How to Run an Internal or External Event

An event is any activity that requires you to make arrangements before the program can actually take place. It may be anything from an introductory meeting to a fundraiser, performance, conference or trip. But keep in mind that no matter how small or easy an event may seem, some advance planning is required.

Below you will find a list of key consideration you will need to think about. Please note that if your event is external (i.e. not on university property), there are some additional things you will need to consider, which are listed at the bottom of the page.

1) Space and equipment

You’ll want to make sure you’ve booked somewhere to hold your event well in advance. SUSU has a range of facilities available for free, in all kinds of sizes and layouts. Necessary equipment can also be hired from the Union at an additional cost. More information on hiring space and equipment can be found here.

The university also has a selection of bookable spaces including all classrooms and lecture theatres. All enquiries about these spaces can be answered via roombook@soton.ac.uk

2) Money

Even the smallest activities can involve hidden costs. Hiring equipment, promotion, printing tickets all cost money. Research your costs first and put together a budget to make sure that no-one ends up out of pocket. If you anticipate an income, be realistic about what this will be.

If you’re ticketing your event, all student groups can do this via the Union Box office. This will help ensure all the money is safe as well as providing an easy online method for selling tickets. All requests to sell tickets via the box office should go to boxoffice@susu.org . You will need to have a student group bank account in order for the income to be transferred safely.

Finally, be realistic about how many tickets you will sell. Make sure that you’re not relying on selling every ticket in order to get your costs back.

If your  event is a fundraiser, please make sure you have read our section on ‘How to raise money from other sources’.

3) Safety

If you run an event it is YOUR responsibility to make sure that everyone who attends is safe. Please ensure you have read our section on health and safety before running an event.

4) Advertising

For an event to be successful, you need to make sure people know about it and attend! For more information, please see our section on How to get People to your Event. Please note, SUSU requires 14 working days notice in order to advertise your event. 

External Events

Events which do not take place on university property e.g. a trip or social can have added risks attached as you no longer have the support of Union or University staff. Below you will find a list of additional considerations that you will need to think about.

Insurance

It is important that you ensure that your event and members are still covered by some sort of insurance. SUSU has its own insurance policy which you should make yourself familiar with. However this will not cover your members for everything, particularly if your event is not at the Students' Union. You should therefore always ask to see a venue or travel company’s insurance and public liability documents to ensure your members will be covered if an incident takes place. If travelling abroad, you should also make sure that all your members have bought travel insurance.

Health and Safety

You should always complete an additional risk assessment when holding an external event as you will be in an area which is unfamiliar to you. Particular attention should be given to the additional risks involved and you should ask to see the risk assessment of any companies you work with.

If an incident does happen, please note that you should still follow the SUSU's incident procedure.

If your event is not in Southampton, it is also particularly advisable that you have the contact details of all your members and also their next of kin.

For more detail information on health and safety, please ensure that you have read our section on health and safety for events.

External Companies

Working with external companies can be an intimidating task, particularly because some are less professional than others. Before committing to any agreement with them, you should always make sure you have seen their insurance documents and risk assessment (if applicable) and also their terms and conditions. If entering a contract, you should always get the contract checked over by SUSU staff first. Please email suactivities@soton.ac.uk if you need to do this.