Football: a campus-wide, M&O team sport

Ah, fall. Students and teachers head back to class just before the foliage puts on its best display. Facilities teams get to shine as the grounds and halls sparkle. Everyone gets to enjoy soft breezes with the perfect amount of chill in the air. And, before you know it, event season is in full swing.

Yes, we’re talking football (and other school-sponsored shindigs). For higher education institutions, there’s nothing quite like a beloved sports team to inspire community togetherness and attract a little visibility. Events can create quite the buzz—and generate some impressive revenue—which is why it’s so important to have a solid system in place to schedule, manage, and promote these campus staples.

For administrations looking for a better way to handle events and turn touchdowns into manageable assets, a cloud-based event management tool that can speak to maintenance and operations (M&O) platforms AND popular calendaring systems is just the ticket.

What challenges do events bring?

Events are fun and all, but let’s take a quick minute to think about the impact they have on your facilities. Scheduling, cleaning, managing people (and where you put them and how you keep them safe while they are on your property), the wear and tear they place on your assets, and heating or cooling requirements—these are just a few of the considerations that accompany events.

How can M&O teams best support an event-happy campus?

In higher education, facilities management and M&O teams have many projects to complete to ensure day-to-day operations run smoothly—and we’re not even talking about events yet. From routine care of the grounds and buildings to typical work orders or daily tasks, it’s generally a long, never-ending list.

Luckily, there are tools and best practices to help these teams cover more ground and keep assets in top-performing shape.

1. Shift from reactive to preventive maintenance.

Is your M&O department stuck in a never-ending cycle of waiting for things to break and only then giving them attention (and by attention, we mean paying top dollar for rushed parts and inflated repair costs)? Shifting to a preventive maintenance strategy—regularly scheduled maintenance performed on assets or equipment to improve performance, extend asset life, and prevent breakdowns—can be a game-changer.

2. Start using your data as an asset.

Chances are, your assets are talking to you. Is anybody listening? An asset management solution can help both M&O and administrative departments gain more insight into your facility maintenance and work orders as well as quickly access and share data to answer questions and inform decisions—just like how Brightly helped Wake Forest University take better care of its sprawling campus of historic buildings.

3. Utilize an event management platform.

If your school loves events—we’re talking football, conferences, basketball, theater, and more—consider adopting an event management and facility scheduling software to make it easy to schedule, organize, promote, and recover costs from events and facility rentals. Look for a solution that speaks to your asset management system for added control and insights.

Shining a spotlight on connected events management

Just like using your data as an asset, your events are an asset, too. Whether it’s the first kick-off of the season or opening night of the latest theater production, sports and shows help turn your campus from simply a place where learning happens to a hub where students, teachers, and the extended community can come together and celebrate wins and creativity. And, done right, events bring with them long-time supporters for your campus as well as revenue.

At Brightly, we believe in the power of events to bring together communities, which is why Event Manager™ helps higher education institutions simplify event management to successfully maximize returns on facility rental and ensure positive experiences.

Our solutions give schools the tools they need to

• Recover costs and increase revenue by streamlining event management processes and promotion
• Improve visibility across your organization through centralized event and facility information
• Easily coordinate and communicate around event or facility requests and changes
• Eliminate logistical errors and administrative headaches like double-bookings and invoicing

Chill in the air? Go team Brrrightly!

Higher institutions depend on events, so give your school a connected events managing platform that can help optimize the crews that take care of your fields and facilities while also streamlining communication, booking, and more from one platform.

The team at Brightly has thought of everything you need to simplify the complex event management process and ensures all parties are in sync with their specific tasks and roles. Ready to streamline communication and requests, promote events, and prevent double booking of event spaces? Schedule a call with an expert today!