The possibilities, when it comes to school events, are endless – competitions, Model UNs, tournaments and so on. Organising one such event whether you're the president of a school club or simply because you're volunteering to do something at school, is no easy task. Here are some tips to help you.

Choosing a name for your event may not be too difficult or time consuming, but throw in as much creativity as you can muster up because the name will attract participants. Choosing a date(s) for this event will actually take more thought, don't choose one that's a holiday. It's also wise to steer clear of long weekends when people are likely to travel and cause low attendance.

Your event will be held under the school banner so make sure you have permission from the authority. Providing them with a copy of your plans at every stage is very important. Don't do anything your school authority will disapprove of. Make sure - if this is a competition, are students allowed to carry gadgets? How many spectators are allowed inside the venue? 

Getting the word across and communicating with participants can be conveniently done using a Facebook group and/or event page. You will probably be required to issue formal notices and sign- up forms to the students/participants through the school. Prepare early and don't invite last minute hassles.  

Good food is integral to a successful event. First you will need an estimate of the number of people that need to be fed. A shortage of food is just terrible and an excess could be equally bad – waste of funds and food. If your school canteen is unavailable or inefficient, ensure that the place you're ordering from is capable of producing and maybe delivering a large amount of food. After deciding on a reliable and reputed caterer, order with time in hand and monitor the progress. Try to get discounts as you're buying in bulk. If the place won't deliver someone will need to go and get the food, make those arrangements prior to the event. 

Funding is an important issue, your school may take care of some expenses and the rest may be funded through a school club fund but the most likely source is participation fees from students. How much you'll be asking for depends on the event's expenses. Speak to caterers, suppliers of ID cards, certificates (Nilkhet all the way) and anything else you may need for your event and prepare an estimate of costs. Predict the number of participants then proceed to calculate the amount to be charged in order to break even or make a profit after deduction of expenses, if needed. Be responsible with the funds and always maintain receipts. 

Start planning early and be passionate about what you're doing and your school will hopefully be proud of the successful event you pull off. 

Salma Mohammad Ali fears she is becoming a crazy cat lady and uses writing as a means to grasp on to sanity. Send her your views/hate/love at fb.com/salma.ali209