Resource Guide

The Publicity Center (PC) is a full-service advertising facility. They provide graphic design, digital signage, large-format printing, poster and banner distribution, and more! This includes coordination with on and off campus outlets for promoting your office, club, or department.

Visit the website to learn more about their timelines, pricing, and a branding guide.

If you have designed a poster yourself, you can use this form to submit and the PC will print and distribute it for you: the Publicity Center Printing Request form found on the Western Involvement Network.

To utilize a student graphic designer to create your idea, use the Publicity Center Design Request form found on the Western Involvement Network.

To have a photographer or videographer at your event, or to promote your club or office, use the PC Media Request form found on the Western Involvement Network.

Please note: do not hire a graphic designer, photographer, or videographer before talking with the PC first! Outside services require a contract and payment and should not be used when we can utilize campus resources instead.

All clubs and offices must utilize the Western Involvement Network (WIN) to promote themselves and create events, including club meetings. Students are directed to WIN before attending WWU and throughout their time here. It is used to guide students on what is happening on campus, to find meaningful connections with clubs, and to seek campus department resources.

Watch this YouTube video about managing your organization.

WIN "organizations" include clubs, Student Engagement Offices, academic departments, and student services offices. Clubs will meet with the Club Hub staff for help in updating or renewing your organization.

Use the About section of the organization profile to describe the purpose and function, including any links or other helpful information to share with the student body. The Photos feature allows you to upload photos and create albums to visually display club activity. News posts is used to make special announcements.

Creating Events in WIN is a proven successful technique in promoting your club meetings and events. Events that are posted to WIN will be shown on the TV screens within the Viking Union and on certain websites. Events made public will also be posted on the WWU Calendar page.

Watch this YouTube video about creating events and the various features available.

Send any questions about using WIN to the WIN Help email address.

Chalking is allowed on the bricks in Red Square without a reservation and is considered free speech, within the legal parameters of free speech. Chalking must remain on the ground on not on any structures such as lamp posts, the fountain, pillars, art work, etc. Chalking may be cleaned in the case of a scheduled event, in relation to any required maintenance, or as necessary if/when rain does not fully wash it away. For full information about chalking, please read the University Standard document.

There is also a helpful website to review, dedicated to freedom of speech and Expressive Activities at WWU.

Tabling

Tabling is an effective way to get the information out about an event your hosting, increasing membership, etc. Red Square is a popular space because of people walking through campus in between classes. When the weather is unpredictable, inside the Viking Union is another popular option. Both options are free!

To reserve a table in Red Square: log into Mazevo, enter the event information (Event Type can be "Information Table") and your Organization. Choose your date(s) and time(s). Then for Building, choose Exterior. Based on availability, you will see up to 4 Red Square Table options. At the time of your reservation, you will pick up the table at the Viking Union Information Desk outside of the Bookstore. This will not come with chairs but you can sit on the fountain or stand.

To reserve a table inside the Viking Union: follow the instructions above but choose Viking Union for the Building. You will see up to 3 VU 6th Floor Lobby Tables: Table 1 will be outside the food market area near the large screen TV, Table 2 is at the top of the stairs directly across from the Info Desk, Table 3 is near the entrance outside of the Bookstore. Your table and chairs will be set up and waiting for you at the time of your reservation.

Note that organizations can make table reservations up to 6 times per quarter which allows all organizations the opportunity to also make reservations. If space is available, the reservations may allow more than the 6-time limit.

Flyer Distribution

To hand out flyers to people walking by, you do not need a reservation and this is generally done in Red Square. This activity will need to follow the rules for Expressive Activity: https://www.wwu.edu/ea/rules-reserving-space-expressive-activities

Posting publicity on campus includes, but not limited to: posters, banners, kiosks, special installation requests, and chalking. Hanging posters is a popular way to showcase events and announcements.

The Publicity Center can distribute posters across campus, including the residence halls, through a request to print and distribute or you may drop posters off in person.

No one may hang posters on building exteriors including, but not limited to: works of art, plants, trees, walls, balconies, building columns, roofs, or fixtures. Designated personnel may remove postings if in violation.

Note: ASWWU election materials are granted permission through a reservation process during one specific timeframe of the year.

For more specific information about the posting policy, visit the web page about Rules & Reserving Space for Expressive Activities.

Any questions about this policy can be directed to the Publicity Center staff (scroll to the bottom for staff contact information).

There are 5 types of risk to consider in activity planning:

• Physical: involving harm or injuries to the physical body (e.g. injuries from physical activity, inclement weather, equipment or materials, food-related illness, alcohol or drug consumption, travel conditions, medical emergencies, etc)
• Reputational: applies to reputation of organization's members, the organization itself, and to the university as a whole (e.g. poor conduct or behavior, negative representation in the media or community, perception that poor judgement was exercised, etc)
• Emotional: pertaining to the thoughts and feelings of organization members, participants, or attendees, and any other constituents of the activity (e.g. lack of accessibility, discrimination, averse reactions of participants or the public, sensitive subject matter, and the strain of planning the event)
• Financial: involves both the budget for specific activity and the overall financial health of the organization (e.g. failing to meet revenue or fundraising goals, incomplete understanding of costs involved, poor budgeting, unforeseen costs, etc)
• Facilities: includes the safety and maintenance of the facilities used (e.g. lack of proper set up or clean up, security issues, lack of familiarity of venue or location, disruption of university facilities and services, etc)

While we can't prevent everything, good event planning includes considering possible risks and how to mitigate and resolve issues when or if they arise. Discuss as a group and with your advisor/supervisor about potential risks and what you are willing to accept, what you can modify, how you might transfer the risk (e.g. hire security staff, have counseling staff available, etc) and how you might eliminate the risk all together.

Note that there are no forms or other formal processes with risk assessment. For any guidance on risk-adverse events, especially if hosting kids on campus, visit the Risk Management webpage and contact the university risk manager, Carol Rehnberg.

For full information about Contracts and Expenditure Requests, visit: Business Services

Contracts are needed anytime we are paying someone to provide a service (e.g. music performance, speaking engagement, vending, photography, etc). The contract serves as an understanding between the person (and/or agency) and the university with shared agreements. This will include details such as time and place, payment amount, and general agreements.

The creation of the contract will be completed by your advisor in an online platform called Contract Management Module (CMM). The contract will then be routed for approvals to Student Engagement (SE) Business Services and Dean of Student Life. In some cases, particularly for higher risk contracts, it will need to go through the university’s Contract Administration office for other approvals.

Once fully approved, the Contractor (who we are contracting with) will receive an email to digitally sign the contract. The contract must be fully signed by all parties before they perform or provide the service. Don’t forget to also submit an Expenditure Request (ER) form for the process of paying the contractor. The goal is to have the contract fully executed by all parties and the ER approved at least two weeks before the event so that the check will be ready to be mailed out or given to the contractor immediately following the event.

ESC Clubs: For activities that include a contract, you will need to meet in advance to consult about the contract and the event. You will need to provide your MSS Advisor with all necessary information about the activity. This includes contracting party, name, email address and mailing address. Multicultural Student Services will work with the contract management team to process the contract and then process a payment request form for these activities.

All other clubs: you will submit an Event Planning Checklist to submit the details needed and the Donna, the Club Activities Manager, will work with you to complete the contract and approve an Expenditure Request for payment.

If you are interested in showing a film or TV program of any kind, you will need to consider copyright laws. When showing anything to the public using university resources (i.e. rooms, equipment, etc), you’ll need permission to do so. This includes using discs from home or logging into your personal streaming accounts (e.g. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc) as those are meant for private viewing in your home. Here are some options for obtaining permission:

• For documentaries, indie, international, or educational films, you’ll sometimes be able to get permission for free but be prepared to pay for the rights or a copy of the film and this cost can vary widely. Contact the company or producer/director to ask for written permission. You might need to do a bit of research to find who to contact as this will be different for each production. It may also take quite a lot of time to hear back so be patient and give yourself time. Calling can be the easiest and more direct approach. Be sure to get email documentation of the granted permission.
• For well-known films from major studios, you will likely need to work with companies such as Swank or Criterion to secure a public performance license for the work you are showing. These companies have a large database of films from several decades and the cost will include the rights as well as shipping and handling and will be dependent on various factors about your event such as number of times it is shown and expected audience size.
• You should also check out these listings of films (most of them obscure, lesser-known) that are in the public domain and are therefore free to show publicly at any time.
  • Public Domain Movies List o Wikipedia List of Public Domain Films
• For educational viewings and discussion, several options are available through the Western Libraries media options page. Using this service is meant for classroom use but can be extended to educational opportunities provided by clubs and programs. Talk with the Media Librarian for help and details.

For full information and policies as well as an Expressive Activity Guide PDF, visit the Guide to Expressive Activities at Western website.

Spaces on campus that allow for expressive activity such as demonstrations and rallies include Red Square, Communications Lawn, Performing Arts Center Plaza, and Flag Plaza. These spaces must be reserved in Mazevo and reservations may need to change due to any conflicting activities already reserved, to address health or safety concerns, or to avoid interruptions to university operations. Anyone engaging in expressive activity must follow instructions from university officials and emergency personnel, including law enforcement.

Expressive activity is not allowed in classrooms, previously reserved spaces, administrative or academic offices, restroom or maintenance facilities, roadways or sidewalks necessary to permit the free flow of pedestrian, vehicular, emergency responder, or maintenance traffic, or any other university property where the reasonable application of time, place, and manner restrictions render the location inappropriate for the expressive activity.

When a reservation is made, a team of university officials will be informed and are ready to assist with the activity. Participants will likely see university administration and/or campus police officials present at the event. This presence is created to protect the expressive activity as well as those watching or participating. Unless violations are occurring or there are safety concerns, officials will not shut the activity down. Do not hesitate to ask questions of these officials and make any requests, which will be granted if reasonable and allowable.

Read through the Expressive Activity Guide PDF for helpful lists of basic rules, what to do if you believe an expressive activity contains concerning or disruptive behavior, tips on addressing disruptive behavior, and how to report behavior.

Many events will incur costs for production such as security, staging, room set-up, hospitality, custodial needs, contract payment and so on. By selling tickets, you can make up for these costs or at least reduce the overall cost for the event. It can be difficult to know full production costs ahead of time and how many attendees to expect so it is best to over-estimate costs and lower expectations of your audience.

You may also need to manage RSVP tickets that are not at a cost for attendees. This can be handled in WIN as part of your Event Submission and may also include a waitlist option for limited seating and guest (non-Western attendees) management.

Here are options for selling tickets:

• The Performing Arts Center (PAC) Box Office is often used for pre-event ticket sales and allows for the Box Office staff to manage your ticket sales, rather than the program office or club having to do that. Note there is a small fee that will reduce your income but the payoff is generally worth that cost. To use the box office, complete the Ticket Agreement form and submit to your advisor.
• You may sell tickets at the door rather than, or in addition to, pre-selling other ways. It is recommended you use VU Security staff in handling these sales in order for you to focus on your event and not worry about handling money. This can be arranged when meeting with the VU Events Manager. Be prepared to have set prices for non-Western attendees and reduced prices for students.
• You may also want to accept donations at the door rather than set ticket prices and this should be handled the same as above. If you are accepting donations in addition to tickets, see notes in Money Handling below.
• eMarket (or CashNet) website for online transaction – this is can be used for sales prior to or at the event and the purchaser inputs their credit card information into a secure site. This is not an encouraged way to sell tickets but is possible. See more information about eMarket sites in the Fundraising section below.

These are easy ways to raise money and involves the creation of baked goods by members. You do not need any permissions through the Whatcom Health Department unless the items being sold need special care such as re-heating or refrigeration.

Talk with your advisor about the latest requirements and visit the Whatcom County Health Department for more resources. The Club Hub has signs you can post stating that the food was not prepared in a commercial kitchen as well as signs noting any allergens.

Sales are only permitted at the Viking Union (VU) or at an event and through the use of Clover devices (card transactions) and/or a change fund (cash sales). A reserved space is required on Vendors Row or in the VU lobby, or as an addition to your reservation for an event. Sales may not be conducted through private accounts such as PayPal and Venmo.

First, make your space reservation at least a week before your sale. There will be a question on the reservation request about selling items. Second, submit the Clover Device User Request & Agreement form at least 5 business days prior. Lastly, on the day of your sales, you will pick up and return the Clover between 9am and 4pm from the Finance Office in VU 538. Student Building Managers are available help after 4pm and on weekends.

You may also sell items such as t-shirts, buttons, homemade goods, etc. This should be done either online through an eMarket site, on Vendors Row, or at an event. You may not sell items on behalf of a vendor, those sales must be done by the vendor directly and through a vending contract.

To sell on the club eMarket site, see the eMarket sites section at the bottom of this page.

To sell on Vendors Row, follow the procedures named above for Bake Sales for reservations, Clover devices and change funds.

A one-day raffle event is a great way to raise money at an event. Many organizations receive donated items and then raffle them off. Student Engagement Business Services has tickets for you to use and you will need a quick training on keeping track of your tickets.

[more information coming with a new university policy]

You can provide free tickets as part of an event entry so that everyone has the opportunity to win and this is NOT considered a raffle.

Note: if you receive donations, you will need to complete the Western Foundation Gift-In-Kind e-form and you may also request items from the AS Bookstore by submitting the WIN AS Bookstore Donation form (those are approved by the AS Activities Council).

Note: if you are interested in a multi-day raffle event, talk with your advisor as the university is very limited in how many we can have in one calendar year.

Viking Funder is managed by the University Advancement (Foundation) office and serves an online donation-based fundraising platform that can be used for one-time, event-based efforts or for on-going donation collecting. There is some work needed for this including description of your effort and pictures to make this an appealing fundraiser for your donors. The website can also provide countdown dates and visuals of how much as been collected based on your goals.

The Club Hub staff can help you start the process for a Viking Funder page.

WWU Give Day occurs every year in the Spring quarter. The University Advancement/Foundation office will reach out to clubs when it is time to begin the process of creating or editing your club's Give Day page, if you are interested in participating.

More information about Ticket Sales is described above in the Special Event Logistics section.

Many events will incur costs for production such as security, staging, room set-up, hospitality, custodial needs, contract payment and so on. By selling tickets, you can make up for these costs or at least reduce the overall cost for the event. As a fundraiser, you can consider all of your costs, factor in how many audience members you hope to attend, and charge a per ticket amount that is more than the production costs. In this case, you would announce that all proceeds benefit your club or a non-profit organization.

For example: Your total estimated charges is $1000 and your expected attendance is 200 people. To break even, you would charge $5. In this case, you could charge $10 with half going towards production and the other half as the fundraiser.

Tip: Market your event towards who is benefiting (e.g. your club or a non-profit organization) as a selling point as your audience might be more interested in helping the cause over the entertainment.

This may be used for sales (bake sales, selling items, etc), ticket sales, raffle ticket sales, etc. This might be for a fundraiser on Vendors Row or at an event and the purchaser swipes their card like you would at a store or restaurant. More information about clovers can be found on the Business Services page.

Complete the Clover Device User Request & Agreement form and send to your advisor at least five business days prior to the sales to get started.

eMarket (or CashNet) website is used for online transactions. This is typically used for ongoing sales such as promotional items (e.g. stickers, t-shirts, buttons), event registration, collecting club dues, and accepting contributions (not donations, which needs to be through the University Foundation). This can also be used at the fundraiser or event and the purchaser inputs their credit card information into a secure site. More information can be found in the eMarket Sites section below.

Club eMarket Request form in WIN

The Performing Arts Center (PAC) Box Office is often used for pre-event ticket sales and allows for the Box Office staff to manage your ticket sales, rather than the program office or club having to do that. More information can be found in Ticket Sales within Special Events Logistics section above.

Ticket Agreement Form

A change fund, or cash box, is provided through the Student Engagement Business Services office and can be reserved through your space reservation process in Mazevo. This allows you to exchange cash with your patrons. This is often done in addition to the use of a Clover. The change fund (and/or Clover) can be picked up at the Finance Office and must be returned immediately after sales back to the Finance Office or the VU Building Manager if after 4pm.

Clover Device User Request & Agreement form

Contributions & Donations to the club:

You may set out a receptacle for accepting contributions for your club and this should be treated the same as a Change Fund. These will be cash donations and there is not a tax benefit to the donator.

This can also be done through an eMarket site (see more information below in the eMarket section below).

If someone would like to donate online and receive a tax credit, they should do that through the University Advancement/Foundation Give site: https://wwu.edu/give

Donations to an organization:

If you would like raise money for a non-profit organization, it is best to provide an online source directly to the non-profit for your audience to donate directly to them.

If you would like to accept donations for a non-profit, you’ll need to first complete the Benefit Authorization form on WIN prior to the event. After the event, you'll submit an Expenditure Request requesting a check be sent to the organization from your club account. Your advisor/supervisor will also need to attach a Settlement Statement document to the ER which outlines the revenue and donation details.