How to energize your BDE and student associations?

Boosting your BDE and student associations is a key issue to create a real campus life. By strengthening the internal organization, by offering significant events, improving communication and promoting commitment, your association will become essential. Discover our practical tips for boosting your BDE.

Summary :

1. Strengthen internal organization

2. Organize significant events

3. Improve communication

4. Promote members' commitment

1- Strengthen internal organization

Establish rigorous planning

Setting up an annual calendar of key events from the start of the year is important for better planning and coordination. This allows you to have an overall vision, to anticipate the deadlines and to distribute the workload.

Regular meetings of the management team are also essential to ensure effective monitoring of projects and tasks. This is an opportunity to take stock of the progress, to solve any problems and to re -mobilize the troops. Take the example of a BDE that organizes a gala at the end of the year. By establishing in September a retro-planning with the main stages (choice of place, canvassing of sponsors, communication, etc.) and by meeting each month, the project will be well clocked and the responsibilities of each clearly defined.

Distribute roles and responsibilities

To involve more members and optimize the operation of the BDE, it is wise to create thematic commissions: events, communication, partnerships ... Each will be controlled by a manager and will have specific objectives.

In order to clarify expectations and facilitate the awards, it is recommended to write detailed post sheets for each responsibility. They will define the missions, skills required and evaluation methods. Thus, the vice-president in charge of communication will know exactly what is expected of her: press relations, community management, creation of supports ... This will promote her autonomy and her skills rise.

2- Organize significant events

Propose various and innovative formats

To reach a varied audience and arouse interest, it is important to diversify the proposed event formats: conferences, workshops, evenings, sports competitions ... Each will find their account according to their centers of interest and personality.

Get out of the beaten track with original concepts such as an Escape Game, a Murder Party or a disguised race allows you to surprise and captivate students. The objective is to make them live memorable and offbeat experiences. Take the case of a murder party on the theme of the Roaring Twenties. By plunging the participants in a thrilling plot with period costumes and sets, we mark the spirits and we create the link. It is a concept that changes classic evenings and will appeal to lovers of role -playing games.

Create traditions and flagship meetings

Nothing like establishing traditions that will become essential in student life to unite and create a feeling of belonging. A prize ceremony, a prestigious gala, an intercole tournament ... so many meetings with high added value.

Some events must become the highlights of the year, expected by all. This is the case of the back-to-school event that launches the festivities, the integration weekend that welds new ones or the end of year evening which rewards engagement. The gala is often the highlight. By choosing a unifying theme and inviting the alumni, there is a symbolic moment of transmission between generations.

1. Define the theme and place according to expectations and budget

2. Contact providers (caterer, DJ, photographer ...)

3. Sanding sponsors for financial donations or in kind

4. Communicate upstream via a dedicated website, social networks, e-mailings and posters

5. Provide an original animation related to the theme to create the surprise

6. Involve students (decoration, reception, cloakroom ...) to reduce costs

7. Invite alumni and school personalities by reserving a table for them

8. Provide a speech to thank the organizers and participants

9. Organize an after -on for those who want to extend the evening

10. Achieve a Aftermavia and send it to the guests with a satisfaction questionnaire

Create traditions and flagship meetings

It is wise to organize united or charitable events to unite the student community around common causes and convey positive values. This helps to give meaning to associative engagement.

Finally, integrating alumni into flagship events makes it possible to promote networking between generations and to benefit from their experience. Their presence brings credibility and opens up opportunities to students. For example, organize round business tables led by alumni who share their journey and advise students in their orientation. It is inspiring and it reinforces the feeling of belonging to his school.

3- Improve communication

Develop a strong visual identity

To convey a coherent and professional image, it is essential to treat your visual identity. This involves the creation of a catchy logo, the choice of a graphic charter (fonts, colors) and its application on all supports.

Original and qualitative goodies (t-shirts, stickers, tote bags ...) in the colors of the association will strengthen the feeling of membership of the members and to ensure visibility on the campus and beyond. Take the example of a BDE who wants a strong identity to stand out. He will opt for a minimalist and impactful logo, available on colored t-shirts and stickers to stick everywhere. This will create a real recognizable and united "tribe".

Define a relevant mix-media

A multi -channel communication strategy is essential to inform students. It will judiciously combine digital (social networks, newsletter, website) and physical (posters, flyers) vectors.

Each channel will have a specific function. Social networks will be used to create a community, interact and disseminate attractive content. The website will centralize information on the ASSO and will allow event registrations. Printed supports will ensure an essential physical presence. For example, a campaign for a student festival will be available in Facebook posts to create the buzz, a dedicated web page for the program and the ticket office, posters with a strong visual and practical information.

To maximize the impact of his communication:

• Define your target and adapt your messages and tones

• Establish an editorial planning in connection with highlights

• Create varied content: photos, videos, interviews ...

• Be responsive and listening to social networks

• Analyze statistics to adjust its strategy

• Involve students so that they relay the information

4- Promote members' commitment

Take care of the integration and training of new

To facilitate the integration of new members and ensure the transmission of knowledge, nothing like a sponsorship system. Each newcomer will be accompanied by an experienced member who will transmit the codes and operation to him.

Internal training on key skills (project management, communication, graphic creation ...) will allow members to set up skills and to invest more qualitatively in the projects that are close to their hearts. Imagine a BDE which offers at the start of the school year a "day of talents" where the members present their journey, their skills and put them at the service of new practical workshops. It is an original way of connecting old and new and making them progress together.

Set up a recognition system

Rewarding commitment is important to maintain motivation. A point system, giving access to counterparts (free places, exclusive goodies ...) for the most active members is an interesting track.

It is also necessary to think of valuing the achievements of the members, whether internally during GA or externally via testimonies on social networks or the website. It is a way of saying thank you and for raising new vocations. For example, the BDE can designate each month "the student of the month" who distinguished himself by his investment and put it in the spotlight via a Facebook publication and a voucher. What boost the troops!

Here are some concrete avenues to promote commitment:

1. Organize a memorable team for welding the teams

2. Offer fun challenges to volunteers during events

3. Create a trombinoscope to allow everyone to identify the members

4. Establish little touches (birthday gift, greeting card ...)

5. Give autonomy and responsibilities to motivated members

6. Offer qualifying training in connection with projects carried out

7. Draw away from employees to participate in seminars

8. Organize moments of conviviality (afterworks, meals ...)

9. Set up a sponsorship between old and new

10. Allow members to participate free of charge in events

In conclusion, to energize your BDE, bet on a solid internal organization, original and unifying events, impactful communication and valued commitment. By strengthening your professionalism, by offering memorable experiences, gaining visibility and boosting the motivation of the members, your association will become a key player in the campus.

This article respects our editorial line well by offering practical advice, illustrated with examples and structured in 4 key axes to help managers effectively pilot their BDE. It only remains to start by applying these concrete recommendations. What if you share your best tips for bringing your association to life?