How To Organize A Speaker Series Event

Motivate Students At Your University To Volunteer With Unite For Sight & Encourage Them To Eliminate Preventable Blindness, Too!

Why is it important to have campus speaker events?

What is the time commitment required?

It should require approximately 5 hours to plan and organize an event.

How do I organize an event at my university?

Initial Planning

  1. By email or telephone, contact your university's study abroad office, prehealth advising office, career counseling office, public service department, student affairs office, or a similar campus office. Tell them that your chapter would like to host a speaker series event.
  2. Set a date and time for the event. Try to avoid times of the year when many people are taking exams. Also avoid the very beginning of academic terms since you will need some time to publicize the event.
  3. Reserve a room at your university. Determine availability of Audio Visual equipment.
  4. Be sure not to spend any money on the event; food or other perks are not needed. If a university office or department would like to donate food, that is great, but obviously not necessary.

2 Weeks Prior To Event

  1. Send an email announcement to university listserves, student groups, and departments, to publicize the event.
  2. Put up posters around campus
  3. Send a Facebook event invitation to all of your friends to tell them about your upcoming speaking engagement
  4. Send a press release to campus newspapers.

1 Week Prior To Event

  1. Re-send email announcements to university listserves, student groups, and departments.
  2. Put up new posters around campus if your original posters are no longer visible

3 Days Prior To Event

  1. Re-send email announcements to university listserves, student groups, and departments.

What type of announcement should I email to listserves, student groups, and departments?

You should draw a diverse crowd, and advertise the event to the entire student body, not only those who are involved with Unite For Sight.

"<INSERT TITLE OF PRESENTATION>" Presented By Unite For Sight <INSERT UNIVERSITY NAME> Chapter

Learn About Global Health From An Expert <INSERT GHANAIAN/INDIAN> Physician

What: <INSERT PRESENTER'S NAME>, MD, <INSERT GHANA/INDIA> will speak about global health and international eye care

When: <INSERT TIME AND DATE>

Where: <INSERT LOCATION>

<INSERT SPEAKER'S BIO>

For More Information: <INSERT YOUR NAME>, Unite For Sight Chapter - <INSERT YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS>

UFS@uniteforsight.org, Unite For Sight

How do I involve the campus newspapers?

You can submit an article about your upcoming speaking engagement to campus press, local newspapers, and even television outlets. You can use the Unite For Sight sample press release as an effective way to publicize the event.

We suggest that you:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[INSERT DATE]
CONTACT: [INSERT YOUR  NAME AND PHONE NUMBER]

[INSERT YOUR CITY AND STATE] – On <INSERT SPEAKING EVENT DATE AND TIME>, <INSERT SPEAKER NAME> will speak at <INSERT LOCATION> about "INSERT PRESENTATION TITLE." The presentation will discuss global health and international eye care.The event is free and open to the public.

This event will provide an important perspective on global health from the perspective of a <GHANAIAN/INDIAN> physician. <INSERT 3-4 SENTENCES OF SPEAKER BIO>

The event is hosted by the Unite For Sight <INSERT UNIVERSITY NAME> Chapter. The university chapter is one of 50 Unite For Sight chapters throughout North America. Unite For Sight (www.uniteforsight.org) is a nonprofit organization that empowers communities worldwide to improve eye health and eliminate preventable blindness. 

For more information about Unite For Sight, contact:
Unite For Sight Phone: (203) 404-4900, Email: ufs@uniteforsight.org  Website: www.uniteforsight.org

How can I host a speaker event in which a Ghanaian or Indian partner ophthalmologist or ophthalmic nurse would speak on my campus about eye care and international health?

  1. Your chapter or university would need to fund domestic travel within the U.S. as well as the local lodging and food expenses while the eye care professional is at your campus.
  2. If you would like to orgainze the speaking event, contact Jennifer Staple. It is best to begin planning the event at least 6-8 months in advance, but it may be possible to coordinate an event with a shorter lead time.