate all the dishes. In future

years we could look into using food warmers, or catering dishes so that the food stays nice and warm until all

guests are ready to be seated.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS - Event Observation & Critique Paper

Event Overview …….………….……………………….…………………….. 14

History …………………………..…………………….…………….…………. 14

Organizers …..……………..………………………………………………..… 15

Objectives/Goals …..………………………………………………….……… 16

Sponsor …..………………………………………………………….………… 16

Target Audience & Event Attendance …..………………………………….. 16

Event Vision …………………………………………..………….………….… 16

5 W’s …..………………………………………………………….…………..… 17

My Tasks as Volunteer …..………………………………………….………… 17

Reflection …..………………………………………………..………………… 18

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SPECIAL EVENT HANDS-ON OBSERVATION & CRITIQUE PAPER

Event Overview

The Giving Thanks Etiquette Dinner will be held at The Welcome Center, in Von der Ahe. The event will include an

interactive dinner where students and guests will learn about the art of business and dining etiquette. The

dinner will introduce, Mina Martinez, a business etiquette and international protocol consultant. A 3 course

meal will be served to students and guests while Ms. Martinez gives her dinner etiquette presentation. Students

and guests will be able to follow along with the etiquette processes while eating their meal. In addition to

dinner etiquette, Mina will also touch upon networking etiquette and tips. Alecia Molezion Smith, and her

Events Management class will serve as hosts of of the event.

Event History

This event started in the fall of 2014 as the Student Team Event Project. The student team initially envisioned the

event as an opportunity to give thanks to CFA deans and IDAP professors, Alecia Smith then brought it an

etiquette specialist for make the dinner an interactive experience. The event was put on again in the Spring of

2015, this time with a Spring Renewal concept.

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Event Organizers

12 students assisted professor Smith in the planning and execution of this event. Each student had a different

roles, assigned in accordance to each student’s skill set.

• Alecia Molezion Smith: sponsor of event, to cover the all costs for the meal

• Corrine Friend & Emma Platter: co-project managers, in charge of planning event, facilitating communication

between student team members, and communication to special guests and guest speaker

• Danielle King: graphic designer for event logo, invitation, easel poster, name cards and menu cards

• Anna Chorneyko

• Kelly Larsen: task manager of decorations, setup, and cleanup

• Samantha Lopez

• Joey Ponturo

• Amanda Weir

• Karen Blandon: task manager for food and beverage, will order food and pick it up from C&Os

• Hana Kawabata

• Alec Trachtenberg: event photographer, developed a shot list and took pictures of venue and event

• Sam Cardenas: IT and event music, make a dinner music playlist and assisted guest speaker with IT needs for

her presentation

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Event Objectives/Goals

Our objectives for this event were to:

• Ensure guest satisfaction

• Construct a creative event theme that weaves into every area of the event experience

• Accomplish a seamless planning, organizing process and seamless execution on event day

Event Sponsors

Professor Alecia Molezion Smith

Target Audiences & Event Attendance

The invitees are Events Management Class students, and their class guests speakers. Approximately 19 students,

and 5 special guests attended the event.

Event Vision - Concept, Theme and Purpose

Theme: Thanksgiving

Concept: An interactive dinner experience that blends our gratitude with the art of business and dining

etiquette.

Purpose: To host a dinner event to give thanks to our class guests speakers

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5 W’s

What: The fall semester Events Management Class dinner event which aims to give thanks to our

guests while enjoying a three course meal

Who: Mina Martinez, Business Etiquette and International Protocol Consultant & Trainer,

Owner of Prestige Protocol - Keynote/Guest speaker

Jann Berman, Berman Singer PR - Special Guest

Lucia Singer, Berman Singer PR - Special Guest

Diana Chenier, Rock Paper Details - Special Guest

Tia McNeill, Rock Paper Details - Special Guest

When: Monday, November 16, 2015 from 7pm-10pm

Where: The Welcome Center, 1st floor Von der Age building.

1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045.

Why: To teach students about business and dining etiquette and honor class guests speakers

My tasks and assignments as a volunteer

My duties involved curating a dinner music playlist that we would play during the meal, finding and playing the

Grateful music video, and assisting Mina Martinez with her IT needs, which involved setting up the projector and

presentation. As a team member I also helped with some setup and cleanup.

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Reflection

I thought the event was planned and executed very well. I believe that we met our objective of constructing a

creative event theme that weaves into every area of the event experience, our decorations were abundant and

beautiful, our table settings were detailed, and music was lovely. Our special guests seemed to have a good

time, the surprise birthday cake for Jan was a huge success, and the students learned a lot about proper dining

etiquette.

Corrine did a great job of updating the team through email and text, and the team communicated effectively

and clearly with each other, the project manager and professor. In addition, the day of execution went very

smoothly, everyone arrived on time with all their supplies, and we were able to start promptly. There was good

team work during setup and cleanup and we felt accomplished as a class.

There were a few areas that I think needed some improvement. Mina’s presentation was a little on the long side,

I think in the future it would need to be condensed to the basics. In consequence, there was a lot of waiting

around and the food got cold. Each course room temperature, if not already cold and seemed sad to serve to

students but especially to our guests speakers, who we were trying to honor. I also think that in the future, the

“giving thanks” aspect of the dinner and event needs to be more heavily emphasized, I suspect that it took a

back seat this time because 4 out of the 5 special guests had not yet spoken to our class.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS - Student Team Event Project

Event Concept & 5 W’s …..…………….……………………………..…. 21-22

Budget …………………………………………………………………………. 22

Overall Timeline …..…………………………………………..………..… 23-24

Day Of Timeline …..……………………………………………………..…… 24

Pitch Letter …..…………………………………………………….……..…… 25

Media Alert …..………………………………………………………….…….. 26

Event Collateral …..……………………………..………..…………….… 26-34

Evaluation …..……………………………………………………………… 35-36

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EVENT CONCEPT, THEME, PURPOSE, OBJECTIVES and THE 5 W’s

Overview

A Thanksgiving Dinner event will be held at The Hill, 4th floor Malone. The event will introduce various

Thanksgiving traditions to LMU’s international student community. The event will include a traditional

Thanksgiving meal, informational flyers and a Thanksgiving Tree to display what everyone is thankful for!

The Office for International Students & Scholars (OISS) will serve as hosts of the event, their responsibilities will

entail putting in orders for equipment and catering, checking-in students, and supervising the set-up for the

event. Our student events management team will plan the event, make table decorations, including flyers and

heart cut-outs for the Thanksgiving tree, as well as help with set-up and clean-up.

Our objectives for this event include providing LMU international students a traditional Thanksgiving meal with

excellent food, creating an educational and beautiful dining experience, devising an good communication plan

and a achieving a seamless execution on the event day.

What

Theme: Thanksgiving

Concept: A traditional Thanksgiving dinner! An interactive experience that aims to bring Thanksgiving traditions

to LMU’s international community.

Purpose: To introduce LMU’s international students to the US tradition, educate them on Thanksgiving origins,

and to give them the opportunity to celebrate the holiday with their friends.

Who

OISS will be sponsoring and hosting the event. Our target audience is the international community, students

and friends. Open to anyone!

Point person: Camile Jimenez, OISS coordinator, camile.jimenez@lmu.edu, (909) 973-9476

Where

The Hill, 4th floor, Malone Building - 1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045.

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When

Monday, November 23, 2015 from 6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.

Why

International students may not know the history and common traditions of the US holiday, and might not have

the opportunity to celebrate it otherwise. This event will do both, as well as provide them with spend it with

friends.

BUDGET

OISS will be using their reserved yearly event fund to cover all expenses for event, regardless of costs.

PROJECTED EXPENSES

Item escription Projected Actutals

Food

Catering (100 x $15) $ 1,500.00 $1,993.42

Subtotal $ 1,500.00 $1,993.42

Equipment

Buffet center piece $ 150.00 $190.00

Table center piece decorations ($5 x 10) $ 50.00 $0.00

Thanksgiving tree $ 20.00 $0.00

Wait Staff (2 x 3hrs) $ - $306.00

Subtotal $ 220.00 $496.00

Other

Event Flyers ($5 x 20) $ 100.00 $0.00

Heart cut-outs $ 5.00 $0.00

To-go boxes $ 10.00 $5.00

Name tags $ 15.00 $0.00

Subtotal $ 130.00 $5.00

Total Expenses $ 1,850.00 $ 1,850.00 $2,494.42

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OVERALL EVENT TIMELINE

Day Task Who Deadline Completed

9/21/15 Begin brainstorming events Everyone Y

9/23/15 Ask OISS about possible events Sam 9/28/15 Y

9/28/15Create event proposal and presentation Everyone 10/05/15 Y

10/19/15 Send Camile, from OISS, event proposal Sam Y

10/26/15 Draft Media Alert & Pitch letter Everyone 11/02/15 Y

10/28/15Check-in with Camile about dinner date Sam 11/01/15 Y

11/01/15 Begin creating graphics Heather & Sam Y

11/02/15 Begin student timeline Sam 11/09/15 Y

11/06/15 Send out pitch letter Alec Y

11/09/15 Send out Media Alert Hana 11/12/15 Y

Finalize graphics Heather & Sam 11/15/15 Y

Book The Hill *Camile from OSS* - Sam to check-in Y

Begin brainstorming fun facts for table handout Everyone 11/17/15 Y

11/11/15 Send graphics to Camile for approval Sam Y

Send out eventbrite invite via email *Camile from OSS* - Sam to check-in Y

11/12/15 Send graphics to print Sam

11/13/15 Put in Sodexo catering order *Camile from OSS* - Sam to check-in Y

11/17/15Purchase centerpiece decorations (candles, fake leaves, orange plates)

*Camile from OSS* - Sam to check-in Y

11/18/15Make one-page table handout with Thanksgiving history and fun facts Sam Y

11/19/15 Final meeting to go over logistics Everyone Y

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11/20/15 Buy to-go boxes *Camile from OSS* - Sam to check-in Y

Prepare all materials for tables (cut-outs, markers, candles, pinecones, leaves)

Everyone Y

Print table handouts Sam Y

11/23/15 OISS THANKSGIVING DINNER

Day Task Who Deadline Completed

DAY-OF TIMELINE

Time Task

12:00 PM OISS to make sure all decorations are ready and everything is in order with venue

4:00 PM Student/LMU workers to set up dining tables in The Hill

5:00 PMSodexo to set up food buffet and drinks in the side room, and cover tables with tablecloths

5:30 PM OISS staff and student team arrive at The Hill, set up check-in table

5:30-6 PM Student team decorate tables with candles, autumn leaves and pine cones

5:30-6 PMStudent team distribute hand-out and heart cut-outs, set up Thanksgiving Tree

6:00 PM Check-in starts

6:15 PMOISS to greet people and introduce Thanksgiving, Father to say a prayer before dinner, Sam to tell guests about the Thanksgiving Tree

7:00 PM Second shift of students come in

7:15 PM Distribute more flyers and hearts

8-8:30 PM Clean up The Hill

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PITCH LETTER

Sent to Ali Swenson, Editor in Chief of The Loyolan, aswenson5@lion.lmu.edu

Subject Line: International Thanksgiving Celebration

Dear Ali,

Thanksgiving is one of the most travel-heavy times of the year with over 24 million people traveling by plane during the Thanksgiving season. Though many people travel home for Thanksgiving, the cost of traveling can sometimes be too expensive for people who must travel far.

The Office for International Students and Scholars will hold its annual Thanksgiving dinner on Nov. 19, 2015. This interactive dinner gives LMU international students from around the world the opportunity to learn about the American tradition while enjoying a Thanksgiving meal.

The Thanksgiving dinner will give students who do not have the ability to travel home for the holiday, a chance to share it with friends. The dinner is open to all students of LMU and gives them the ability to give thanks for what they have. I will follow up and contact you to discuss a story in the Loyolan. In the meantime, if you have any questions, I can be reached at camile.jimenez@lmu.edu or (909) 973-9476.

Sincerely,

Camille Jimenez Student Event Coordinator Office of International Students and Scholars camile.jimenez@lmu.edu (909) 973-9476

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MEDIA ALERT

Sent to Ali Swenson, Editor in Chief of The Loyolan, aswenson5@lion.lmu.edu

November 2, 2015

Media Advisory: LMU’s international students celebrate and learn about Thanksgiving traditions with an interactive dinner held at The Hill.

LOS ANGELES - - The Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) will host their annual Thanksgiving dinner at the Hill. This will be an interactive dinner where students from around the world will be able to learn about the American tradition and spend time with friends all while enjoying food that will really make students feel thankful! The dinner will be hosted as part of a series of events OISS puts on each year to further integrate their international students into LMU and US culture.

WHAT: The OISS Thanksgiving dinner, an annual event that aims to further camaraderie amongst LMU international students as well as educate them on American traditions.

WHO: OISS provides programs and services that support international students' and scholars' social, educational and professional success, thereby, creating an engaged global community. While only international students will receive an email with an RSVP form for the event, they are free to invite any of their friends to join them.

WHEN: Monday, November 23, 2015 at 7:00pm

WHERE: The Hill, is located on the 4th floor of the Malone building. 1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045

WHY: OISS hopes to make the annual dinner more interactive as well as more of a cultural experience where international students can learn about the traditions of the country they are studying in.

CONTACT: Camile Jimenez, OISS Student Event Coordinator, camile.jimenez@lmu.edu, (909) 973-9476

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EVENT COLLATERAL

Event collaterals include:

• Email invitation - all international students are sent an email with a link that leads to the Eventbrite

registration form, and details about the event.

• Event posters - two options and styles, option #1 on cover, option #2 below.

• Event Hand-out - printed on a half-sheet, which contains a brief overview of Thanksgiving history, some

traditions and fun-facts.

• Event Photos - taken by Piergiorgio Gonni, the OISS student photographer.

Email Invite

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Hand-out

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OISS Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated int he United State on the fourth Thursday in November. It has been celebrated as a federal holiday every year since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens”, to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November. The event that Americans commonly call the “First Thanksgiving” was celebrated by the Pilgrims after their first harvest int he New World in 1621. This feast lasted three days, and it was attended by 90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims. Americans commonly trace the Thanksgiving holiday to a 1621 celebration at the Plymouth Plantation, where the Plymouth settlers held a harvest feast after a successful growing season.

Traditions: • In many American households, the Thanksgiving celebration has lost much of its

original religious significance; instead, it now centers on cooking and sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends. Turkey, so popular that the holiday is sometimes called Turkey Day, may or may not have been on offer when the Pilgrims hosted the inaugural feast in 1621. Today, nearly 90% of Americans eat the bird on Thanksgiving. Other traditional foods include stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.

• Volunteering is a Common Thanksgiving Day activity, and communities often hold food drives and host free dinners for the less fortunate. The Salvation Army enlists volunteers to serve Thanksgiving dinners to hundreds of people in different locales.

• Parades have also become an integral part of the holiday in cities and towns across the United States. Presented by Macy’s department store since 1924, New York City’s Thanksgiving Day parade is the largest and most famous, attracting some 2 to 3 million spectators along its 2.5-mile route and drawing an enormous television audience. It typically features marching bands, performers, elaborate flats conveying various celebrities and giant balloons shaped like cartoon characters.

Fun Facts: • Mashed potatoes, pumpkin pies, corn on the cob, and cranberries were not foods

present on the first Thanksgiving’s feast table • Although Thanksgiving is widely considered an American holiday, it is also

celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada • In the US, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations • Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United State

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Event Poster option #1 on cover

Event Poster option #2

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EVALUATION

This event will be considered successful if the following objectives have been met:

• Provided LMU international students a traditional Thanksgiving meal with excellent food

• Created an educational and beautiful dining experience

• Devised an excellent communication plan

• Achieved seamless execution on the event day

I believe that all our team objectives were achieved. The event was a success and everything went smoothly. The

meal was delicious, and everybody had a nice time socializing with their friends, as per our observations. As a

team we created good communication collateral and envisioned an effective communication plan, which

included posting posters on building walls, and printing event flyers. On the event day, everything went well

and all jobs were executed in a timely manner.

There were a few things that could have been improved in areas of promotion and day-of logistics. Even though

our team produced two flyer and poster options for the event, OISS decided against using them as promotional

means. Our point person, Camile, thought it would be a waste of money given the time sensitive timeline and

did not think it was necessary to use them because the event was invitation based. In addition, some

international students approached us with the issue of not receiving the email containing the registration link,

but by that point, all the tickets were taken, and there were no more available spots. There was a 100 spot limit

for the event, all tickets were claimed, but only about 80 students actually attended the event, in consequence,

some students who wanted to attend were not able to, and there was a lot of food left over at the end of the

night.

On the day of, there were two shifts students who came to the event. The two seating times were used to

accommodate students who have night-time classes. Because not all students were present at the very

beginning of the dinner, some missed the introduction, prayer and the function of the heart cut-outs for the

thanksgiving tree. The makers we used for the cut-outs also ended up just getting scattered all over the tables,

prompting team members to constantly be picking them up form the floor, and reorganizing them on the table

once people left. Tables had to be cleaned and cleared for the next set of students.

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I have a few ideas on how we could address these areas of improvement. Using the promotional posters and

flyers would have increased event interest and awareness. Additionally, students who did not receive the email

would have been aware of the even much earlier and could have gone the office to ask for the event link.The

ticket limit should also have been raised to account for no-shows.

The two shift process makes it hard to replicate the introduction and prayer. The shifts are not strict, so students

can come and go at any time within the hour. But regarding the Thanksgiving tree, we could have placed the

tree and cut-outs at the check-in table, along with a signed that outlined what to do with the cut-outs and tree.

Students would then take a cut-out, fill it in once they were seating, using markers that have been placed in jars,

and then place it on the tree on their way out. This would have prevented a lot of confusion from students,

repetition form our team and constant cleaning between tables.

Out team worked well, our job was very easy and quick, we were event able to socialize and enjoy the

Thanksgiving meal for ourselves. Our role not the day of involved set-up, table decoration, Thanksgiving Tree

introduction, heart cutting, marker distribution, and clean-up. We divided responsibilities and tackled different

jobs according to our schedule and skills.

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JOURNAL ENTRY #4:

PROMPT — Using the proper format and content, write a media alert on the upcoming PRSSA (Public Relations

Student Society of America) Mixer scheduled for Thursday, June 19th at 7pm in The Living Room on LMU’s

campus. The Mixer will include a panel discussion on networking opportunities with industry professionals in

the sports and entertainment industry. The contact is Peter Montesantos, president of the LMU PRSSA chapter.

His email address is pmontesantos@gmail.com and cell number is _________.

November 16, 2015

Media Advisory: LMU’s PRSSA chapter hosts free networking mixer with sports and entertainment PR industry professionals.

LOS ANGELES - - LMU’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter will be hosting a free mixer

in The Living Room on the evening of June 19th. The event is an annual mixer PRSSA puts on for LMU students

to gain insider knowledge about the PR industry, network with PR professionals, and learn about careers in their

field.

WHAT: The event will include a panel discussion and an opportunity to network with PR professionals in the sports and entertainment industry.

WHO: PRSSA is an organization for students interested in public relations and communications. We serve LMU and our members by enhancing their knowledge of public relations and providing access to professional development opportunities.

WHEN: Thursday, June 19, 2015 at 7pm.

WHERE: The Living Room - bottom floor of Malone Building, next door to the Lion’s Den 1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045

WHY: An opportunity for LMU students to network with PR professionals and learn about prospective career options.

CONTACT: Peter Montesantos, President, LMU PRSSA Chapter, pmontesantos@gmail.com, (555) 123-4567

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JOURNAL ENTRY #5: PROMPT – Evaluation in Events Management is defined as measuring the success of an event. In your opinion, why is it important that upon the conclusion of an event, that a post-event analysis /debriefing meeting be scheduled with the client, organizers, project managers and key workers of an event? What is the most widely accepted form of evaluating /measuring the success of an event? Choose an event type/genre and provide three SMART (specific/measurable/attainable/ relevant/timely) objectives that you believe the event planner for that event should identify and achieve? Can be a hypothetical event or an event that you have attended, planned or experienced first- hand. EXAMPLE: Event Type/Genre – A Wedding 3 SMART Objectives for event planner – 1) staying within the client’s budget, 2) identifying and creating the bride’s vision for her wedding day, and 3) providing bride and groom and wedding guests with a beautiful, memorable experience.

A debriefing meeting can be a constructive time for all those involved in the event to reflect and discuss the successes and areas of improvement. Instead of each party reflecting on the event by themselves, the sharing of opinions and ideas could make next year’s event that much better. It could also be a time to lock down other future events with the client.

The events industry does not have any one accepted form of evaluating/measuring the success of an event. Instead, it allowed for a more customizable measurement plan to benefit you and your client’s objectives. A combination of measurement methods, and mediums, can give a more comprehensive view of the success of the event.

Event type/Genre: Graduation party 3 SMART Objectives: 1. Staying within the client’s budget 2. Identifying and creating the graduate’s vision for their celebration Providing a fun, safe, and beautiful experience for the celebrant, friends and family.

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