Want Bigger Attendance at Your Event? Make Sure You Advertise the Free Food

Only three students attended a discussion last week with Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Michael D. Smith about what they want to see in the next Dean of the College. It was on a Thursday night, and it was in the Quad, but that’s still pretty embarrassing.

Flyby put together some suggestions for administrators to keep in mind for future events if they want to attract some student attendance.

1. Free food

2. Free food

3. Advertise the free food

4. The free food must taste good

Think back to all the successful discussions and events that you’ve attended. Regardless of the subject matter or setting, one variable held constant in every situation: there was fantastic food. The last discussion session in your House common room may have been practically empty, but we bet there was a line out the door for Insomnia Cookies at your last study break. [1]

5. Host it on any day EXCEPT a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.

If you think that your average student is going to choose a sit-down meeting with a dean over going to a party, you need a reality check.

6. Include buzzwords in the event title.

Let’s think, are students more likely to open an email with a subject title of “Discussion about the New Dean,” or “SEX, CONDOMS, FREE NOCH’S”? (Again, the importance of free food can not be stressed enough.)

7. Quad = No

Best case scenario, you will get two students from Cabot, and maybe one from Pfoho or Currier, to come to your talk in Cabot d-hall. You will get exactly zero students from Dunster or Mather, or any River House, for that matter.

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[1] Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, such as mandatory attendance rules for comp events or discussions with celebrities such as Lady Gaga.