1. FREDONIA MUSIC INDUSTRY PROGRAM
Music to Nourish
Philanthropy Dinner
PROJECT MANUAL

2. Table of Contents:
1. Job Responsibilities
2. Getting Started
● Event Committee
● Date and Venue
● Performers
● Master of Ceremonies
3. Development
● Invitations
● Guest List
● Tickets
● Schematics
● Menu
● PA/Live Sound
● Sponsors
● Photographer
● Videographer/Audiographer
● Raffle/Silent Auction Donations
● Press Release
● News Outlet Coordination
● Name Plates
● Programs
4. Day of Event
● Poster Production
● Raffle/Silent Auction
● Treasurer
● Guest List/Name Plates
5. After the Event
● Gathering/Distributing Money
● Thank You Cards

3. Job Responsibilities
Herein are all of the responsibilities associated with the Music to Nourish Philanthropy Dinner.
Executive Coordinator Manage all of the details and personnel
regarding the event.
Venue Event Coordinators They will be the main contacts for setting up
the venue. They will coordinate with food
vendors and other business connections.
Assistant Coordinator Assist the executive coordinator with any
tasks that need help or more attention.
Guest List Administrator Set up a spreadsheet with all of the names
and contact information on who will be
invited. Manage the guest book at the event.
Invitations Combined effort between graphic designer
and coordinator for design and distribution.
Ticket Coordinator Be in charge of working with the ticket office
in order to set up ticket sales, obtain the final
count, and give the customer list to Guest List
Administrator and Name Plate Production in
order to account for who will be there.
Silent Auction/Raffle Baskets Work with the coordinator to obtain
items/baskets from donors for the Silent
Auction and keep them in a safe space.
Create individual sheets for items that will be
auctioned off and vases/jars to collect raffle
tickets for those that will not be auctioned off.
PA/Live Sound Obtain a sound system and an audio
engineer to mix the sound at the event.
Create a soundcheck schedule and ensure
that everything is set up and built ​at least​ 3
hours prior to soundcheck.
Name Plate Production Obtain guest list and create individualized
name plates that guests will pick up at the
event and place at their seat.
Program Production Create the programs for the event with the
schedule of how the night will go.

4. Job Responsibilities Continued
Photographer Capture images highlighting the event.
Videographer Capture video highlighting the event.
Audiographer Capture audio to work in conjunction with the
videographer.
News Outlet Coordinator Contact local news outlets with press release.
Press Release Create a press release to be sent out to local
news affiliates.
Sponsor Supervisor Work to obtain sponsors for the event.
Treasurer Consistently collect data for expenses and
income in order to track where money is
coming and going.
Raffle Tickets & Cash Box Set up a table at the event where raffle
tickets will be sold and collect cash and
checks. Keep an organized list of personnel
who provide money as a charitable donation.
Master of Ceremonies Be the face and voice of the event. Prepare
and give opening and closing speeches,
introduce performers, and announce raffle
and silent auction winners. Ensure the night
is running smoothly and on schedule.
* ​Note to executive coordinator: There should be at least 8 people on hand on the day of the
event to handle any last minute issues that may arise. This may include load in of the PA/sound
system, placing programs on tables, organizing baskets, polishing vases, purchasing pens,
making/printing spreadsheets, and any other tasks that may become apparent.

5. Getting Started
Planning and organization is essential in putting together an event such as this. There are
certain steps that should be done ahead of time in order to ensure smooth­running success.
Form an Event Committee
Be sure to have all of the job responsibilities above delegated to specific teams of people.
Depending on the scale of the event, there may or may not need to be a leader for each sector
with multiple people working with them in order to keep all tasks on hand. Decide what the event
will be; for example, the Music to Nourish Philanthropy Dinner is a black tie event centered
around a Thanksgiving theme. Then, decide details including who the event is for and how the
money will be split. The Philanthropy Dinner is for WhyHunger, a global not­for­profit
organization that provides grassroots solutions to end poverty and hunger. From the $40 adult
ticket: $20 goes to WhyHunger, $19.14 goes to the venue for food costs, and 86 cents goes to
the Ticket Office for their fees. From the $20 student ticket: $19.14 goes to the venue for food
costs, and 86 cents goes to the Ticket Office for their fees.
Choose the Date and Venue
Meet with the preferred venue where the event will be hosted and check the availability of the
space that is desirable for use. Select multiple dates that work and cross check with the
committee. Contact other venues in the area and see what events are being hosted during that
time period. Also, check the time of year. For example, we chose to hold the Music to Nourish
Philanthropy Dinner on November 18th, 2015 at 6:00pm in the White Inn because the date tied
in with WhyHunger’s Hungerthon, was close to Thanksgiving (people tend to be more giving ­
especially to an organization that provides meals to those less fortunate), on that particular
Wednesday there were no other events happening in the area, and the White Inn has a high
end reputation and is suitable for black tie events such as this.
Performers
Choosing the musicians that will perform is a vital element to the overall atmosphere of the
event. For the Music to Nourish Philanthropy Dinner, there needs to be a sophisticated feeling
due to the fact that the event is black tie. For example: we chose the Fredonia Guitar Quartet to
play “mingle music” during the Cocktail Reception & Silent Auction hour. The second performers
were Gabby Vaughn & Kate, a new trio that has an indie acoustic R&B style that worked
perfectly within our theme. The headlining artist, Nia Drummond, performed with a small trio of
jazz musicians to provide a stimulating end to the evening with a mix of jazz standards that
brought the guests to their feet. The “mingle music” performers should be performing 10
minutes before doors open (that way music is being played as guests walk in) and up until the
opening remarks. The other musicians sets should be no more than 20 minutes.

6. Master of Ceremonies
This is a very important decision. The emcee needs to be someone who is affable, amicable,
and has a multitude of experience in public speaking. They need to be professional, concise, as
well as entertaining and able to connect with the audience on a personal level. This person will
also need to prepare and give opening and closing speeches, introduce performers, and
announce raffle and silent auction winners.The emcee will need to be strict about the agenda
set forth for the night in a way that does not rush the guests’ experience.
Some guidelines:
● Opening Remarks:​ This will be the first moment that guests will see and interact with the
emcee. Be sure to welcome them and thank them for taking their time to come to the
event. Include what the event is about, the parties involved, and how the event came to
be. The opening remarks should be no longer than 7 minutes. People will still be
mingling, therefore, to get their attention the old “clink a knife on a champagne glass” will
be a sufficient and humorous way to gather the crowd. Writing down bullet points of what
will be said will help to keep everything in order. For example, here are some bullet
points from the speech the emcee Michelle Cope gave at the dinner:
● “Before I begin, I would like to thank the Fredonia Guitar Quartet for providing such
wonderful music! (clap clap clap)
● My name is Michelle Cope and I would like to welcome you all to the First Annual
Music to Nourish Philanthropy Dinner! (clap clap clap)
● The members of the Music Industry Program have a passion and desire not only
for music, but for enriching our communities with music.
● Talk about partnership with WhyHunger
● Talk about events we’ve done in the past and plan to do in the future
● With that, I would like to raise a toast. Here is to ending world hunger, great music,
great friends, and a wonderful community! (raise toast, cheers, etc)
● Without further adue, I would like to introduce you all to our first performers. I
present to you Gabby Vaughn & Kate! (clap clap clap)”
● Closing Speech(es):​ As the evening is coming to a close, the emcee will need to
announce that there is 10 minutes left for bidding and raffle tickets to be open. After the
allotted time, gather the room’s attention and thank them again for a wonderful evening.
This is where the final tally of the money raised will be announced as well as reading off
and thanking all who made the event a success including: donors, sponsors, esteemed
guests (community members, legislation, and university leadership), fellow colleagues,
and anyone else who has made the event possible. Two very brief speeches should
then be given by the owner of the venue and by the faculty sponsor. Afterwards, winners
of raffle and silent auction baskets should be announced. Be sure that this is done in a
swift, efficient, and fun manner. To close, thank everyone again for making the event a
success and wish them a wonderful evening and happy holiday (if appropriate).

7. Development
Now that all of the basic planning is squared away, the development phase begins. This will
include all of the work, details, and organization leading up to the day of the event.
Invitations
Invitations are a very important step in the development process ­ this will be the first item the
potential guest will see and depending on how well the invitation is done could make or break
them deciding if they will buy a ticket.
For this particular dinner, the invitation needs to be elegant and inviting with a sense of
professionalism and grandeur. Since there are two demographics in which we are marketing to,
there are two different invitations. Although geared towards two different audiences, both
contain the following necessary information:
● Host of the event
● Name of the event
● What the night will entail (performers, silent auction, raffle, dinner, etc.)
● Date
● Time
● Location
● Dress Code
● Price
● Where tickets can be purchased
● RSVP Date
● Where there money is going to
Another important decision is whether or not the invitations will be sent via print or electronically.
In designing, we chose that invitations would be distributed both ways. Therefore, design
elements were tailored to the audience. The adult invitation is more elegant with a picture of the
grand entrance to The White Inn and a more streamlined simple flow of information. A
landscape view was chosen to mimic opening an invitation card that could be received in the
mail. For the student invitation, the design concept reflects a flyer or poster for a concert event.
The information included focused more on what could be received if they attend: appetizer wall,
thanksgiving meal, live music, signed merchandise from their favorite artists, etc. The
information is presented in an elegant yet flashy manner in order to grab their attention and hold
their interest until they reach the bottom to buy their ticket.
*An important feature of sending the invitation electronically is to have a live link where
personnel can click on the invitation from their email, read the information, and then be able to
click on the word “RSVP” and be taken to the event page where tickets can be purchased
immediately.

8.
Adult Invitation:
* The word RSVP included a live link that provided direct access to ticket purchasing.

9.
Student Invitation:

10. Guest List
The guest list can be one of the most challenging and exciting portions of planning an event.
The key to success is to secure a few high profile attendees ­ this will then encourage others to
attend. For example, before advertising the event to the general public, we secured that
President Horvath, Provost Terry Brown, Mayor Keefe, and College Foundation board members
(just to name a few) would be in attendance for the evening. Once this occurs, the Guest List
Administrator and their team will need to set up a spreadsheet with all of the names and contact
information on who will be invited. All invitations should be individualized; this takes time,
however, a personable touch goes a long way in determining if that person will purchase tickets.
A cover letter should be created and sent to officials that are being invited.
For example, when asking if the College Foundation board members would attend:

11. For emailing generalized or mass invitations, one email needs to be created for the adult ticket
and another for the student ticket. The Provost’s office contains the listservs required to send
out such emails. For example:
Faculty Listserv:
* Attachment of formal invitation

12. Student Listserv:
* Attachment of student invitation
** Keep in mind ­ personal invitations are always best. Make appointments with the president,
provost, deans, faculty, and local legislation to invite them in person. Statistics show that people
are much more inclined to accept invitations when personally invited.
*** A Facebook event page is another way to access certain people when emailing may not be
the best route. This especially reaches out to students to participate and helps give an idea as
to how many tickets the event will sell.

13. Tickets
The Ticket Office Coordinator will need to fill out the necessary paperwork in order to establish
the event with the Fredonia Ticket Office. There will then be an event page created on the
Ticket Office website where all transactions will occur. They will need the Federal ID Numbers
for WhyHunger and The White Inn in order to dispense monies correctly. The Ticket Office
Coordinator should go in weekly for updated information on ticket sales and report those who
have purchased tickets to the Guest List Administrator. A final count will need to be given to the
Guest List Administrator and Name Plate Production in order to account for who will be there.
Schematics
The setup of the room is an important element and should be considered in great detail. There
needs to be functional flow from the entrance to the podium where the guest list and name
plates will be picked up to the cash bar to the stage, auction baskets, and seats. In our
schematic of the room, we made sure that there is room to mingle, look at the baskets,
purchase drinks, eat appetizers, and ensure that everyone has a view of the stage.

14. Menu
Meet with the Events Coordinator of the venue. They will determine options available based on
the amount of money they are receiving from projected ticket sales. In keeping with the
Thanksgiving theme, a menu was chosen as follows:
● Appetizer Wall ­ Assortment of cheese, fruit, vegetables, bruschetta, and mini meatballs.
● Salad ­ Choice of Italian or Ranch dressing.
● Dinner ­ Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, brown sugar squash, corn,
cranberry sauce, and warm bread.
● Dessert ­ Choice of homemade apple or pumpkin pie.
* Important Note: In order to alert the waitstaff to food allergies, each guest was asked if they
had a food sensitivity and was given a colored tab to put on their name plate. Green indicated
vegetarian, blue for gluten sensitivity/Celiac, yellow for nut allergy, and red for dairy intolerance.
The kitchen and waitstaff should receive copies of the key in order to ensure guest safety.
PA/Live Sound
Not all venues have a PA system, and if this is the case, someone will need to be in charge of
obtaining one. Concerning the Philanthropy Dinner, The White Inn does not have a PA System,
however, they did have a small stage that could be built. The system in use at the event is the
property of the Ellicottville Brewing Company in Fredonia. An audio engineer is essential for
mixing the sound live at the event as well as at the soundcheck. A soundcheck schedule should
be sent to the performers no later than a week prior to the event. The stage and sound
equipment need to be set up ​at least​ 3 hours before the event begins.
Sponsors
In order to keep track of sponsors donating to a charitable event, organization is key in
collecting any information gathered. The Sponsor Supervisor should gather a team of people
that will contact businesses and collect donations. Keep a concise list of who has been
contacted, when they respond, if they donated, amount donated, and when the item is to be
picked up. This list must be available to all personnel involved. Once everything is collected, a
list of sponsors should be kept.
Photographer
Line up a photographer for the event in order to capture the essence. Photographs of guests,
performers, speakers, baskets, plate settings, etc. should be documented.

15. Videographer/Audiographer
Line up a videographer and audiographer to capture highlights of the event (speeches,
performances, etc.) and interview guests about their experience.
Raffle/Silent Auction Donations
Obtaining items to be donated to the raffle/silent auction is a fun and personable yet time
consuming experience. Allot at the very least 2 weeks of time to go around to businesses and
people in the university and the community and ask if they would be willing to donate a basket
or gift certificate to the silent auction. Have a cover letter prepared describing the event and
what exactly is being asked of them along with a printout of the invitations (some businesses will
hang them in their windows to help promote and advertise). For example:

16. Once all of the items have been collected and organized, a spreadsheet must be formed of what
the item is with a short description, the retail value of the item, and the donor. This list of donors
should be advertised somewhere at the event and/or announced.​ ​Discretion must be used in
determining if the item/basket will be raffled off or will go to auction. For the silent auction items,
there must be bid sheets with short descriptions of each item along with the retail value, starting
bid, and the donor. These should be set up next to each item on clipboards with extra bid
sheets and pens available. The starting bid should be between half and a third of the retail
value, however, take into consideration what the item is and how much someone would be
willing to pay. For the raffle tickets, the price is up to the event committee. We chose to give
seven tickets for five dollars. We also found simple tall glass vases for guests to put their tickets
in. An example of a bid sheet for the Salvador Dalí etching:
* ​When obtaining the raffle tickets and cash box from the ticket office, the Campus Life
Fundraising Permit must be obtained from the Campus Life office and approved by the Faculty
Advisor as well as Campus Life. The preferential timeline for completion of the forms is two
weeks prior to the event.

17. Press Release
Press releases follow a certain format that allows for information to be clearly communicated to
the media (or other intended receiver). They must contain elements such as the organizational
information, news flag, release date, headline, dateline and distribution date, action statement,
details, etc. The following shows our release for the event:
Fredonia Music Industry Program
State University of New York at Fredonia
W305 Thompson Hall
Fredonia, NY 14063
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Michelle Cope ​•​ (716) 553­2488
FREDONIA MUSIC INDUSTRY PROGRAM HOSTS
PHILANTHROPY DINNER TO FIGHT WORLD HUNGER
FREDONIA, N.Y. ­­​ The Music Industry Program at Fredonia is holding their Music to Nourish
Philanthropy Dinner at The White Inn to benefit their partner, WhyHunger, a global not­for­profit
organization that provides grassroots solutions to ensure access to nutritious food for all.
This black tie event will be held on November 18​th​
at 6:00PM and will include a silent
auction as well as live performances featuring Fredonia's own local artists, Nia Drummond and
Gabby, Vaughn, and Kate.
For more information on Fredonia’s Music Industry Program and their mission, call the
main office (716) 673­4959. The program provides an innovative and unique experience that
prepares students for success in the music industry.
­30­
Always include contact information and a call­to­action to allow audiences a clear path to communicate
interest. Also be sure to indicate whether the release is for immediate release or under embargo (the news
is being distributed before a public announcement and the story will not run yet). Format as “UNDER
EMBARGO UNTIL: DD/MM/YY” if not for immediate release. The “­30­” at the bottom signifies that the
release has concluded. Industry standards require the use of the “­30­” or “###” as the signifier.

18. News Outlet Coordination
To begin, compile a list of local news outlets such as radio stations, newspapers, and TV
stations and gather all contact information for these outlets. Draft a formal email that will include
all relevant information about the event such as the date, time, performers, host, and what the
event is for. To ensure that all necessary information is included in this email, as well as make
sure there are no grammatical errors, have the project manager and/or event coordinator
proofread and edit the email. Be sure to attach the press release for the event.
Once the email is complete and approved, start contacting the news outlets previously
researched. This should occur as soon as possible; record the time and date of when contact
was first established as well as how they are contacted. Some of the outlets have tip­lines and
specific forms to fill out for press releases on their websites, for other outlets an email should be
sent to a news director. Organize this information into a spreadsheet. If an outlet replies,
respond to acknowledge their email has been received (sound friendly, i.e. “I look forward to
seeing you at the event”). If there are outlets that have not responded, send a follow­up email
from a week to a week and half before the event. This email should not be as in­depth as the
first email, just a short, gentle reminder. Remember to keep a record of all emails that are sent
out.
At the event, make sure that the News Outlet Coordinator is there to greet the outlets that arrive.
Speak with each outlet and quickly discuss what they need in terms of footage and interviews. If
need be, find a place in which they can set up their equipment. Be sure to let them know that if
they need anything further to located the News Outlet Coordinator.
*Note: Once at the event if they do not seek the Coordinator out, have he/she check in with
them once or twice throughout the eventing.
Name Plates
Organize an alphabetical spreadsheet of all guests that will be attending the event. Keep this
up­to­date periodically so as not to be left with a huge amount of work the day of the event.
Choose a font that is readable and elegant. Publisher has a name card formatting system that
will allow a simple plug in of the names. Be sure you include the musicians, audio engineer, and
others who will be working the event and able to have a seat at a table to enjoy the dinner. If a
guest has purchased multiple tickets and did not fill out the guests names when purchasing their
tickets, simply put their last name and then party to indicate that they’re together. For example,
John Smith has purchased 3 tickets. One will say “John Smith” and the other two will say “Smith
Party”. In producing the name plates, due to last minute additions and cancellations, they should
be printed, cut, and folded on slightly off­white cardstock on the day of the event. An example:

19.
Programs
Programs can be quite detailed with advertisers and images etc... however, for the Music to
Nourish Philanthropy Dinner, a simple placard should be sufficient. Coordinate with someone
familiar with Photoshop and/or graphic design for the arrangement of the information. The
programs should be printed on a slightly off­white cardstock and have one for each plate setting.
The composition should include:
● Host of the event
● Name of the event
● An itinerary of the evening
● To whom the money is being donated
● Donors and others who made the evening possible
An example of the programs:
Front: Back:

20. Day of Event
The most important thing to keep in mind the day of the event is to maintain a clear head.
Problems might arise and a multitude of people will be asking various questions. Keep a legal or
notepad around to write down to­dos and most importantly ­ stay organized.
Poster Production
A banner should be made to hang up at the event stating the host name, name of the event,
and to whom all of the proceeds are going. Another banner should be made in order to
designate where raffle tickets can be purchased and donations are accepted. For example:
* Be sure that fonts are consistent between the name plates, programs, invitations, and
banners.

21. Raffle/Silent Auction
Make sure everything that is accounted for on the donation list and is present at the venue.
Line the raffle items up with the vases and double check that there is no confusion about what
vases go with which items. Be sure to have all of the clipboards, pens, and bid sheets at the
silent auction table(s); align the bid sheets with the silent auction items and make sure to have
at least one person available at all times to answer any questions that guests may have. Also,
be sure to have at least one person handling the cash box to sell tickets for the raffle items and
take any extra donations from guests.
Ending the event: Have the emcee announce a ten minute warning for when the raffle and bids
will close. Have at least two people run the items from their positions to where the emcee is
and have a person to sit at the cash box to distribute the silent auction items after they are paid
for. Keep in mind that people will want to pay with credit cards so make a plan with the venue
or have the technology available for guests to do so.
Treasurer
Throughout development and the day of the event, receipts should be collected from the fellow
event planners. These receipts are to keep track of any personal costs that planners have had
for things like vases, baskets, the guest book, and cardstock. Once tickets are closed or
sold­out, obtain a copy of the guest list and compute from there how much money has been
raised from ticket sales. ​Make sure to have this figure readily available the night of the event.​ At
the event, you are going to want to be at the cashbox for most of the night. Count the cash box
a few times throughout the evening in order to keep a running count. Once the auction and the
raffle are closed, immediately count the cash box for the final time, remembering to subtract any
money the ticket office provided prior to the event. From there, compute the total from the silent
auction. This figure should then be added to the raffle total, and the ticket sales total. This final
number should then go to the emcee who is giving the closing remarks. After the event, collect
any other receipts from the event planners/helpers and record who is owed what. Find a total for
how much is owed then divide it by the the number of people in class. Inform the class how
much each person needs to bring in for the next class. Collect all money, and distribute to those
that are owed money.
Guest List/Name Plates
A podium, table, and stand should be set up just outside the entrance to the room where the
event is taking place. The Guest List Administrator will stand behind the podium with the guest
list and check guests off as they arrive. She/he should be cordial, friendly, and welcoming,
thanking them for coming to the event. Name plates should be set up in alphabetical order by
party for ease and efficiency. She/he should encourage guests to sign the guest book with their
name and address (essential for sending out thank you cards) and ask if they have any food
sensitivities. If they do, give them the appropriate color coded tab. Wish them a wonderful
evening and if they have any questions that you are available for help.
* All other Day of Event responsibilities are covered throughout Development and the Executive
Coordinator will ensure that everything runs smoothly and that guests have a spectacular time!

22. After the Event
After the event concludes, there is still work to be done. Prepare for these steps ahead of time
for efficiency and quality.
Gathering/Distributing Money
As soon as the night ends, the Treasurer should have a detailed spreadsheet of all incomes and
expenses, as well as cash and checks. Gather everything and place in the cash box. The cash
box must be returned to the Ticket Office the next morning with all of the money earned from the
event along with any extra raffle tickets. They will sort through all of the donations and using
WhyHunger’s Federal ID will write a check that the Executive Coordinator will then mail to the
WhyHunger representative. They will also calculate how much is owed to the venue and for
themselves and will distribute monies accordingly. *In the case of credit card transactions: they
may not process until the next day. Wait until they are processed and can be given to the ticket
office in order to combine with the check to WhyHunger. Be sure to send thank you letters to the
venue and the Ticket Office for all of their time and efforts along with their check.
Thank You Cards
Thank you cards may be one of the most important steps after the event is over. There will be
three types sent out: a Donor thank you card, an Attendee thank you card, and a Donor and
Attendee thank you card. On the master guest list spreadsheet make a column of all those who
attended and categorize them into one of the three divisions. The language should be grateful,
friendly, and should include the total amount raised, stressing how that couldn’t be possible
without their contribution. Some cards may need to be given in person, whereas others are fine
to mail. Be sure to indicate this on the master spreadsheet and record when cards are sent out
and in what medium. An example of the inside letter for a Donor thank you card: