This website is intended as a guide for those who have been placed in charge of planning one-time, non-recurring institutional events such as groundbreakings, new building dedications, and honorary naming of buildings and programs.

Below, you will find information on protocol for establishing an event, how to get your event on the chancellor’s schedule (if appropriate), the established process should you wish to invite elected officials, establishing your budget, creating support materials, preparing the venue and checklists for managing the many details of event planning and management.

Events are an important component in the university’s outreach and communications efforts. Your institutional event planning should begin with a conversation with representatives of the chancellor’s office and public affairs. This coordination will help ensure that invitations are extended to appropriate audiences and that important university themes and messages are included in remarks and collateral materials (as needed).

This guide was developed April 19, 2006. Suggestions for improvement may be sent to Debbie_Griffith@ncsu.edu

This entire document is available for download as a Word document or a PDF document .

What constitutes an institutional event?

• Chancellor’s office initiates the invitation or the chancellor has a significant role in the program or
• Invitation list includes VIPs such as UNC president, Board of Governors, university trustees, local politicians, business executives or
• Event is at least a college level event (not a departmental one)

Planning an institutional event
Event planners should use the following guides in planning their event.  Guides included on this website are:

• Timeline / Checklist
• Planning Group
• Funding and Budget
• Invitations
• Program
• Venue
• Food and Beverage Service
• Publicity
• Campus Resources