Review the safety guidelines provided to all USC student organizations by the Leadership and Service Center.

In addition, review the event planning guide provided by Holmes-Murphy.

There are several factors to consider when selecting your location. First and foremost is the size of the venue and if it can safely accommodate the amount of people you are planning to be in attendance. While planning, you should be prepared to accommodate catering, areas for beverage service, areas to eat, and open space to socialize. Also, be sure to ask about and understand the vendor policies that may be in place.

There are many forms of transportation commonly used by fraternities and sororities. These include buses, rideshare companies (Uber, Lyft, etc.), and designated driver programs. Select which of these best fits the needs of your event and complies with your national risk management policies. Buses allow for large groups to be transported at once and rideshare allows members to be more in control of their arrival and departure time. Designated drivers can be useful for out-of-town events and away weekends but do have increased insurance and liability concerns for the drivers.

A key to risk mitigation success is having enough food and non-alcoholic beverages available. These should include appetizers or full meals. There should be an array of options that cater to possible allergies or food restrictions.  In addition, plan to have water, soda, or juice as an alternative to alcohol. While planning for events, take into account the number of guests you expect to attend and the duration of the event. It's encouraged to have at least one non-alcoholic beverage per person, per hour.

If alcohol is present, determine if you will be using a licensed and insured third party vendor or a Bring Your Own Beverage (BYOB) system. Have a system in place to ensure those consuming are over the age of 21 and easily identifiable as such. Discuss with venue staff your plan and ensure you have enough staff and security to manage the size of event you are planning and supplement with chapter designated sober monitors. There should be at least one sober monitor for every twenty-five attendees.