Club fairs

RIT hosts several club fairs throughout the year. Since RITlug is a recognized student organization, RITlug can attend to attract new members. Event attendance is optional, but must be organized by the eboard.

Incoming students club fair

Three to four club fairs are held around the year. However, the club fair held for incoming students at the beginning of fall semester is the largest. This is the best way to attract interest from incoming freshmen or transfer students. This is an important event for RITlug to participate in.

The incoming students club fair is usually held the weekend before the first day of classes. This falls towards the end of the week for freshman orientation. Participating members should plan an arrival to Rochester in time for the fair.

To attend, clubs must fill out a registration form sent by the RIT clubs office towards the end of spring semester. The content of the form varies, but usually requests the following information:

  • Name / information about club
  • Number of participants at table (for chairs)
  • Whether power is needed

The form is not complex, but must be filled out on time. Typically, the deadline is in the middle of summer. Watch for communication by the RIT clubs office towards the end of spring semester for more information.

Staffing

Two eboard members are required to staff a table at a club fair. Three members are recommended, to better handle questions and take breaks. Additionally, general members can participate at the table as an involvement opportunity. Any number of members may participate, depending on the size of the fair.

Anyone staffing the table should be prepared to speak to people. It is a good idea to think about the “elevator pitch” for the club before the fair. This can include what RITlug focuses on, what we do in our meetings, and any active projects in the club.

Preparation and setup

Register for fair

Follow these steps to register and prepare for the club fair first:

  1. Register for club fair (watch for RIT clubs office newsletters to register)
  2. Request chairs and access to power
  3. Create sign-up form on Google Drive to collect email addresses of anyone interested (include name, email, year, interest areas)

Packing list

Prepare for the club fair by assembling these items:

  • Tablecloth (x1)
  • Printed RITlug banner (x1)
  • Laptops (x2)
  • Monitors (x2)
  • USB keyboard (x1)
  • USB mouse (x1)
  • Printed brochures / handouts
  • Any projects to display

Day-of setup

On the day of the club fair, follow these steps:

  1. Spread out tablecloth across table
  2. Hang RITlug banner across table
  3. Set up monitors and connect them to laptops
  4. Display club website on one monitor, Google Drive form on other
    • Keyboard and mouse should be attached to laptop with Google Drive form

Post-fair follow-up

  • Write personal email to new addresses to introduce them to club, website, how to get involved (as a one-time message)
  • Add email addresses from Google Drive form to Google Groups mailing list (see How to send email announcements)

Be careful about sending too many emails. Too many emails may have the inverse effect.

Additionally, the RITlug eboard should hold a retrospective in the next eboard meeting to evaluate how it went. This Runbook page should be a part of the discussion. Be sure to update anything on this page based on how a club fair went or improvements for next time.