The event is a Title Town Gator Club event on December 5, 2010 at the President's House from 2-5pm. It will feature information tables by the UF Alumni Association Board of Directors and Florida Cicerones to promote the new Gator Club and answer questions. They expect 200-300 attendees. A risk management plan is in place to address potential issues like power outages, fires, bad weather, disturbances or medical emergencies. Necessary expenses include renting the President's House for $775, hiring a PA system and name tags. Marketing will invite over 21,000 people on the UFAA listserve and encourage them to invite friends to the basketball viewing party with a holiday theme.
1. Title Town Gator Club
Event Dec. 5, 2010, at the Presidentâs House
Project By:
Adam Borenstein
Bailey McDaniel
Joshua Conyers
Kara King
Leslee Highsmith
Rachel Raddatz
2. Event Size
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The University of Florida Alumni Association Executive Board of Directors has about 50
members, most of whom will be at the event answering questions regarding the Gator Club
membership packages. The board of directors will also have information tables set up at the
front entrance of the house, where individuals will have the chance to look through the
information and ask questions they may have throughout the afternoon. Florida Cicerones, who
are the official student ambassadors at UF are considered the link between the past, present
and future Gators, will also be at the event. These ambassadors represent the University at
various functions throughout the year and are required to attend the UFAA on Dec. 5 at the
Presidentâs House. The four Florida Cicerones in attendance will greet the future members,
operate the informational table and handle all the money at the event.
Virginia Horton, the Associate Director of Club Relations and Young Alumni & Affiliate
Groups, has been of great help regarding the negotiation of a lower price for the Presidentâs
House and contacting other board members. Although our original plan was to send out
semiformal invitations to all the alumni members on the Associationâs list serve, we decided
that to be more time efficient and financially conservative to send an invitation through e-mail
to all the members directly. Our group then came to the conclusion that word-of-mouth could
be the most beneficiary means of communication. Since most people check their e-mail at least
once a day, the individuals receiving the invites will more than likely to share this event with
their friends and family members.
We are expecting about 200 to 300 people will decide to attend the event and since the
Presidentâs House can hold a maximum of 300 people, capacity will not be a problem. With the
3. UFAA Board of Directors, Florida Cicerones and attendees we expect about 250 guests. We
cannot predict how many will come the event at the same time because it is an âopen houseâ
where guests are allowed to come and go. Due to this, our group decided that name tags will
be helpful. We concluded that many people will be interested in attending this event to find out
more information about the club and meet other Gator alumni in the area, which will result in a
meet and greet setting. At 2:30 p.m., the menâs basketball team has an away game at
American University. It makes sense to have a viewing party as well. Changing this event to be
both a meet and greet as well as a viewing party, gives it a more diverse atmosphere catering to
people with all different interests.
The eventâs primary purpose is to be the first organized alumni gathering promoting the
very first gator club developed by the UFAA in Gainesville. There are numerous gator clubs
across the United States from Miami all the way to San Diego. The memberships to these clubs
are outstanding, giving all Gator fans the chance to come together and root for the team. For
example, âThe Atlanta Gator Club is a 3,000+ member organization of alumni, parents and
friends of the University of Florida, bound together for the purpose of assisting the university
and the Alumni Association achieve its goals and objectivesâ (The Atlanta Gator Club). There
are many people all over the nation that are involved with gator clubs, such as the Atlanta
Gator Club, and their memberships and generosities have positively influenced the Gator
Nation for many years, and this membership is growing larger every year.
4. Risk Management Plan
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After conducting extensive research we felt it is necessary to devise a risk management
plan. From looking at the floor plan, building plan, location, logistics, security precautions and
legal and regulatory laws relevant to this event, it is imperative to protect the venue and UFAA
from any possible issues that can occur. Using some past events as an example helped our
evaluations and understanding of what needs to be attended to. Being proactive and looking
for the best interest of everyone is why we developed such an extensive plan.
We looked at the Presidentâs House website and discovered we are not required to have UPD
supervise this event. In an effort to be prepared, proactive, prepared and educated about
anything that can occur, we will staff two UFPD officers to serve as staff and first respondents.
Some emergencies that can occur include: power outage, fire, bad weather,
disturbances, choking or allergic reaction from the food and intoxicated guests. Below, we will
provide further, specific detail of the recommended protocol in handling each of the possible
emergencies if they do happen to occur during the event.
ï Power Outage- In case of an area-wide electrical power outage, the two UPD officers will be
the first respondents and work as crowd control, contact the appropriate Florida Power and
Light dispatch and communicate with the other UFAA staff to keep everyone calm and quiet
during the outage. The houseâs back-up generator should start working as soon as one minute
after the initial outage. If it doesnât turn on, we will begin escorting guests out of the house and
to the backyard area to ensure their safety. The UPD officers should be equipped with a
flashlight as part of their uniform. Four emergency flashlights will be available in the bottom
5. cabinet of the presidentâs kitchen with an additional four flash lights available behind the
outside bar on the bottom shelf. UPD and UFAA staff on site will work as crowd control until
power is restored. They will listen to the fire and electrical departments for when it is OK to
resume the event and let guests back into the house.
ï Fire- In case of a fire, UPD will officers will contact the fire department and direct the guests to
the nearest exit. Exits are either the front door or back door, and in extreme emergency the
guests can be directed to exit through the kitchen exit or the northwest side exit. UPD and
UFAA staff will serve as crowd control until the fire department arrives.
ï Bad Weather- If severe storms and lightning is occurring before the event, we will have the UPD
ensure that all of the guests stay inside the house until it is safe. Safety will be determined
when notification from the local Emergency Alert System is received and gives permission to
allow guests to resume the festivities and go outside. Safety of our guest is top priority.
ï Disturbances- If any of the guests informs a staff member they are being or feel threatened by,
immediately contact the nearest UPD officer who will then attend to the matter and resolve it.
Be as calm and as non-confrontational as possible.
ï Guest Choking on Food- If a guest appears to be choking from food the staff member should
clear the area where the individual is choking and contact the nearest UPD officer. If an
individual who has his valid CPR-AED First Aid Certification Card, then he is allowed to assist the
victim while EMTs are on the way. DO NOT allow an individual who is not certified in CPR-AED
First Aid to assist the victim who is choking under ANY circumstance.
ï Intoxicated Guests- If any guest or attendee is acting intoxicated or is disturbing other guests,
contact the nearest UPD officer. The officer will remove the disorderly individual from the
6. premises. If any UFAA staff member is confronted by an intoxicated guest, be as calm and non-
confrontational as possible until the UPD officer arrives.
7. Cost of Rentals
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Presidentâs House: $775
PA system: $300
Decorations: N/A because the venue will already be decorated
Rental rate for Presidentâs House:
5 to 50 guests: $500
51 to 100 guests: $775
101 to 150 guests: $1,000
151 to 200 guests: $1,200
201 to 300 guests: $1,400
Other Venue Estimated Cost
Meeting room in a hotel:
Tables (included in cost of room)
Chairs (included in cost of room)
Table clothes: $75-$100
PA system & visual Equipment: $350
Podium: $75-$100
Stage: $150
Lightening: $75-$100
Microphone: $50-$75
Dance floor: $150-$200
Decorations: $150-$200
The difference in the two locations is the amount of space both locations can hold. The
Presidentâs House can only hold 300 people, where a meeting room in a hotel can
accommodate 500 to 600 people, or even more if needed. Some of the equipment that we will
need to rent can only be rented through companies used by the Presidentâs House for all
events. If our event were to be elsewhere, like a hotel, some things it can provide for an
additional charge include a dance floor, special lighting, a microphone, stages, podium and PA
system.
9. Parking for the event will be in the Stephen C. OâConnell Center parking lot, very close to
the Presidentâs House.
The last guideline refers to the maximum capacity for events held at this location, which
is 300 people. Time and date restraints are another factor to whether the venue can be
secured for events.
11. on the exterior of the President's House with prior written permission from the President's
Office. Live entertainment must be approved in writing by the President's Office prior to the
start of the event. In accordance with UF Policy, after 10 p.m., no live bands using a PA system
may perform outside.
Invitations being sent to attendees must be approved by the Presidentâs Office prior to
sending them out.
Invitation Guidelines for all events:
The Presidentâs Office asks that no one use the president's or his wife's name on the invitation
unless they have agreed to co-host the event.
If they have agreed to co-host, the following titles may be used:
ï· J. Bernard Machen, President
ï· President J. Bernard Machen
ï· President J. Bernard Machen and Mrs. Chris Machen
ï· Bernie and Chris Machen
ï· Mrs. Chris Machen
ï· Chris Machen
We are allowed to listthe location as one of the following:
ï· University of Florida President's House
ï· President's House on campus
ï· President's House at the University of Florida
ï· Please do not use the word "The" when referring to President's House
12. Internal/External Staff and Security Expenses
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After researching the expenses and staff needed to run this event, we have developed a
budget. We thought of where funds need to go. Costs include paying the catering company
for their services, the UFAA staff, Presidentâs House staff and the University Police Department
officers. According to the Presidentâs House regulations and guidelines, we are not required to
have UFPD supervise our event. In an effort to be prepared to handle a possible emergency, we
have decided to hire one UFPD officer to supervise the event. We have decided not to serve
alcohol. If we had decided to serve alcohol, extra precautions and permits would be required.
The President's House will determine if security is required for other events. From more
research on the Presidentâs House website, we found that security will be provided by UPD and
arranged by the hosting organization. All charges will be paid directly to UPD as determined by
UPD, with a three-hour minimum. Prior to the event, the hosting organization will check with
UPD to determine if an event at the O'Connell Center will coincide with their event at the
President's House. There is a menâs basketball game the same day as our event, but fortunately
is away. UPD will be used to monitor VIP parking in the circular drive and direct all other guests
to the O'Connell Center, or alternative parking as required.
13. Utilities and Necessary Permitting
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Most of the utilities will be covered in the cost to rent the facility. Within the rental
agreement, the presidentâs house will provide the electricity, air conditioning and the sewage
utilities. Power, electricity and water are the utilities that will likely be used most for our event,
and even those are covered in the waived rental fee. It is possible that our UFAA speakers will
need some sort of AV equipment, such as a microphone or speaker system. In that case, we will
contact the catering company and rent what is necessary. The only other utilities that we
imagine can be crucial for our inside/outside open house is air conditioning and/or heat
because the event is taking place in December. The event will be taking place during the
daytime so it should not be unbearably cold.
We will not need any permits, such as digging or for alcohol, because the contract with
the venue handles those. The only case where we would need a digging permit, one used to
have the power to drive stakes into the ground, is in the scenario that the presidentâs house
wasnât already equipped with tents in the backyard. Since events take place almost every week,
the tents will already be up and the stakes will already have been approved and have necessary
permits.
Another permit that will not be required at this event is one for serving alcoholic
beverages. This permit is not needed for a few reasons, such as responsibility of the caterer
when serving alcoholic drinks. Since the caterer is already accepted by the venue, the liability
and permitting will fall on them. Also, our event will be taking place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and
we do not find it necessary to serve alcoholic beverages at this time. In the guidelines for the
presidentâs house, it states alcohol cannot be served before 5 p.m. on weekends.
14. Marketing and Media Relations
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For our event, we plan to market to the about 21,000 individuals on the list serve. We
plan to send an e-mail invitation to everyone, invite them and also encourage them to invite
their friends. Since UF is in Gainesville, we may choose to expand and invite some students or
faculty and staff members.
Because the event will be Dec. 5, the party is a holiday celebration and will be decorated
accordingly. Our group will be able to market the event as a Gator basketball viewing party,
with the holiday theme.
Possible marketing plans will can implement include: e-mailing the UFAA list serve, e-
mailing the SAA list serve and sending formal invitations to high-end campus officials inviting
them and a guest. Some of the high-end members may include Bernie Machen, Urban Meyer,
the student government president, deans of the colleges and other sports head coaches.
An idea we have considered is to distribute flyers in promotion of the event. A possible
flyer is with the statue of Albert in the background and information written on top of the photo.
The information will include location, time, date and who is hosting.
For media relations, we can write an article and pitch it to the Independent Florida
Alligator or The Gainesville Sun for publication, speak to media outlets such as WUFT-TV and
the Gainesville Television Network and compose a media release. The media release may be
distributed to different networks after the event has already been spoken about as a follow up.
Another wise decision may be to ask a reporter or reporting student to cover the event,
a way to promote the coming Gator Club and provide positive publicity for the UFAA. In
pitching the story to a reporting student, it may help more students understand the benefits of
15. becoming involved with the Student Alumni Association through the college years and joining
the UFAA upon college graduation.
The news article would state the purpose, benefits and reason for the new club. The
media release would include most of the same information, but would have one source for an
interview instead of the three for the news article.
16. Food, Beverages and Serving Methods
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All the food and beverages offered at the event will be catered by Cacciatore Catering
Company, the Presidentâs House specified catering company. Cacciatore Catering Company will
also be providing servers as part of the fee for using their company. It would be easier to use
outside donators and resources for the simple food and drinks, but in booking any type of event
at the Presidentâs House the renter is required to use Cacciatore Catering Company for all
needs. At this holiday-themed event, holiday drinks and deserts will be served.
Considering the event will be from around 2 p.m. until about 5 p.m., we can assume that
everyone has already eaten lunch and most people will eat dinner after leaving the venue. For
drinks, there will be Pepsi products. This will include Diet Pepsi, Pepsi, Mountain Dew and
Sierra Mist. Apple cider will be offered as the holiday refreshment. Since servers come with the
catering company fees, having a small bar set up outside and two servers serving the drinks
would make the process run much smoother. Having commonly requested drinks prepared
ahead of time will decrease the guests wait for drinks and allow more time for the guest to
meet one another, while also learning more about the gator club.
For food, we decided to provide a variety of different desserts. These desserts include
holiday designed cookies, apple pie, pecan pie, red velvet cake, vanilla cake, chocolate covered
pretzels and warm chocolate fudge brownies. The servers will also be available to assist guests
with retrieving their food. The desserts will be on a long table in the common area, before
stepping outside of the house. Since the event is inside and outside, all platters will have covers
provided by Cacciatore Catering Company.
17. The catering company will be providing many of the essentials needed for this event.
Not only will food be their primary concern, but Dean Cacciatore, the owner of Cacciatore
Catering Company assures us that any additional tables, chairs, cloths and necessities will be
available for use. The will take place in the afternoon of Dec. 5. Most of the time, the end of
November to beginning of December has cool weather. It is appropriate to assume the food
and beverage station should be a comfortable temperature. With all the holiday decorations,
along with the food and drinks, this event will be a once in a lifetime opportunity many will
want to come and experience.
The Atlanta Gator Club - A University of Florida Alumni Association Group. 2008. Web. 27 Oct.
2010. <http://www.atlgators.com/about/index.htm>.
18. Sponsorship and Donations
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We are not charging an entrance fee for our event. We have a budget of $1,000 from
the UFAA with the rental fee of the Presidentâs House being waived. For this reason, we do not
feel sponsorships are necessary because the estimated and expected cost is under $1,000.
We will not be accepting donations because the UFAA will be trying to sign members up
for the gator club. Since price of joining the UFAA is very costly, prices ranging from $300 to
$600 depending on when you join, we feel it more important for a table to be stationed for
membership than to collect donations.
19. Budget
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As a starting budget, the University of Florida Alumni Association agreed to give our
group $1,000 to host the event. Most of that, $775, was going to be used to rent the UFâs
Presidentâs House, but the Presidentâs House agreed to waive the rental fee for the UFAA. As a
result, $650 of our budget will now be used for food and beverages. In addition, we will spend
approximately $50 to rent a screen and projector or television so that the Gator menâs
basketball game can be shown at the event. Twenty dollars will go to creating and printing
flyers to help advertise for the event and $30 will be used to buy nametags and markers.
Because the event is for the UFAA, there are many advantages that we would not have
had otherwise. In the column titled âEstimated Costâ, approximate prices for items that would
have had to been purchased or rented if we werenât working with the UFAA and/or if the event
was hosted outside of Gainesville.
21. Meet-and-Greet at the UF Presidentâs House.
The Title Town Gator Club cordially invites you to attend a holiday themed meet-and-greet at the University of Florida
Presidentâs House. Come out and learn more about the new Title Town Gator Club and what the it has to offer. Enjoy
snacks and drinks while the Gator menâs basketball team takes on American University.
Parking is available at the Stephen C. OâConnell Center parking lot.
Dec. 5, 2010 from 2 to 5 p.m.
2151 W. University Ave., Gainesville, FL 32603
Title Town Gator Club