MOST OUTSTANDING NEW EVENT NOMINEE
Vietnamese Student Association at Louisiana State University (VSA-LSU)
Pandan Party
Provide a detailed description of the event and the population it served. Details MUST include: date of event, number of participants, program purpose (goals, objectives, etc.), use of resources (finances, community support, etc.), and marketing techniques.
Event Description: The Pandan Party event was a spin on the traditional game night that looked to appeal to a wider range of people. Instead of the games being the main focus, they were more of a supporting aspect for what was an event focused on interaction and socialization between potential new members, returning members, and the e-board with free pandan waffles provided for attendees. The Pandan Party also featured the reveal of the Freshman Representative at its conclusion, encouraging attendees to stay to the end. 88 sign-ins were recorded, 36% of which being freshmen, and was very successful in creating interactions between freshman class attendees and the VSA community. Desks were moved into “tables” and attendees were encouraged to play games with new people. It was successful in this sense, lots of new friendships were visibly seen being made; could see the formation of new friend groups before our eyes. The materials required to put on this event included the ingredients of the pre-homemade pandan waffle mix, waffle makers (waffles were cooked to order on-site), serving and cleaning supplies (utensils, napkins, wipes, etc.), and board games that were brought by e-board and by attendees. Originally the waffles were meant to be sold, not given for free, however issues with the flour used in the batter lead to them being given out for free. This was an unintentionally successful move however, as the batter was able to be fixed and the free waffles ended up tasting very good, and were one of the best parts of the event, aiding the social aspect, and all the batter was able to be used. The batter was paid for out of pocket, and the rest of the supplies used came from inventory or were free, so overall cost to VSA-LSU was $0. Overall a rebrand on the original game night idea became a very successful social event with lots of potential for repeat success in the coming year.
What inspired your organization to create this new event?
Pandan Party was a new and unique twist to a traditional game night to be introduce the new Freshmen Representative to a large amount of people, mostly freshmen. This allowed this social event to flourish and attract many freshmen with the appeal of games and food.
What efforts were used to motivate and involve the organization's members?
To motivate the members, we advertised the free pandan waffles that we were giving out at the event! We also made sure to advertise it to as many people as we can, especially freshmen. We advertised via instagram posts and stories, as well as word of mouth.
Did the organization overcome any challenges that arose while planning and implementing the event? How?
Originally the waffles were meant to be sold, not given for free, however issues with the flour used in the batter lead to them being given out for free. This was an unintentionally successful move however, as the batter was able to be fixed and the free waffles ended up tasting very good, and were one of the best parts of the event, aiding the social aspect, and all the batter was able to be used.
