In the Spirit of Spring Day

Spring Day is Everywhere

Today I had a speech in my COM 210 class I gave a lesson on what I know best, Spring Day.

Our assignment in effective speaking was to give an informative speech. A topic that I definitely know a lot about was Spring Day. It was really cool so see the excitement that class had when I talked about Spring Day. It is like this mysterious thing that all the students gossip about .

I still haven't started my project of really any planing for Spring Day, so I thought the exercise would also get me in the mood for thinking about my LSM project. 

I'll break down the major parts of speech here:

The Visualization

Do you remember the first tour you took of the Bentley campus? While the tour guide showed you the Dana Center, they explained how the basketball courts you were just standing on transform into a concert venue for performers like Jason Derulo and the Chainsmokers. They introduced you to the legend that is Spring Day. This teaser of a campus concert is not just a good recruiting tool for Bentley, but a lot more goes into Spring Day than meets the eye.

Ethos

As the CAB’s Campus Traditions Chair, I coordinate Spring Day and execute the months of planning that it entails. I want to share my expertise with you to provide a step-by-step guide of how to plan an epic Spring Day. First, I will familiarize you with the logistics of establishing a Spring Day theme, secondly, I will explain how a performer is selected and booked for the concert, and lastly, I will provide you with some tips of how to take advantage of everything that Spring Day has to offer. 

The Legend

Spring Day has become a mainstay on this campus because someone dared to think big enough and establish traditions that have carried on ever since. Spring Day is the collaboration of many different experiences including those inside an outside of the concert. Part of what makes Spring Day so memorable is the theme. Completing the first step, logistics of theme development, requires you to think in advance and stay consistent with marketing, menu selection, and activities.

Theme Development

Picking the right theme effects how the entire day will look. A theme has to mesh well with the artist performing and be appealing to all students. A reveal party is hosted just weeks before Spring Day. The reveal party is a marketing stunt that gathers the attention of the whole campus as they wait in anticipation to find out who will be their entertainment for the biggest day on campus and how they will be celebrating. The reveal party is a chance to preview how the big event and helps to build campus excitement. Carry the theme through to the posters you hang on campus, the emails you send with more information, and the t-shirts you design to give away on Spring Day. The theme will be further developed by the vendors you choose to partner with.

Vendors that Support Your Theme

Start researching food and party vendors now, in January and February, to make sure you hire the best selection. Party supply companies rent out huge inflatable games, mini amusement rides, and even baby animal. Gauge the interest of what students on campus are interested in most. Are there students missing their puppies from home and just craving the feel of snuggling a tiny animal? Is there a crew of adventurous kids who would prefer an activity like zip lining or mechanical bull rides? Take surveys, talk to committees, and pass the word around campus to figure out which appeals most to the students. While you’re asking students their opinion on activities, mention food to them as well. The menu selection on Spring Day can be almost as important as the artist selection. After a day of celebrating a successful school year in the most “studious” way college students know how, they need a hearty meal to revive them. Seasons (the dining hall) will be closed for the day, so the menu selection you make for the big tent can be a make or break situation. Find a balance between salty and sweet, and light and heavy foods. To complement the food tent, choose three to five food trucks to feature specialty foods that fit with the theme of Spring Day. Drunk people love need some good entertainment while they dine, so make sure to place a giant karaoke stage right next to the picnic tables. Planning the logistics of all aspects of theme developments requires the collaboration of many moving parts but overall serve to enhance the celebration and prepare students for the most notable part of the day: the concert.

The Concert 

Long before the artist takes the stage at the Spring Day Concert, a committee of students meet to negotiate a budget and sift through contracts before narrowing the options to selecting a singer – the second step in the how-to-guide of planning Spring Day.

One week after Spring Day, the concerts committee pitches a budget for the following year. They use negotiation tactics to fight for a bigger budget. A bigger budget means a better known artist or a cooler lights show. When the price point is settled upon, you can go to the agent. Your agent creates a list of performers who fit within your price range. Now is a good time to survey the campus to ask what genre or specific performer they would be most interested in having for the concert. With the master list of all the artists you can afford, available on the date you need, who are of interest to the students, you can begin to narrow the list from a couple hundred to just the last few standing.  When you’ve made your final selection, you can sign the contract and begin to decide what production elements you want the show to include.  How big will the stage be? What is the ideal lights-to-fog machine ratio? How many barricades and security guards will you require? Who will pick out all the red skittles from bag that the diva performer specifically requested? When the smallest detail have been decided, all that is left is the hardest part: keeping it a secret.

My Takeaways

Giving that speech put everything into perspective of what I have to accomplish by April 29! There is a long road ahead. I am glad that event planning is something that I love because I think that it is going to be a lot of late nights coming up.