Writing An Event Proposal
You can scope and write your event proposal to suit your event’s needs. The following No. 1 – 9 are recommended considerations when writing your event proposal.
1. Define Event Objectives & Goals
Before jumping in to plan for your events, you would need to establish your event objectives and goals. By taking this step, your planning will be much easier and more focused!
You may reference this “S.M.A.R.T” objectives and goals setting model:
Specific (simple, sensible, significant)
- Measurable (meaningful, motivating)
- Achievable (agreed, attainable)
- Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
- Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive)
Source: MindTools.com
Check out our Event Management Resources folder that will provide useful guidelines and tips to assist in your event planning. Resources like the Guide to Inclusive Event Planning, and Sustainability Guide contains useful tips that will enhance the event experience for all.
2. Programme Details (Date, Time, Venue & Audience)
Date and Time
Date and time of event are key elements when planning an event. Take a look at the NUSync Event Calendar as well as resources such as NUS Calendar of Events, Faculty Calendars before setting a date and time. Note: These calendars are not made to be exhaustive but to provide a general overview of the happening on campus.
Finding a Venue
On campus facilities are available for booking, find out more. This folder resides inside our bigger Events Management Folder, which you can access at our Get Organised page.
| NUSSU Student Lounge | services@nussu.org.sg |
| YIH Rooms | https://reboks.nus.edu.sg/ or yihvenues@nus.edu.sg for groups without Reboks account |
| Sport Halls | https://reboks.nus.edu.sg/ |
| UTown Facilities | https://uci.nus.edu.sg/suu/facilities-booking/facilities-booking-utown-non-residential-facilities/ |
| Faculty Facilities | Contact respective Faculty Dean’s Office for faculty booking. Your staff advisor’s approval is needed. |
Audience
In your proposal, share your audience profile, are they all Tertiary students in Singapore, NUS students, all undergraduates, all members of your student organisation or the general public? By identifying your audience and the expected turnout help you to develop your event plan and later on, your communication strategies.
3. Budget Allocation and Breakdown
You would need to find out each part of your event that could potentially incur a cost. This is starting point that you can continue to refine along the way as you talk to partners and vendors in order to receive an accurate allocation of your budget. Here are some areas of expenditure to get you started -
- Events venue rental and set-up
- Publicity including production of marketing collaterals
- Catering
- T-shirts and apparel
- Logistics such as vehicle rental
4. Protocols for Events with Guest-of-Honour (GOH)
Any correspondence with the President of the Republic of Singapore (State President), the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament who simultaneously hold office as Ministers, and foreign Ambassadors/ High Commissioners in Singapore has to be approved by OSA.
Please refer to the VIP Category table below for more information on the lead time required. For all other VIPs not listed that you would wish to invite, do inform OSA as well. Log onto NUSync to view reference documents for the detailed process and write in a request.
The list of Singapore Cabinet appointments is available here.
| 1. State President 2. Prime Minister and Minister for Finance 3. Senior Minister | 1. Invitations to be sent to OSA 6 months in advance. 2. All student organisations to go through OSA, which will liaise with UCO. |
| 1. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry 2. Minister for Education | 1. Invitations to be sent to OSA 3 months in advance. 2. OSA is the point of contact for all invitations from NUS student organisations to VIPs in this category. |
5. Application of External Licenses & Permits (Entertainment, Fund-raising & etc)
COMPASS Permit
Permits are issued to organisers of ad-hoc events. Any event other than a dramatico-musical work, an oratorio or other choral work, or a ballet, would require a Permit from COMPASS if it involves the public performance of Copyright musical works. Examples of parties who require Permits are organisers of concerts, exhibitions, promotional events, dinner & dances, carnivals and fun fairs.
Click for more information.
Motion Picture Permit
Whenever audiovisual content, whether films or TV shows on DVD/Blu-ray, downloads, streaming, broadcast television, pay TV and video on demand are being viewed outside the private home it is considered a ‘public performance’ where legal authorisation is needed to avoid copyright infringement.
MPLC licences these public exhibitions - the right for an audience to view all audiovisual content in a public location, such as retailers, waiting rooms, reception areas, bars & restaurants, coaches, activity centres, schools, children’s nurseries, care homes etc.
Click here for more information.
Fundraising Permit
Fundraising activities are broadly categorised into 2 types:
a) Internal Fundraising - are activities conducted on campus by a student organisation to solicit and raise funds in support of activities and events organised by them.
b) External Fundraising - are activities conducted both on campus and off campus by a student organisation to raise funds in support of Social Service Agencies and other Charitable Organisations. Funds raised may be solicited from members of the public.
House-to-House and Street Collections (HHSC) Licence must be applied for all external fundraising activities. All applications for HHSC must be supported and approved by the staff advisor of the student organisation.
Student organisations conducting collection activities are required to obtain approvals from the relevant government agencies before applying for a HHSC Licence for e.g. National Environment Agency (NEA) for the collection of recyclable items such as old electrical appliances, old clothes and old newspapers. Click for more information.
6. Safety & Security Management
There are many factors of safety considerations when planning your events. From handling of materials to electrical and structural work to traffic control and hydration plan, you would need to be aware of these safety factors.
All Safety & Crisis Management plans should be approved by your staff advisor and submitted to Office of Safety, Health and Environment (OSHE) for review.
Safety & Crisis Management Workshop (conducted by OSHE)
- Safety Management Plan
- Overseas Trips Safety Guidelines
For additional information, click on "Event & Activity Safety" in myPortal@NUS.
7. Catering, Food and Beverage
Catering
For catering of food, you can enquire to view the Catering catalogue through department/faculty staff advisors or click here.
*Not applicable to Registered Societies
Food & Beverages Preparation
To ensure that food hygiene and food safety is maintained, organisers of events should take note of the following guidelines governing the sale, provision and free sampling/tasting of food and drinks in NUS campuses.
Do’s
- Only pre-packed food and drinks in sealed containers obtained from licensed caterers or food factories can be sold.
- Reheating of such pre-packed and sealed food using microwave oven is allowed.
- All food for sale is to be displayed in proper showcase or appropriate storage means.
- Ice-cream sellers, including those on motorcycles, are allowed to sell pre-packed ice-cream in sealed packets provided they have the relevant SFA (Singapore Food Agency) license to sell ice-cream at an outdoor venue.
- On a case-to-case basis and with the approval of the staff advisor, ice cream, popcorn and candy floss may be prepared on the spot and given away free. Otherwise, they are to be sold in pre-packed packets.
Examples of pre-packed food and drinks:
- Pre-packed ice cream in sealed packets.
- Sandwiches in sealed packets.
- Bubble-tea in sealed plastic cups.
- Unopened canned drinks.
Examples of food and beverage that is not allowed:
- Home cooked/ prepared food and drinks are not allowed to be sold at bazaars or allowed for free sampling.
- Preparation and cooking of food or washing of utensils are prohibited at the bazaars.
- Sale of cut-fruits is not permitted.
Alcohol
Please refer to Code of Student Conduct (point 15 & 16).
8. Vehicle Rental
There is also a catalogue for Vehicle Rental that you can view at Student Leaders Resources> Finance & Procurement> Procurement> Period Contract/ Catalogue Buy> Vehicle Rental
*Not applicable to Registered Societies
9. Endorsement, Sponsorship & Advertising Guidelines
You can view the file at Student Leaders Resources> Sponsorship & Donations > Policy on Endorsement, Sponsorship and Advertising.
Another useful document would be NUSSU's Sponsorship Guidelines, crafted by NUSSU for the entire student body to align with sponsorship practices.
*Not applicable to Registered Societies