If you say college fests are just about the fun, frolic, eating, chatting, dancing, meeting new people from other colleges, participating in events, star performances and all that, just hold on. Let’s take a step back. What takes to bring in all these components in a fest? What goes on behind the scenes? It’s not just so easy to make college fest, a common platform for students and extroverts to learn and explore. It’s really an ingenious matter to be chewed upon and not just a “piece of cake”.
Organizing a festival is unquestionably not a one-day match. Given that most colleges follow a credit system, missing out on a single class means losing out on a considerable grade point. Yet, students manage to put up a great show despite this firmness in class timings. It all depends on how one manages his/her time. Some may miss classes to make preparations for the festival when it is necessary.
Almost every college these days hosts its annual festival. Students from various disciplines of different colleges across the country know what takes to make a fest ‘good’, ‘unique’ and ‘laudable’. Arranging a fest ranges from planning a theme, to fixing the budget, managing sponsorships, inviting guests, performers, arranging events and a lot more. So, where does it all start from?
Formation and composition of a cultural committee
It all begins with the forming of a core committee that includes teaching staff as well as student representatives. Students carry out the creative, administrative and logistical part of the festival, but all powers of approval (and disapproval) lie with the teachers, who head the committee.
A proper committee, team work, sponsorships, absolute planning, finance management, budgeting, sending pleading mails for sponsorship, hospitality, social networking, security, conceptualizing, getting hoardings printed, and sponsoring chai for the whole workforce, every single thing has the organizer involved in it. “Being an organizer is like undergoing a crash course in planning, coordinating, managing, networking and team work.”
Theme
An appropriate theme has to be chosen differently for the Tech-fest and the cultural one. It must be lively so as to lure and attract the audience. The USP must be the plethora of events to be conducted, ranging from performances by the biggest stars from India and abroad to enthusiastic participation from colleges across the country in various workshops and competitions. It must include competitions on Literary Dramatics, Music, Dance, Quiz, Fine Arts, Ramp walk, and lot more.
Fest can be organized beautifully if we create a “pull, not push strategy for youngsters. It should award the deserved on basis of creative or innovative ideas. The prizes may be of cash type or related to the particular event but it must be luring.
Keep an eye on the budget
The budget is always the most important part of a college fest. You have to cut your coat according to your cloth i.e. determine the scale of the event as per the budget. Try to keep within modest budgets. There’s no use to spend on grandeur. Spend the money on the actual events.
The best way to minimize the expenses would be to make it an open platform for artistic minds to jump in. “Who knows, one of your guy may surprise you by doing amazing decorations”. Budgeting and managing finances is really important. Every penny used should get billed. In some colleges, the faculty intervenes in such decisions. The budget is usually prefixed, based on the previous year’s expenditure. Half-a-way is done if we get good sponsors as they provide a lot of bucks which reduces our budget.
Promoting the sponsors
Promote the sponsors as per the contract signed with them. For instance, if you have signed a company as a stage sponsor, make sure that their banners and other publicity materials are prominently displayed on the backdrop. Remember that it’s the sponsors who give money for your college fest and they should be promoted to the fullest. If you can please them, then you can expect them to return to next year’s fest. There are several ways to promote the sponsors like naming them during the prize distribution ceremony, printing the name of the brand in college fest promotional posters and billboards,setting up their stalls for public interface etc.
Security arrangements
Trouble never rings a bell before coming. It’s important for keeping an eye on uncontrollable security predictions to abide mischievous urge of debased mob. Therefore it’s an utmost need for a college to tighten their security during a fest for carrying out smoothly.
Outside students and their friends often join college fests. There are enough reasons and opportunities where chaos and indiscipline may break out leading to scuffles and fistfights. Security personnel have their work cut out in this regard. A team of security guards must be assigned at the event to prevent any untoward incident. Some members from the organizing team should oversee security arrangements in a college fest.
The Ultimate Carnival
All is well that ends well. After deciding on events, arranging sponsors, inviting guests, it becomes very important to be able to manage the huge crowd. After all, that is what makes your fest stand apart from the rest – entertainment layered with hospitality. The night party must have a thrilling attraction through DJ’s and Star concerts. Involvement of more volunteers, and extracting their effective ideas to the fullest must be used as a trick by the coordinating head for proper usage of time. Hospitality must be taken care of through providing hygienic environment and nice refreshments.
Almost all the students from organizing committees of different fests agree that there is an excellent scope to gather a lot of practical experience. All said and done, a fest is one of the best ways to learn through fun.
