MAIN ACTIVITIES

 

BANDS

 

Before the event, a soundcheck should have been held so we knew what levels of sound to use for each artist. We found that the sound was having to be trialled before each band’s set, therefore delaying the performances and making them appear unprofessional. The final volumes ended up being too loud as well which in turn gathered noise complaints from upstairs. The volume of the bands also meant it was hard to talk to visitors and do the tours.

Some bands dealt with being shut down quite well, with The Crave reverting to an acoustic set instead which ended up being a success. The first band was extremely professional however - they kept turning up their microphones/amps and saying inappropriate things into the microphone.

The location of the performances being by the entrance made it a very busy and hectic area when it was already busy which caused more stress for us than what we anticipated.

The music performed by the bands was the wrong kind for the type of event it was - it was too specialist and only suitable for a niche audience.

 

For future open evenings, having DJs as well as a variety of artists performing different genres will be a lot better and attract a wider audience. 

Hosting the performances somewhere else - like the Theatre Bar - will also be another welcome change as it will keep the reception area clear and will not receive noise complaints. 

Having artists sending in their music and hosting a meeting with them all before to discuss what we expect in terms of behaviour and performance as well as a soundcheck will benefit everyone greatly too as we can set down rules and a timetable and be well-prepared for the performances.

 

TOURS

 

The tours were the responsibility of the theatre students but on the night people noticed that no one was talking to the parents, so a lot of the music students got involved and took over.

 

They ended up being really successful and there is nothing to change about them, except better communication before the next night with who will be running them.

 

PHOTOBOOTH

 

The photobooth was a great idea and was set up well, but on the night we found that not many people wanted to take part. It seemed that the prospective students who came with parents did not want to get involved, most likely due to shyness or embarrassment around their parents.

The location was definitely another factor in why people did not want to get involved - the photobooth being by reception in an open area meant it was exposed to many different visitors and no one wanted to be watched or judged by them.

Hosting this early in the school year was potentially another reason why hardly anyone got involved. Normally with open evenings, those held early in the school year are attended by prospective students with their parents. As the year progresses, the students start to come with friends instead. Groups of friends are more likely to use the photobooth than those who are with parents. Most attendees were with parents this time round and were therefore less willing to get involved.

As the night went on, we became more disheartened with the lack of people showing interest in the photobooth and so started to sit around and use our phones next to it, essentially giving up. This must have come across uninviting and intimidating for those passing which we did not realise at the time and could have potentially put some people off using it.

 

Next time, we will need to do more research into how successful photobooths run and how to adapt the current setup we have to attract more people to it.

The location of the photobooth should also be moved to the Theatre Bar. The area is more intimate and those who can legally use the bar may have a drink which would in turn potentially make them more willing to use the photobooth. The area as a whole is a fun one full of excitement and would attract more people to take photos at our activity as it is away from the crowds in the reception area and has a really nice atmosphere.

 

GRAFFITI WALL

 

Overall, this was extremely positive. It went extremely well, with the whole sheet being filled up with art, names, Instagram handles, etc. Those running it also found it was a great networking area for prospective students and their parents as it was welcoming and gave them the chance to talk to the current students at the wall.

 

The only aspect of it that needs changing is for it to be on a wall next time and not just on a table as it did get too crowded at times and would be on display for everyone.

 

MAP

 

The map turned out amazing and looked really good on display. It took a long time to set up but was worth it from the amount of interest it gained from the visitors. Quotes from the college were on one side, with the other left free for the visitors to add theirs to which they did.

 

Next time, we will need to make it bigger as there was a lot contributed to it and we only had limited space to fit it all in. Just like the graffiti one, we will put it on a wall instead of a table too as it got crowded and would be easier for people to fit.

 

FILM

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I contributed to the production of the film alongside Ellie and Grace. It was a tour of Northbrook MET as well as day-to-day life there. The plan was to have it running on a loop on the various TVs around the college but this did not happen in the end due to a fault getting it to play on them. For the next open evening, we will need to work with the technicians to overcome the technical issues and ensure it is played.

 

OVERALL

 

It was a long day due to us having a full day at college before the evening, preparing and setting everything up. Everyone was tired and a lot of motivation was lost which in turn impacted our involvement in the event. A few of us ended up leaving early due to the photobooth not being a success and it did have an effect on our moods.

All the activities we hosted were held in the reception area which did cause it to overcrowd and made it quite hectic. We need to relocate a few of them next time (like putting the bands and Photobooth in the Theatre Bar, for example) to ensure this does not happen again as it became quite a challenge to keep an eye on everything and keep things running smoothly.

One key thing we need to improve on is group communication. As the date got closer, we realised we had not communicated well, with some things not done that were supposed to be and pieces of key information missing. If people were off, we found it hard to get things done due to them having things that others did not, etc. It is something we need to focus and improve on as a group as we relied on each other too much which did backfire whenever someone was away or ill.

Something we missed was maps, flyers and surveys. These were planned out before, but did not seem to happen due to our lack of group communication. The maps and flyers would have been extremely helpful for visitors to get an idea of where they are going and what events were taking place and when. The surveys were for us to get public feedback on the college and how they thought the open evening was which would have been a great help to us for planning future ones.

 

Next time, the things we need to focus on are more research into activities beforehand and better group communication to ensure the next open evening runs much smoother and is amazing for prospective students and parents visiting.

 

HEALTH AND SAFETY

 

We did not undertake any health & safety checks before which was a huge risk we should not have taken. Whilst everything was fine and there were no health & safety issues, if something did happen we would not have been prepared and it could have had serious consequences.

 

Next time, a risk assessment of each activity will need to be held prior to the open evening. Potential risks we will need to be checking for include loose wires, flammable equipment, crowd control, structures collapsing, not enough lighting, slip hazards, and noise levels. Solutions will be needed for all of these for each activity incase of one of them happening.

 

We will also need an Event Action Plan in place for our activities. This includes a full schedule of the working day and potential risks. Contingencies will also need to be noted down incase of an emergency which ruins the plans and the risks it brings with it. We will need to ensure everyone involved is aware of this and kept in the loop as it could have serious consequences if not everyone knows it.

 

Doing an Audience Profile before will also give us an idea of who will be attending and what they may be like to help us prepare for the evening. As it is a college open evening, it will be prospective students and their parents and so we need to plan everything around what will interest them and make them want to attend Northbrook MET.