Event Planner

About

As the Event Planner for the EIM Club, one of my most significant responsibilities was organizing our annual End of Year Celebration. This event is dedicated to honoring the achievements of students and faculty and saying farewell to graduating seniors before summer break.

This year, I set out to create a celebration that reflected the hard work, dedication, and accomplishments of our department and its key stakeholders. In addition to overseeing the event logistics, I took on the challenge of designing the program and serving as the MC. The program included recognition of the club and the honor society, highlights of major events and milestones from the year, faculty-led award and scholarship presentations, our own club awards, and an interactive Kahoot game to engage the audience.

I was entrusted with a very limited budget and faced an increase in expected attendance of over 25% compared to the previous year. My goal was to deliver a more engaging and impactful experience despite the constraints. By strategically negotiating with venues in San Luis Obispo, I secured a premium downtown event space at roughly 80% below its standard weekend rental rate, allowing us to reallocate funds toward enhancing the guest experience.

For catering, I partnered with Petra Mediterranean Grill, securing a deal to feed guests with salad and pizza for under $10 per person. To elevate the awards segment, I reached out to over 30 local businesses and successfully obtained over $1,000 in donated gifts, which built excitement and anticipation leading up to the event.

Décor was kept minimal in order to prioritize venue and catering costs. A $200 floral arrangement donation from Open Air Flowers was the main decorative feature, allowing the venue’s natural ambiance to shine. While there was initial hesitation around offering a cash bar with beer and wine, I developed a clear risk management plan. I communicated only with 21+ attendees about the bar, set a two-drink limit per person, and instructed bartenders to avoid serving more than one beverage per guest to avoid any potential underage drinking. This ensured a safe and respectful environment while also showing appreciation to the venue for their generous discount.

Despite the tight budget, the event exceeded expectations and generated over $700 in revenue from ticket sales. Faculty and staff praised it as one of the best celebrations yet, and it was deeply rewarding to create an event that brought the community together in such a joyful and memorable way.