Choosing a Date

Choosing a Location

Before contacting Tony, please determine the following:

1) Type of event

2) Size of audience

3) Food being served (some on-campus sites require the use of MIT Catering for any food service; these include the Stratton Student Center, Kresge, and Tang Memorial Center. MIT Catering Foodservice can be booked also via Christine)

4) Room set-up required

5) Date and time of event (have two or three options on dates ready) In all cases, the MIT Club of Boston assumes responsibility for any charges incurred for such meeting arrangements. It is important that instructions be followed. If a room is not left in proper order, the club will be charged.

6) A/V needs. This is particularly important for rooms where an A/V representative might be required to unlock facilities (e.g. Kirsh Auditorium in the Stata Center).

NOTE: if you are holding an event during the weekend or later in the evening, MAKE SURE that the building will be accessible by people without key cards...and if you don't already have one, it would be a good idea to get an alumni ID. These will let you into many of the after-hours locked doors on campus. We have run into problems in the past where the Stata Center was locked so alumni without IDs had a hard time getting into our event. We have also run into cases where alumni did NOT have ID showing that they were alums, which caused some friction with Campus Police who were tasked with keeping non-MIT-Community from using on-campus rooms without permission. If you need to gain access, first try calling the Campus Activities Complex: (617) 253-3913.

Setting a Price

Using Evites for Tracking Event Registrations

If your event requires payment, you should use SmarTrans (http://alum.mit.edu/smarTrans/user/Home.dyn) instead.

1) To create an evite, go to: http://www.evite.com

2) Log on, new users will need to register. Our tests creating accounts have generated no spam messages since October 2002, so they don't appear to share their email lists of registered people.

3) Click on the "Create Your Evite" tab.

4) Fill in the required fields for the Evite. Under "Guest List," if this is a meeting of your committee, put all the email addresses of the committee members. If this is a club-wide event, don't put down a huge list. In either case, add " This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it " as a guest. Under "Message to Guests" write the description of the event.

5) (optional) Click on "Design Options", then "View Design Gallery" and then select the "Basic Designs" gallery, and on the second page, select "Grey."

6) (optional) If you need to collect any information about the attendees, such as what type of food they would like if there is a menu choice, etc, click on the "Ask Your Guests" tab, then write in the questions.

7) Under "Change Guest Reminders," under the "Create a Custom Link" section, fill in the box with an event name and remember the "tag" that you entered in the box. You will use it again in the Event Posting form on the club's web site. I have been using YYMMDD as an event name.

8) Check it over for accuracy

9) Send the Evite

10) (optional) Make the Boston Club the event organizer. There is an option "change organizer" from the editing pages, click on it and make This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it the organizer. The disadvantage of this is now you can not go in and edit the evite site (only the organizer, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it can) so before completing this step make sure the description is correct and includes all relevant information such as time, day, location, directions, price, description, etc.

If you have any questions or problems, email Henry Houh at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Using SmarTrans to Create and Manage Events

If you are a listed officer of the club, you already have permission to create and manage events. If you need permission, please contact the VP of Programs to arrange for it.

SmarTrans is located at: http://alum.mit.edu/smarTrans/user/Home.dyn

Setting up a basic event in SmarTrans is very straighforward. To create a SmarTrans event:

1) Go to: http://alum.mit.edu/smarTrans/user/Home.dyn

2) Log in using your Infinite Connection account and password.

3) Click on "Events Management"

4) Click on the "Create a New Event" button (it is a graphical button).

5) Read the "Notes for First Time Users," then click on the "Create Form" button.

6) Fill in all the required information, and select the options you may desire, such as "Receive Registration Email," then click the "Continue" button.

7) Fill in the ticket types and costs. Don't forget to check the ticket type if you want it published. Click on the "Save Ticket Types" button.

8) You may add Meal Options, Event Options, or Survey Questions by click on the appropriate button. To continue, click on the "Save Form" button.

9) For the event web site, use http://bostonclub.mit.edu since long URLs are truncated and thus fail to work.

10) Click on the "Event List" menu item in the left-hand side navigation bar.

11) You should see your event on the list somewhere. Look at the URL carefully (it starts with: "https://"). Somewhere on that line there is "eventID=NNN" where NNN is s number. Copy this value as your SmarTrans event URL. You will be using it later when you post the event for publicity using the 'Add an event' or 'Submit Event' form--put this URL in the "Additional Info" box, so people will be able to click the link to register. 

12) That's it!

Speaker biographies

Arrange for helpers/Student Ambassadors

For large events, you may request official student ambassadors to help. Contact Melissa Marquardt at ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 617-253-8244) to arrange for some.

What to bring to the event

The sign-in sheet can be downloaded at: http://alumweb.mit.edu/clubs/boston/planguide/signup.pdf

There are also a number of "Event Kits" which contain event supplies such as name tags, markers, and tape. Contact the VP of Programs Eric Sit ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) to arrange to get one.

Also, if you can, please bring a camera to take photos of the event. After the event, post them on the website: Go to Photo Galleries in left pane, choose the appropriate album category into which you want to add your album, and choose "Edit Album" in the dropdown box included in that category. This will bring up a management page that allows you to add albums into the category and add pictures and captions as desired.

Arranging for payments

Choosing an RSVP date

If you *really want* your event to post to eNews the weekend before your event, set your RSVP deadline to the Monday before your event and make sure you can handle RSVPs up to that date.

Events will post to the web site as soon as they have been approved by a user with Publishing rights (or as soon as you post if you have Publishing rights). Events will be posted in eNews for a period of 3 weeks before the RSVP deadline or before the event. Note that if eNews comes out after the RSVP deadline but before the event, your event will not be in eNews the weekend before your event.