1. Executive training october 2018
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2. You should have … Completed all your DOCUMENTATION
Bought your SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP
Decided who’s attending tomorrow’s GENERAL MEETING
Started to PROMOTE YOUR SOCIETY.
Organised your WELCOME EVENTS
Read the societies FAQ PAGE
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3. Now you need to … Have a successful FRESHERS FAIR
Get a grip on your FINANCES
Organise some SUCCESSFUL EVENTS
PROMOTE yourselves
Start applying for BADGES
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4. FRESHERS’ FAIR

5. Organise yourselves - who will be there, how you will make your table stand out, who will bring what - and be prepared for a long day in British weather.
You need to show students what they will be getting for their money, so sell your events along with your ‘vibe’. Wear society clothing if you have it.
Arrive at 10:00 and be set up by 11:00 for our quiet opening, followed by a full opening at 12:00. The Fair ends at 16:00 - but whenever you leave, you MUST put your table away!
No alcohol, high-risk foods or sponsorships are permitted - no exceptions will be made!
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6. You need to collect your Freshers’ Fair pack from us at the GM - this will include barcode stickers you can give to people wanting to join your society, plus your table number.
No paper ‘sign-up sheets’ will be permitted this year, due to GDPR regulations. Instead you will be given a link where people can register their interest on your unique contact list using your laptop if you have one, or your or their own phones.
DO try to engage people away from your stall - chat to them, offer them sweets, take photos & add them to your social media accounts - and get them to register interest!
If your society won a standard last year, the SU Socs Team will have some extra decorations for you - YAY!
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7. FINANCES

8. *Remember*
All your membership income money – membership fee minus VAT – is paid into your budgeted fund. This money can only be spent to achieve your aims & objectives, and must have been specifically approved in your budget.
Money left over from last year, plus any money you earn through fundraising, is paid into your non- budgeted fund. This can be spent on anything, as long as it benefits all your members.

9. *To calculate VAT just divide by 1.2 *
Societies must pay VAT at a rate of 20% on any income they receive. For example:
Membership fee is £ you get £ (84p VAT)
Ticket costs £ you get £ (£2.50 VAT)
Bake sale raises £ you get £ (£8.33 VAT)
The SU will claim back any VAT you pay when you buy goods or pay for travel but only if you ask for a VAT receipt when you pay. Even shops like Tesco are happy to do this but you must ask.
It is very important to allow for VAT when calculating your income versus costs, or you may make a loss.
*To calculate VAT just divide by 1.2 *

10. PAY IN ALL THE MONEY YOU TAKE – DON’T DEDUCT EXPENSES – THIS IS FRAUD!
Paying Money In ….
Money from web sales – basically, membership and tickets – is paid directly into societies’ accounts.
Pay cash – and any cheques - into your society’s account as soon as possible, at SU Reception, by completing a paying-in form. You will receive a receipt, which you should keep.
Anyone can pay the money in – not just executives – so there are no excuses. If you will only receive the money after Reception is closes, let us know beforehand and you may be able to use a safe in one of the venues.
PAY IN ALL THE MONEY YOU TAKE – DON’T DEDUCT EXPENSES – THIS IS FRAUD!

11. Getting Money Out ….
The SU is a charity, so society accounts can’t be used in the same way as your own bank account. Instead, the SU Finance Office needs to make every payment out of your account, and be able to show our auditors why it was made.
Small purchases (up to £200 or so) are usually made by an exec or other society member. This person then fills out a claim form, which must be signed by the society’s treasurer. (If it is the treasurer who is making a claim, then the form must be signed by the president.)
Receipts totalling the amount being claimed must be attached to the form – and treasurers should please check this before signing!
Forms should then be handed in at SU Reception.

12. Special Rules for Charities
Remember – the SU is a charity, and charities cannot donate money to other charities. No payments may be made from your society account to any charity, so if you raise money for a charity you MUST NOT pay it into your account.
Instead, you need to pay it into the SU’s ‘Raise and Give’ (RaG) account, using a RaG form, at SU Reception. The money will be held then paid to the charity you specify on the form, either by transfer or a cheque if you prefer.
BUT because of the nature of the RaG account, expenses cannot be paid out of it. So your expenses need to either be claimed from your account OR deducted from any cash you raise. This is not fraud (!) because there no VAT is levied on charitable donations.

13. …
Most expenses are paid in cash to the person whose name is on the form, at SU Reception, when they show their registration card.
If the claim is more than £200 payment will need to be made by bank transfer, so please include your bank details on the form to avoid delays.
If payments need to be made to non-students, for example an external speaker’s travel costs, or a DJ’s fees - they need to send an invoice addressed the University of Essex Students’ Union, and including the reason why the money needs to be paid plus bank details, and we will transfer the money as before.
The SU Societies Team can pay for some things using a charge card, but this is the exception rather than the rule.

14. How do we get more money?
Society fundraising activities are very effective when properly costed and planned, and can be really enjoyable.
If you can only raise some of the money yourselves, apply for Societies Guild Funding. You will need to make reasonable requests and justify them - the fund is there to support, and not replace, your own fundraising.
Click will match fund part of your fundraising & promote your appeal free of charge - check the website.
Sponsorship – must be agreed by the SU
Donations – so long as there are no strings attached, you won’t pay VAT on the income. The money can come from collections, departments, overseas embassies etc.

15. EVENTS

16. Decide these before anything else.
Why?
What?
When?
Where?
Who?
Decide these before anything else.

17. Why are you holding this event?
To meet the aims & objectives of your society
To have fund
To raise money - for your society or charity
To achieve a standard
To raise your profile.
Try to set yourself SMART objectives – define asset of outcomes that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timed.

18. What do you want to do?
If it’s an old favourite, it may be getting tired, but if it’s completely new, it may be risky. Could you use a poll to gauge interest?
Are there other, similar events taking place during the year? If so, could you collaborate?
Will you need a license (films, alcohol), permission from Estates, a risk assessment, a food hygiene certificate? Will you need to sign contracts? If so, sort this out before you do anything else!
REMEMBER - if you are inviting external speakers or guests you must inform the SU Societies Team at least 3 weeks beforehand.

19. When is your event?
Plan well ahead for Freshers’ Fortnight, Halloween, Christmas, St Patrick’s Day, Chinese New Year, and think hard about collaborating - going head-to-head with another large event usually means both lose out, and small events will struggle.
If you are holding events in the evening, does that mean members or potential members who are mature, post-graduate or commuting students, or student parents are unlikely to participate?
Always give yourselves more time to prepare and promote than you think you will need - things, and people, always go wrong!

20. Where will you hold it?
It is free to use University rooms on campus, and they can all be booked through Central Room Bookings well in advance, including The Hexagon and the Ivor Crewe, although you will need to prove you need it.
Base can be booked using the Venues Booking Form, but please give them plenty of notice, and be prepared to be flexible. As all profit from Venues is used to provide services for members, they cannot afford to make a loss, so you may need to cover the costs if not enough is made on the bar.
Tables can be booked on Square 3 via an online form, but if you are playing music, amplifying voices, or doing something out of the ordinary, you will need to complete an Estates Permission Form, along with a Risk Assessment. Likewise if you hold an event anywhere else on Campus.
You can use external venues, but all contracts must be authorised and signed by the SU Societies Team. It can be complicated, and very risky, so PLEASE give us plenty of notice so we can help you!

21. Who do you want to attend?
ALWAYS create an event on your web page at essexstudent.com – more later, but it means you won’t need to provide further evidence of the events when you apply for standards, which has to be good!
Not all your members will use social media, so use the Messaging facility available to you via essexstudent.com to them about events, too, or consider creating a newsletter if you have regular events.
Don’t forget that booking a table in Square 3 and handing out flyers, with giveaways, music or a game can be highly effective, as can posting notices & flyers around campus.
MAKE MEMBERS JOIN before attending members’ only events or paying members’ prices - if you let them get away with it, you will regret it.

22. PROMOTION

23. Make good use of essexstudent
Make good use of essexstudent.com –update your details & images, create events, post articles, create polls & sign-up lists, etc.
Use social media consistently to engage with members and prospective members – not just by ‘advertising’, but also by sharing relevant content and events (PR).
Join Rebel – and widen your PR strategy to include film, radio and the written word.
Request support from the SU Societies Team, via our social media and screen request forms.
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24. BADGES

25. Remember - you are not alone!
FAQs
Societies Guild Committee
Other execs
Your Societies Team!

26. Final Reminders
Familiarise yourself with the Admin Tools on your web page NOW - before you get too busy.
PLEASE create an signature stating your society & position – we are brilliant, but not psychic!
DO join the UoE Societies Guild and Societies Guild Executive Facebook groups.
Don’t panic about Freshers’ Fair – more information will be given at the GM tonight – and don’t forget to keep selling your memberships and promoting your society after it is over.