2014 First Amendment Free Food Festival

Event Summary Student Media at Georgia Southern University hosted our 6th Annual First Amendment Free Food Festival on April 22nd. A national event typically hosted by SPJ chapters at other universities, the First Amendment Free Food Festival (or FAFFF) if a free speech awareness campaign. As a journalistic organization, we serve the student body and actively practices our right to free speech, but many students don’t realize how valuable that freedom is. In an effort to remind students that other countries in the world don’t have the same privilege, we created a communist country within campus. A large area was sectioned off, and in order to enter, individuals must sign away their first amendment rights. Being a food festival, though, within the country’s borders is a free lunch. Event Promotion Starting one month prior to the event, over 100 small flyers were posted around campus featuring a photo of a student with tape over his or her mouth designed to look like an American flag. This image represented the oppression government can implement on someone’s right to express themselves. The only other content on the flyers was “#FAFFF April 22nd” Serving as a teasing campaign, the powerful imagery and minimal details served to draw people’s attention. Two weeks prior to the event, newspaper ads ran with photos of students in prison uniforms stuffing their mouths with food. This image represented that the cost of food at the event would be freedom. Other content on the ads included date, time, location, sponsors, the hashtag, and the major event sponsors. These ads, in addition to multiple reminders about the event, were posted on our Twitter and Facebook pages with the hashtag attached. Press releases were also sent out to local and on-campus news outlets. Event Planning Event planning began the months prior to the event date. The marketing division reserved the outside of the student center and surrounding grass areas. The business division then sold tables at the event to local businesses. This was the first time this event incorporated paid sponsorships. There were three sponsorship levels: Red, White, and Blue. One (the cheapest) only included the table. The next also included advertising, and the next also included prime placement. Each sponsoring company, whether a restaurant or not, was required to bring food for the event. The marketing division coordinated with the sponsors to make sure they were prepared and kept track of which businesses were bringing

what. This also included making special preparations (electrical outlets, etc.) for the sponsors, depending on what their food item was. The marketing division then assigned table locations, coordinated set-up with the office of reservations, and ordered necessary event materials. Materials included caution tape to section off the event area, duct tape, day-of signage, and paper plate/plasticware. Event Execution Set-up for the event began at 9am and businesses must check-in by 10:30am. The representatives from the sponsoring businesses checked-in on the marketing division’s sign-up sheet upon arrival. The event began promptly at 11am, cued by music and announcements over a PA system. Two separate areas were sectioned off, each lead and managed by Student Media employees. The marketing division posted continual social media updates regarding the progress of the event including the event hashtag. Student Media photographers and videographers captured footage of the event to post on social media later in the week. Other Student Media staff volunteers advertised the event around campus with signs and helped keep the event areas clean. For students to enter the eating area, they had to wait in line, sign a sheet that declared they forfeited their first amendment rights, and received a FAFFF passport, symbolizing their entrance into the communist country. The passport also allowed them to switch between the two eating areas, giving them a wide variety of food options to choose from. While in the area, they could not speak or have visible logos (no freedom of speech, petition for grievances, or exercise of religion), they could not sit with their friends (no right to peaceably assemble), and they could not receive media (not freedom of the press). Food could not be brought out of the designated area, and their freedoms were returned when “reentering the United States.” The Georgia Southern rugby team volunteered to act as government officials by yelling at students who didn’t comply with the rules, covering logos with duct tape, and occasionally throwing out protesting volunteers as a stunt. A large group of high school students also attended the event as a class field trip; this was the first time high school students have been invited to attend. The event lasted until 2:00pm, after which event sponsors signed out on the marketing check-in sheet and Student Media staff volunteers ensured that the event area was cleaned and returned all remaining materials to the office. Event Results The event had a total of 14 sponsors, a record high for our organization. It made a profit of around $1,500, the first time it has been monetized. It had over 750 students attend, also a record high, and received positive reviews from all sponsor surveys.

FAFFF Day-of Plan

8:00am-10:00am - Vendors arrive and set up 10:00am-11:00am - Student Media ensures everyone has arrived and sets up any other necessary signs, tables, tape, etc. 10:30-11:30 - Emily directs photographers and videographers 11:00am-2:00pm - Volunteers hold signs around campus, ask people to take the survey at the exit, sign people in at the entrance, man the Student Media table, and help keep the area clean. - Emily live tweets event and makes sure everything runs smoothly. - Goons and actors have people thrown out occasionally, otherwise watching the tables. - SGA acts as government. 2:00pm-3:00pm - Volunteers and vendors clean up and put everything away.

FAFFF 2014 Sponsor Sign-In

The Connection Check-in Time: Signature: The Forum Check-in Time: Signature: The Avenue Check-in Time: Signature: The Grove Check-in Time: Signature: Northland Cable Check-in Time: Signature: The Islands Check-in Time: Signature: Campus Crossing Check-in Time: Signature: Chili’s Check-in Time: Signature: South & Vine Check-in Time: Signature: Hungry Howie’s Check-in Time: Signature: Jimmy John’s Check-in Time: Signature: Wing Maxx Check-in Time: Signature: PMG Rentals Check-in Time: Signature: Moe’s Check-in Time: Signature:

Recreate PMS

First Amendment Free Food Festival

Sponsors

Recreate PMS

11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

#FAFFApril 22nd

#FAFFFApril 22nd