Date, Time, Location, and Target Audience matter on the event request form, and the venue manager contact isn't required

Think like a planner: the new event request form is your first map, not your finish line. For students exploring the basics of campus event planning, it helps to know which details truly move a proposal forward—and which pieces can wait for a later step. The big takeaway here is simple: you don’t need every contact in hand to get the ball rolling. You do need a clear sense of when, where, and for whom the event is intended.

What actually needs to be on the form?

Let’s start with the essentials. When you’re proposing an event, three pieces of information are foundational:

• The Event Date and Time: This tells the team when you want things to happen. It helps with scheduling spaces, coordinating staffing, and avoiding conflicts with other activities. If your timing is flexible, that’s fine—state your preferred window and note any must-haves (for example, “Friday afternoon” or “before 6 PM on a weekday”). Clarity here saves a lot of back-and-forth.

• The Event Location: Even in the earliest draft, you need a sense of where you want the event to happen. Is it a classroom, a gym, a multipurpose room, or an outdoor quad? The location impacts setup needs, equipment, and accessibility. If you’re still exploring options, you can propose a few possibilities and explain the trade-offs.

• The Target Audience: Who is this event for? Students in a specific program, a department, or the whole student body? Understanding the audience helps the team size rooms appropriately, plan for accessibility, and tailor your messaging. It also signals what resources might be appropriate—think seating, A/V, and promotional channels.

In other words, the core elements center on timing, space, and people. These are the building blocks that let staff assess feasibility, reserve a space, and estimate basic resources. Without them, a proposal is too vague to review effectively.

The Venue Manager/Contact Person: useful, but not mandatory at the start

Now, here’s the piece that sometimes causes a moment’s hesitation: the Event Venue Manager or a dedicated contact for the space. You might think you must lock this person in before you can go ahead, or that the form won’t be considered without it. Not so.

The correct takeaway is this: having a Venue Manager or a point of contact for the location is valuable for logistics, questions, and coordination. It’s the person who can confirm availability, discuss setup limitations, or approve certain equipment. However, it’s not strictly necessary to include that contact on the initial event request form. Why? Because the earliest goal is to establish the event’s purpose and scope. Once the proposal is approved in principle, the planning team will connect you with the right venue partner to finalize details.

Think of it like sending a note to a friend about a potential get-together. You don’t need to know every backup plan to reach out and see if someone is free. You just need to say what you’re planning, when you’d like to host it, and who it’s for. Then, once interest is confirmed, you loop in the venue contact to hammer out the practicalities.

A practical starter form: what it could look like

If you’re building a quick, clean submission, here’s a sensible template you can adapt. Keep it tight, but informative:

• Event name or title: A quick, descriptive label.

• Event Date and Time: Proposed start time and duration; include a window if flexible.

• Event Location: A preferred space or a few options with notes on requirements.

• Target Audience: Who you’re inviting or aiming to serve.

• Brief Event Description: 2–3 concise sentences outlining purpose, format (talk, workshop, panel, performance), and expected outcomes.

• Key Needs or Dependencies: A short list (A/V, seating, accessibility, food, registration, etc.).

• Priority or Urgency: Is there a hard deadline or is it flexible?

• Optional: Venue Manager/Contact (if already known): Even if you don’t include it, note that it can be added later.

That last line matters. If you know the venue contact already, you can include it, but it isn’t a blocker if you don’t. The important thing is clarity about what you want to achieve and a realistic sense of when and where.

Why these elements matter for student planners

Let me explain with a quick mental movie. Imagine you’re proposing a student-led panel on digital literacy for a Friday afternoon. If you skip the Date/Time, you’re asking the review team to guess when this might fit, which slows things down. If you don’t name a location or a room type, staff can’t judge whether the space suits the panel’s format (will you need a lectern, a large screen, or wireless mic coverage?). And without a target audience, you’re guessing who should be invited, which makes it hard to allocate invites or promote the event accurately.

With the essential fields filled, the planning team can do something real: check space availability, propose a responsive venue, estimate staffing, and begin the logistical conversations that turn a good idea into a live event. The venue contact can come in as the next act—once the plan is greenlit—so you’re not stuck waiting for permission before you’ve even defined the scope.

From form to final prep: a smooth handoff

Here’s how the process typically unfolds once you submit a clean starter form:

• Review and scoping: An events coordinator glances at the proposal, checks the calendar, and assesses basic feasibility.

• Venue connection: If the space is viable, a venue manager or coordinator is looped in to confirm availability and discuss specifics like load-in, seating layout, and A/V needs.

• Resource planning: The team weighs staffing, security, accessibility, and any campus approvals. This is where the real questions start—do you need catering, registration, or special accommodations?

• Promotion and registration: With a clear audience and date, you can begin targeted outreach, sending invites, and setting up a simple registration system if needed.

• Final approvals and logistics: Contracts, approvals, and the detailed run-of-show come into focus. The more precise your initial form, the fewer circles back you’ll deal with.

The goal, always, is clarity and momentum. The form is the bridge from an idea to a plan that staff can act on. If you can convey the what, when, and who, you’re already halfway there.

Tips that make you look like a planning pro

• Be decisive but flexible: If your date is fixed, say so. If not, offer a window and note flexibility. People on the other end will appreciate knowing what’s anchor and what’s negotiable.

• Prioritize accessibility: Mention any needs (wheelchair access, captioning, quiet space). It shows you’re thinking about everyone in your audience.

• Keep descriptions concrete: Instead of “a great discussion,” say “a 60-minute panel with three speakers, Q&A, and a 15-minute wrap.” Specifics reduce guesswork.

• Use simple language: You don’t need fancy jargon to be taken seriously. Short sentences and plain terms speed review.

• Attach a rough attendance estimate: If you expect 40–60 attendees, note it. It helps with space and staffing planning.

• Include a rough budget note if relevant: It’s not mandatory in every form, but a ballpark helps determine feasibility and sponsor support.

Common myths to watch out for

• Myth: The form must be perfect before submission. Reality: It should be clear, complete enough to review, and open to refinement. A good starting point beats a perfect draft that never gets sent.

• Myth: You must lock in a venue contact first. Reality: You can start without it. The right person for the space will be connected later in the process.

• Myth: The form is only for big events. Reality: Small, well-planned events benefit just as much. Clear intent and audience awareness help every size of gathering.

A little realism, a lot of usefulness

Event planning is a team sport. You’re not responsible for every decision on day one, but you are responsible for making the first move with clarity. When you fill out the essential fields—date/time, location, and audience—you’re giving the planning team a solid foundation. And if a venue contact isn’t ready yet, that’s not a failure; it’s simply a signal to move forward with what you can control.

As you practice these steps, you’ll notice a natural rhythm emerging. You’ll start recognizing what details truly matter early on and what can wait for a later stage. It becomes less about chasing perfection and more about maintaining momentum. After all, the best events are the ones where the pieces come together in a way that feels inevitable—like they were meant to happen because everyone involved could see the path clearly.

A final nudge for students exploring event basics

Next time you’re asked to draft an event request, start with the three essentials. If you already know a venue contact, great—include it. If you don’t, that’s perfectly fine. You’ll likely meet that person soon after your initial submission, when the plan is already visible and the goal is in sight. The form is your pointer toward action, not a fence that stops you.

If you want a quick sanity check before you hit submit, run through this mini-test in your head: Do I have a clear date and time? Is the location described with some options? Have I defined the audience or purpose? If you can answer yes, you’re likely in a strong position to move forward.

And finally, remember this: successful events don’t hinge on having every single detail locked in from the start. They hinge on clarity, collaboration, and a practical sense of what will actually happen on the day. The new event request form is a tool to capture those realities—nothing more, nothing less.

If you’re curious about how real-world event teams navigate the early stages, look for templates from campus programs, student organizations, or local venues. You’ll notice the same pattern: a clean starter form, a quick turn of talk with the venue team, and then a well-structured plan that brings people together for a purpose that matters. That’s the heart of UHC events basics in action—practical, approachable, and built for students who want to turn ideas into gathers worth remembering.