The joys of event planning

Seriously!

OK, I admit there have been a few less-than-joyful moments of the insanity that has been planning Twin Cities World Refugee Day 2008. Maybe more than a few. But after spending a few months on the event's planning committee -- and in the crunch time before June 20 -- I've developed a definite appreciation not only for the amount of work involved, but also for the phenomenal experience it's forced on me.

As chair of the marketing committee, I've been all over the place, frantically pulling together production of posters and t-shirts, cranking out press releases, recruiting a photographer, advertising advertising advertising and spending entirely too much time in Excel, cross-eyed, staring at the budget and grumbling. I've also (unofficially) adopted the education exhibit for the public, including a university-local media partnership.

And I'm taking some classes the week before the event at the University of Minnesota's Summer Public Health Institute (yay scholarship!) -- so yes, I might keel over at some point before or immediately following June 20, but the experience is totally worth it.

There's something to be said for the not-seeing-the-sausage-being-made thing, but I HIGHLY recommend getting involved with event planning at your college, in your job or even on a volunteer basis (tons of orgs need one-time volunteers for special events) because:

• You can use your skills! Whoever said you won't use what you learned in the classroom after you graduate clearly did not plan a large-scale event. My colleagues are shocked that I know the protocol for distributing press releases, the laws about photographing people in a public space and how to visually portray the refugee resettlement process (and to be perfectly honest, so am I). Events have hundreds of facets -- find the one you know about, and go for it!
  
• You can learn new skills! Even though my niche is getting the word out, serving as a committee chair means I'm always meeting with the other committee chairs: fundraising, entertainment, logistics, food and vendors, etc. By default, we trade ideas and opinions and plans, and I've learned an incredible amount about everything from mapping out how many tables fit in a space to obtaining city permits to sell food outdoors to sweet-talking organizations into being involved. Even if you might never be the person who orders the rain tents, it's always good to have a general idea of other people's jobs and how they all fit together.
  
• You network without trying! Planning an event requires people working together, no matter what. In my case, World Refugee Day is planned by a committee of staff from refugee-serving and other social service organizations in the Twin Cities = automatic 30-40 extra contacts in my Outlook in the course of a meeting. And these aren't just got-your-business-card-at-a-workshop contacts. These are people in my field, engaged in the same issues and communities who know my working style and capabilities. And you better believe I'll be in touch in the future.
  
• You have FUN! Planning this event has been a blast. It's something different from my everyday job, I get to work with a ton of different people and, best of all, I get to see it all come together in less than a month. I'm all for the ongoing project, but there's definitely something to be said for having a finished product you can be proud of. Unless it rains.