The University of Utah

Sustainable Hospitality &

Tourism Students
Present
 Table of Contents

Executive Summary 3

Mission, Vision, and Values 4

Needs Assessment 5
Goals and Objectives 6
Logic Model 8
Program Description 11
Diversity Plan 12
Promotional Plan 13
Sustainability Plan 21
Financial Plan 22
Operation Plan 24
Risk Management Plan 25
Facilitation & Management 27

Evaluation 32

Conclusion 35

Appendix 38

2
Executive Summary

As members of the Sustainable Tourism & Hospitality Management team, we

researched, planned, and hosted an event for the LGBT & Allies Community. The plan for our

program was to increase our participants overall health and wellness through dancing, as well

as provide a safe space for these community members. Since Utah does not offer more than one

type of dance lesson program for LGBT & Allies, this program gave all of our participants the

chance to experience a new opportunity in a friendly environment. The entire LGBT community

was free to express themselves and feel safe while doing it. This event also embodied the idea of

hospitality. We successfully created a welcoming and hospitable surrounding, and provided food

and beverages for our participants.

3
Mission

To create a safe space in the local LGBT community by organizing opportunities that

helps to build confidence and form connections with others in the community along with allies

outside of the LGBT community. We strive to provide an experience for people in our local LGBT

community that will offer a fun environment, positive social interactions, and most importantly

a comfortable and safe space for everyone to come together.

Vision

Our vision is that in the future all dance classes and events will be considered a safe space and

be inclusive to everyone regardless of sexual orientation or gender.

Values

♦ Creating a safe space

♦ Building Confidence

♦ Making Connections

♦ Providing an Enjoyable Activity

♦ Bringing People Together

♦ Having Fun!

4
Needs Assessment

The only dance opportunity that is currently available for the LGBT community in the

Salt Lake Valley is a group called the Temple Squares. The restriction to this group is that they

only offer square dancing. There is an obvious need to provide opportunities for several different

types of dance classes in an LGBT friendly environment.

After taking a survey of the local LGBT community, we found that there is a strong

desire to connect with other members in a safe environment, and participate in events that

they would typically be ostracized from. Those that responded to the survey also recognized the

void in this type of event for adults in the Salt Lake Valley. We hosted our first dance event at

the Peterson Heritage Center. Our focus for this event was specifically LGBT members and allies

ages 18+.

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Goals and Objectives
Goal: Promote connections in the LGBT community

Objective: Host an interactive event

Objective: Social and snack held after the dance

Objective: Nametags given will encourage socialization

Objective: Socialize and network with other individuals, share stories, demonstrate

equality

Goal: Promote Local LGBT Community and its Resources

Objective: Contact Utah Pride Center

Objective: Hire a dance instructor from the LGBT community or who is LGBT friendly

Objective: Get the University of Utah’s LGBT Resource Center to help promote the

event

Goal: LGBT Members and their Allies will want to participate in similar events in the future

Objective: Participants will have fun

Objective: Music choices are appropriate for the target audience

Objective: Feeling welcome

Objective: Encourage suggestions

Objective: Convenient time

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Goal: The team knows the dance prior to the event

Objective: Meeting and practicing with the dance teacher

Goal: Provide a safe, community-based, and friendly environment

Objective: Dress code allows for all kinds of gender expression

Objective: Free dance lessons provide equal opportunities for people to attend

regardless of income

7
Logic Model

Inputs:

• Staff

o Dance Instructor

o Greeter

o Coordinator

o Assistants

• Marketing Materials

• Decorations

• Tables and Chairs

• Computer

• Food and Utensils

Activities:

• We coordinated with the LGBT Resource Center at the University of Utah to make

connections and learn how to make a safe space within this community group.

• Received donations via gofundme.com

• Found volunteer dance instructor through a contact at the University of Utah Dance

School.

• Designed, produced, and distributed flyers to our participant audience.

• Booked our venue at the Peterson Heritage Center.

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Outputs:

• Event lasted three hours from 6pm to 9pm on December 2nd.

• Volunteer dance instructor taught a coordinated dance to our participants.

• Pizza, veggies, and drinks were served.

• Participants were given time to mingle for at least an hour after the dance lesson was

complete.

• The event was held at the Peterson Heritage Center on the University of Utah campus.

Outcome:

• Participants were able to intermingle and build relationships with fellow participants

during the event.

• Participants were able to learn dancing skills thereby becoming more confident in their

dancing abilities.

• Participants were able to build a feeling of safety within the community group during

our event and feel safer outside the event.

Impacts:

• By creating a safe space our event has encouraged other events in the future to become

known safe spaces for their participants. Thereby creating more opportunities for

recreation in the LGBT community.

• Our event has encouraged lasting bonds in the LGBT community, creating a greater

support system for our participants in the future.

• Our event has encouraged participants in the LGBT community and allies to go to other

events involving dancing in the future.

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 10
Program Description

Dance is a unique way to express our feelings, moods and lifestyle. It can also be a

chance to socialize. Dance is everywhere in our society, especially here in Salt Lake City, where

every high school has a competitive dance team. Dance performances can usually be found year

round in the city. Having a program in which people can dance and learn to dance is absolutely

useful. Our program was able to bring all ranges of skill together. We provided a safe place for

LGBT & allies to participate in a dance lesson together. Salt Lake City is a very conservative

state, which roots run very deep in religion. In our community we don't have a program such as

this happening. Everyone in our community deserves to learn to dance in a welcoming and safe

environment, regardless of how we identify ourselves sexually. This was an absolutely

necessary program to bring our community together.

This event was built around providing a fun social activity in a welcoming environment.

We hosted a dance lesson and a social. A representative dance instructor taught lessons from

Elite Dance, in the style of Hip-hop, with great music and an open and a welcoming environment.

We also provided pizza, veggies, desserts, and refreshments. We not only provided a fun

activity, but a complete experience for all participants.

This event was hosted at the Peterson Heritage Center on Friday, December 2, 2016.

The room was a large carpeted room that we decorated with lights and colorful decorations.

We set up an open area to host the dance, and the room was already complete with speakers

and equipment that we used to play music. On the other half of the room we had multiple tables

with chairs, all set up in front of a buffet line with our food. Members of our group served the

food and prepared lemonade for our guests. We provided everything from pizza, vegetables, and

cookies, to napkins and plates. We had both water and lemonade, and cups to serve them in.

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Diversity Plan

We focused on the LGBT group for our diversity plan. We hosted a dance lesson

specifically for anyone in that demographic. We wanted LGBT members and their allies to feel

more comfortable and included in our society, and we chose to start within our local community.

There are a variety of sexual and gender orientations and expressions in the LGBT community,

which in itself is a very diverse environment.

Outside of the LGBT community, we invited all of the allies of the community. This made

our program even more diverse, because this meant we opened the invitation to anyone who

supports the LGBT community. By doing this, we welcomed people of all ethnicities, races,

religious backgrounds, age (18+), physical abilities, etc. This event was hosted at an ADA

accessible location, the Peterson Heritage Center on campus at the University of Utah. We

encouraged all who wanted to enjoy a fun, community driven night of dance to join us to

celebrate the diversity of our community.

In order for us to understand more about the diverse group of the LGBT community, we

had a representative from the resource center on campus come to our class and give us an hour-

long workshop. They provided handouts for us to look at, and we talked about some of the

terminology and best practices to use when interacting with someone from within the LGBT

community.

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Promotional Plan

Target Audience: LGBT members and allies aged 18+

Promotion Tools: We used e-mail, social media, and posters to promote our event.

We used both the LGBT resource center list and the ASUU Newsletter INCITE to promote

the event to many members of our target audience. A major part of our target audience was

Millennials (People ages 19-36) e-mail will be a good way to promote the event. A majority of

millennials have e-mail and check it daily, making this method a inexpensive way to reach a

large population.

Social Media was also used to promote the event. A Facebook page was created and

members invited people to attend the event. The LGBT Resource Center Facebook page and the

University of Utah Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Facebook page also posted information about

our event.

We also used posters to promote our event. We realize that not all members of our

target audience have access to a computer or an Internet connection. Posters increased the

amount of people that could be informed about the event. 40 posters were printed and the

majority of those posters were posted around the University of Utah Campus. Posters were also

put up on the LGBT Resource Center and at the Utah Pride Center.

We also used a GoFundme, donation wesite, which helped to raise awareness about the

event and helped to collect donations. The GoFundme site was shared on our Facebook page.

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Logo

14
Poster Example

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E-mail Example

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Press Release

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Social Media

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KRCL 90.9 FM Radio Ad
Community Affairs Web Page

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INCITE Leadership Newsletter

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Sustainability Plan

Our program has taken steps to include both long and short-term goals to achieving a

more sustainable future. Our program was held on the University of Utah campus, and the

Sustainability Resource Center on campus is committed to progressing and providing a

sustainable environment. Student run programs at the University of Utah are continually

funding new innovations by students to create a more sustainable future. An example of this is

the drinking fountains that decrease the amount of wasted water on campus or the Rice Eccles

Stadium recycling program. By hosting our event here, we are providing an environment for our

participants that is helping to support a more sustainable future.

The commute to our event could be done via the trax, therefore saving on fuel and

lowering the release of greenhouse gases into the air. Recycling containers could be found at our

event, in case participants needed to dispose of recyclable materials. We provided paper cups at

the event, instead of plastic water bottles to cut down on materials that would need to be

recycled. Our program has taken these steps in our short-term goals to help cut down on our

environmental impact in a variety of small, easily manageable ways.

Our event was held at the Peterson Heritage Center Room 2AB, which is in the same

building as the Inclusion Center on campus. The Inclusion Center is an organization dedicated to

eliminating prejudice and discrimination, they strive for respect for all people and we share the

same ideals in our program. We sought to create a ‘safe space’ that all are participants can

flourish in. We were as inclusive as possible in our ideals and location. The Heritage Center is up

to code on all ADA requirements and has full access to most disabilities and has available

handicap parking. Our event catered to the LGBT community and its allies and we provided as

welcoming an environment for them as possible.

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 Financial Plan

The financial plan was created with an initial budget of $327. It was important to plan

out all of the anticipated expenses in order to ensure that our budget would cover our costs. We

also set up a Gofundme fundraiser to help cover any costs associated with putting on our event.

Our costs ended up being under budget, so the full amount from our fundraising was donated to

the LGBT Resource Center on campus at The University of Utah. Some members of our group

had access to printers and supplies to help keep our costs down. This also opened up room in the

budget to purchase a gift for the dance instructor who had donated her time to our event. Our

financial planning helped us to provide for every need for our guests, which included the room

for dancing, food, and refreshments.

Item Description Budget Actual Purchased From

Amount Cost

4 Pepperoni, 4 Cheese, 3 $129.35 $129.35 Costco

Supreme, and 2 veggie
Pizza

Veggie Tray 2 assorted vegetable trays $20 $20.76 Wal-Mart

Oreos 30/6 per package $9.89 $14.22 Wal-Mart

Pens 10 pack $0 $1.57 Wal-Mart

Lemonade 34 qts $6.99 $5.00 Wal-Mart

Plastic Cups 150 count $8.59 $4.95 Wal-Mart

Paper Plates 150 count $13.99 $4.85 Wal-Mart

Napkins 4/260 count $8.49 $3.88 Wal-Mart

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Tablecloths 18 $20.00 $17.46 Wal-Mart

Lodging Room 2AB 5 hours $95.00 $70 Peterson

Heritage Center

Printed Posters, Evaluations, etc. $19.36 $8.18 University

Material Library

Instructor Coffee Mug and Chocolate $25.00 $19.96 Wal-Mart

Gift Gift Basket

Total amount $356.66 $300.18

The funds from our fundraiser were donated to the LGBT Resource Center at the University of

Utah. The total amount of funds raised via our Gofundme website was $250. This donation will

be used for future student events at the University.

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Operation Plan

Program Policies:

• No alcohol

• No drugs

• No hateful speech

• No bare feet

• Appropriate dance footwear to be worn during dance lessons

Registration was an easy process for our guests. Guests simply sent an e-mail to

dancenight4all@gmail.com to RSVP for the event. This e-mail address, and instructions to

RSVP, were printed on the flyers, the press release, and the e-mail blast.

Each member of the operation team had a role during, before, and after the event. The

operation team communicated with the dance instructor to ensure everything went to plan the

day of the event. The team had also set a date and time before the event to learn the dance

lesson and help guests during the event. The operation team created a timeline to ensure

everything went to plan during the event. In addition, the team researched what it meant to

create a “safe space” for guests. The team made sure all was done to make this event as

confidential, welcoming, and inclusive as possible.

This event was free for all guests. We felt that it was necessary to provide a

welcoming event for all LGBT members and allies regardless of their socioeconomic status.

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Risk Management Plan

The purpose of our Risk Management plan was to identify potential problems and risks

before they could occur, in order to minimize unnecessary accidents or injuries. This plan was

put into place so that our team could identify, analyze, and respond to potential risks that we

may have encountered before, during, and after our event.

Weather Conditions: In the case of snow or icy conditions, we came prepared with

ice melting salt for the entrance of the Peterson Heritage Center before the event and after the

event. We ensured that all sidewalks were shoveled and safe for our guests to enter the

Heritage Center.

Identity Exposure: Since we worked with the LGBT community, it was very

important to keep in mind that not all individuals in the LGBT community are out as LGBT. To

protect their identities we had a photo waiver. Those who did not feel comfortable with their

photos being taken did not have their photos taken. Another way we ensured privacy was

through the RSVP process via a private e-mail. People also RSVP’d through Facebook if they felt

comfortable doing so, however, Facebook is not private. Attendees were the only people allowed

to enter the venue. We also ensured that our guests felt that they were participating in a safe

place by covering the windows on both of the doors that they entered and exited through.

Financial Risk: Keenan Ward handled all of the money allotted to our group through

the PRT department. This helped to reduce possible financial risks since he was the only member

receiving funds from the PRT department. He worked directly with Paul to stay on budget,

arrange POs for necessary supplies, and ensured that all of the proper steps were taken to

comply with the University’s policies.

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 Emergency Situations: The Peterson Heritage Center employs CPR/First Aid

trained staff who are on call 24-7 in case of any emergency. If an emergency were to occur,

Naomi Hall was responsible to contact the staff for assistance. Until their arrival, our

designated first responder was Stephen Williams. The second responder was Kara Jones. Both

of these team members are CPR/First Aid Certified.

In the case of a fire, we planned to help the participants move toward the nearest exit

safely. This would require going downstairs to the first floor and exiting at the nearest door.

We would then meet as a group in the designated area, as provided by the Heritage Center.

*pictures included in Appendix

ADA Standards: We confirmed that the Peterson Heritage Center complies with all

of the ADA standards and would be accessible to all of our guests regardless of their ability. This

includes ramps, accessible sidewalks, and elevators.

Food: Kara Jones, Audrey Taylor, Keenan Ward, and Stephen Williams, who all have

current food handler’s permits, handled all of the food we provided to our guests. The food they

prepared and handled included pre made pizza that was served to our guests using gloves, and

lemonade that required mixing before and during the event.

Dancing: All participants were required to sign a liability waiver, and they all had the

option to opt out of having their picture taken.

*waiver included in Appendix

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Facilitation and Management Plan

The facilitation and management plan includes the organizational process of how we

planned to execute the event. Our preparation for the event was very precise. We made a

detailed timeline of the entire program which included “who”, “what”, and “where” at every

moment.

“Dance Night 4 All” was held on the second floor of the Heritage Center on the

University of Utah campus. Our team arrived early to set up the space with decorations and

necessary tables for food, drinks, and signing in. We brought multicolored lights to use as our

main decoration for the room. We had them strung up high on the wall in half of the room, and

around the border of the floor in the other half. We also used different brightly colored

tablecloths on each table. We used one small table for our sign in table, and had four tables

pushed together to use for our serving station for food and drinks. On the food and beverage

table, we provided plates, napkins, and cups to be used for cookies, veggies, water, or lemonade

as participants began to show up. At the sign-in table, we had two different color name tags;

blue for the participants who were okay with having their photo taken and red for those who

did not want their photo taken. We had colorful sharpies for participants to use and asked if

they would put their preferred pronoun next to their name if they were comfortable doing so.

We also placed our waiver on the sign-in table, which was given to people as they came in. Once

they signed the waiver and got their nametag, they were given a “character” for our icebreaker

game. We chose to do an icebreaker game because it helped people to feel comfortable around

each other before they started dancing. We put a sticker on everyone's forehead, which had the

name of a character on it. They all sat together in one big group and asked each other yes or no

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questions in order to guess the name of the person on their head. We had certain team

members assigned to the sign-in table to greet participants as they arrived. A team member

was also at the participant table facilitating the icebreaker game. We also provided a coat rack

for anyone who needed to hang his or her jacket.

At this point, we had to adapt to what was going on in the moment. We realized that

people were not showing up as quickly as planned, and that some participants were having a

hard time finding the room we were in. We decided as a group to push back our timing on the

entire night, and we sent a few members of our team downstairs to stand by the entrance and

help direct people to the room. One thing we could not be flexible on was the time we had

arranged to pick up the pizza. We sent the designated group out to get the pizza, and tried to

get started with the dancing at 6:45.

At the start of the dance, most of our team was participating in learning. A few others

rearranged the tables (pulled them out of the way) to give participants more space. We still had

one person stay at the sign in table in case anyone came late. Periodically, we would have water

breaks and have participants switch around where they were standing (people in the front

moved to the back and vice versa).

Around 7:45, the group who went to get the pizza returned and we had assigned

people there to help get it set up and in place. As we could tell that dance was coming to an end,

we started to adjust the tables back so that they were spaced out enough for people to

comfortably sit at each one. We organized the pizza in stacks by toppings, and created an

assembly line for people to get food.

We wanted to give participants time to socialize while they ate their food, so we

planned to have an hour after the dance for people to eat and hang out with each other. After

about 30 minutes, we had a couple people stationed to switch the sign in table to our survey

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table. We handed them out to the participants asking that they fill them out anonymously. We

had quite a handful of participants that stayed to talk even after they finished eating and

filling out surveys. Within that time period we also pulled a few people aside to interview them

in private so we could receive some qualitative feedback.

We planned on having an hour to clean up after our event was over, but ended up only

needing about 20 minutes. We cleaned up any trash that was left behind, cleared all the tables

and took down the lights. We distributed food and drinks that were leftover amongst ourselves

(we also gave away whole pizzas to some of our participants). We moved the room back to the

way it was when we arrived, and then we all sat down to take surveys made for ourselves

about how we thought the night went. We were out of the room with at least 40 minutes to

spare on our rented time.

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TIMELINE

Team: Emalie Allen, Vivian Bentley, Kaleigh Comish, Naomi Hall, Kara Jones, Kelly Maldonado,
Clayton Porter, Audrey Taylor, Nicole Tonelli, Keenan Ward, Steve Williams

5:00pm: Team Arrived at PHC

♦ All team members set up tables, chairs, refreshment area, and sign-in
area
5:45pm: Audrey finalized all ideal camera angles
♦ Clayton and Kara set up and prepared for Ice Breaker game
5:50pm: Dance Instructor Arrived
6:00pm: Event Began
♦ Guests began to arrive
♦ Audrey was recording with video camera
♦ Naomi, Emalie, & Nicole left to pick up pizzas from Costco
♦ Kara, Vivian, and Keenan moved downstairs to help direct participants
that were arriving
♦ The rest of the group started mingling/getting people involved in Ice-
Breaker game
6:45pm: Began Dance!
♦ Kara remained at Name Tag table
♦ Keenan remained at refreshment table
♦ Naomi, Emalie, & Nicole arrived with pizzas
♦ The rest of the group helped to get people to the dance floor/get them
engaged and beginning to help people learn the dance moves
7:15pm: “Switch it, Change it, Rearrange it!” (Front of the room moved to back and back to
front so everyone had a chance to see the instructor better)
7:20pm: Water Break!! (Or bathroom break)
7:45pm: “Switch it, Change it, Rearrange it!”
♦Our team continued engaging the group
7:45pm: Keenan and Kara began setting up food
♦ Naomi and Steve brought out one extra table and chairs
♦ Keenan & Kara got pizza and drinks ready
8:00pm: Water Break!!
8:05pm: Performed the Dance!!
♦ Audrey and Emalie both made sure to get it on video
8:15pm: Keenan announced food
♦ Kept background music playing
♦ Keenan and Kara served food (those with food handlers permits)

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8:30pm: Change sign in table to survey table
♦ Clayton handed out surveys and collected them anonymously
♦ Our team mingle!
9:00pm: End Event
9:00-9:30pm: STRIKE!!
♦ Made sure all trash was picked up
♦ Collected and recycled tablecloths
♦ Collected extra cups/plates/cutlery etc.
♦ Established who was to take extra food
♦ Made sure room was left how we got it
♦ Every member of our team filled out a survey to evaluate how the night
went

We used the timeline above to make sure that our event was run as smoothly as

possible. Every member of our team had a copy of the timeline that they could refer to at any

point during the event. Before our event, we established who was assigned to which stations at

what time. Our team wore matching tie-dye shirts so that anyone at the event would know

who to go to if they had any questions, comments, or concerns.

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Evaluation

We used two surveys for our primary source of evaluation after our event. The first

was a simple survey for the participants to fill out after the dance portion of the event. We

placed the surveys on the tables so that the guests would feel encouraged, but not obligated, to

fill them out. The second survey was given to each member of our team to help us determine

things that we felt went well and things that could have been improved upon.

The participant surveys showed an overwhelmingly positive response, as shown by the

graphs below. Almost all the participants gave a perfect score of 5 for each question, with only

a few outliers. The only question that did not receive high marks was the final question which

asked people if they would attend a dance event again. It was expected that there would be

some disagreement on that question, but it is very helpful for determining whether or not this

event should be put on again in the future. One drawback of the survey was that there was not

anywhere for the participants to explain their answers more fully. We had one person give us a

rather low score on a question, but we do not know why. If we were to do this event again we

would want to know why they rated us poorly so that we could improve upon their suggestions.

The team evaluations also showed a good response, although we did lose some points on our

transition period. We all agree that this was the part of the event that we could have planned

and carried out a little better.

The graphs below were calculated by finding the average scores for each question. We

decided to use graphs to show our results so that you can quickly assess how well the event was

received.

We also interviewed a few guests, the dance instructor, and our group’s teaching

assistant. The interviews were semi-structured. We had questions that we wanted to ask, but

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we also let the interviewee guide us. The participants were very happy with the event, and one

fun thing that came out of one of the interviews was finding out at the end of the interview

that the two interviewees did not know each other despite acting like they had been friends for

a long time. The semi-structured interview process allowed us to find out fun information that

we may not have thought to ask about. The T.A. and dance instructor were interviewed, as

opposed to filling out surveys, because they did not fit into either of the groups, but had a unique

perspective on the event.

The overall purpose of these evaluations was to show how well we accomplished our

planned outputs, outcomes, and impacts. According to both of the surveys, as well as the

interviews, the event was a success. The guests had a great time, and our group stayed on task

and carried out all of our assigned tasks.

Survey #1 Results

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Survey #2 Results

34
Conclusion

As a whole, the event went very well. One of our biggest concerns was that people

would not socialize with each other, but that was not the case. Having an icebreaker game at

the beginning of the event was a great idea because it got everyone talking. People were having

so much fun with the game that they were almost hesitant to start dancing (simply because

they were having so much fun getting to know each other). That helped a lot with the event,

because dancing can be a very stressful/scary thing for people, especially if it is in front of total

strangers. By the time everyone started dancing, new friendships had already started to form,

which was one of our main goals.

The dancing itself was a hit. The dance instructor we selected was phenomenal at

teaching people of all dance levels. Instead of using technical dance terms she would explain the

dance in ways that everyone understood, for example she told everyone to whip their arms in

front of their face like they were wiping their nose on their sleeve. The instructor was also good

at reading the group and going along with what they wanted. She was always asking if anyone

needed help with any of the moves, as well as asking if everyone was comfortable moving on, or

if they wanted to keep practicing certain parts. Towards the end she split everyone into two

groups and had each group perform for each other. Afterwards, someone suggested that the

groups face each other and perform it again and she immediately hopped on board with the

idea. This made everyone feel like their ideas were respected, which lead to the event feeling

more relaxed and inclusive instead of feeling like a strict or judgmental dance class.

Between the icebreaker game and the camaraderie of learning to dance together, a lot

of new connections were formed. When the food was served, there was no sense of being

uncomfortable. Everyone sat down at tables together and chatted for quite a while. We did not

35
have to help people with something like an icebreaker at this point because everyone was so

comfortable with each other that they all wanted to interact. This was the perfect ending to

our event. Having everyone sitting around tables eating pizza and laughing was a great site to

see.

Our communication as a team went well throughout the program. Several aspects of

the program changed throughout the night, but due to the communication between our team

members we managed to be flexible with our program. We allowed for more time to do the

icebreaker game. Instead of promptly starting dance lessons at 6:30pm, we started dancing

later, which allowed for more time participants to arrive, and for those who had already

arrived to have fun with the ice-breaker. We also moved the tables away from the dance floor

to allow more dancing space. Being flexible, and tackling changes and obstacles as they came

allowed for our event to be successful.

The age diversity of participants was a happy surprise. We were expecting mostly

college-aged students, but there was a vast age range. Queer Prom and Masqueerade held by the

Pride Center are for ages 14-20, which excludes a large population from this type of event. This

dance event allowed people who are too old to attend the Utah Pride Center dances to be

included in a dancing event.

There were a few areas that could have been improved when planning and

implementing the program. One area that we can improve for our next event is promotion.

Although many promotion methods were used, if we were to promote this event again, having a

person talk directly with the LGBT Community to promote would be a good idea. Both the Utah

Pride Center and the LGBT resource center have regular socials, where community members

hang out and socialize. Promoting at one of their socials will also be a good way to reach more

people in the future. Another resource we could have provided to our participants would have

36
been more detailed directions to the event from the front door of the Peterson Heritage Center.

We compensated for the slightly confusing route to the event room by posting members of our

group in the lobby to walk people from the front door to the event. This also gave us an

opportunity to invite people who may have not heard about the event, and to introduce ourselves

to the participants.

In the setup prior to the event, it was challenging to figure out how to use the audio

equipment. However, we did manage to figure out that the system required the use of a

computer. Although we didn’t have a charger for the computer the battery managed to last for

the duration of the event. In the future we will definitely make sure to bring chargers for all

electronics. We will also have a back-up music plan, in case the room does not have a working

system in place.

This event has great potential for the future. We donated $250 to the LGBT Resource

Center, which could be used to implement a similar program. Although it is difficult to know how

to best communicate with members of the LGBT community, and assure them that we can

successfully provide safe and enjoyable activities, we feel confident that this event was a great

step towards building a supportive and encouraging social environment for the LGBT community.

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Appendix

Fire Escape Plan & Evacuation Assembly Point

38
Waiver

Dance Night 4 All Team

UNIVERSITY of UTAH
PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT, RELEASE, and ACKNOWLEDGMENT of RISK
.

I,______________________________________________
__________ (herein referred to as “Participant”) understand this is a legal
document and, in consideration of the services provided by the University of Utah, its
officers, employees, agents, or representatives (herein referred to as “the University
of Utah”) as part of Dance Night 4 All, a dance lesson hosted by Parks, Recreation and
Tourism Undergraduate Students at the Peterson Heritage Center (herein referred to
as “Special Event”). I hereby agree to release and discharge the University of Utah, on
behalf of myself, my heirs, assigns, personal representative, and estate as follows:
1. In consideration of the University of Utah’s sponsorship and direction of this
special event I hereby state that I have read and understand the terms and conditions
of the University of Utah Policy and Procedure 1-10 and specifically agree to be
bound thereby.
2. Being aware that this special event entails known and unknown risks of injury to
myself or other persons as a result of my actions, I expressly agree, covenant and
promise to accept and assume all responsibility and risk of injury, illness, disease,
death to myself or damage to and destruction of property arising from my
participation in this special event.
3. I hereby voluntarily release, forever discharge, and agree to hold harmless and
indemnify the University of Utah, its agents or employees, and all other persons or
entities from any and all liability, claims, demands, actions or rights of actions, which
are related to, arise out of, or are in any way connected with my participation in this
special event for any and all injury, illness, disease, or death to myself or damage to
my property.
In signing this document, I fully recognize that if anyone is hurt or property is
damaged while I am engaged in this special event, I will have no right to make a claim
or file a lawsuit against the University of Utah, or its officers, agents or employees,
except where such injury, illness, disease, or death is caused solely by the negligent
acts or omission of the University of Utah.
4. I certify that I am physically and mentally capable of participating in this special
event.
5. I certify that I have sufficient health and accident insurance (e.g. hospital/medical
insurance, student health insurance, University short-term accident insurance, etc.)
to cover any bodily injury or property damage I may incur while participating in this
special event.

39
6. I agree and understand that I will comply with all reasonable directions and
instructions by the program instructors during the special event.
7. I understand that the program instructors reserve the right to refuse my
participation or dismiss me from the special event if I am judged by the program
instructors, physically or mentally incapable of meeting the requirements of
participating in the special event.
8. I agree not to possess, use, or be under the influence of alcoholic beverages, non-
prescribed controlled substances, or illegal substances during the special event. I
understand I will be dismissed from the special event and course by the program
instructors for violation of this agreement.
By checking this box I choose NOT to have any pictures or video taken of my person
for use by the Parks, Recreation, & Tourism Department for educational purposes
only.
My signature below indicates that I have read this entire document, understand it
completely, understand that it affects my legal rights, and agree to be bound by its
terms. (Sign in ink)
Signature of
Participant:________________________________Date:__________
2016
Print
Name:________________________________________________
______

PARTICIPANTS UNDER 18 years of age, are not allowed to participate in the special event.

40
Survey #1-Provided to Participants

Survey Item Scale

Disagree Neutral Agree

1. I have gained or improved upon my dance 1 2 3 4 5
experience
2. My confidence has increased as a result of this 1 2 3 4 5
event (on or off the dance floor)
3. This event created a safe space 1 2 3 4 5
4. I felt supported as a member or ally of the LGBT 1 2 3 4 5
community
5. I will attend more dance events in the future 1 2 3 4 5

Survey #2-Provided to our Team

Survey Item Scale

Disagree Neutral Agree

1. We utilized the full amount of time allotted for the 1 2 3 4 5
event
2. All group members were professional and stayed 1 2 3 4 5
on task
3. The instructor was prepared/on time and taught 1 2 3 4 5
the dance well
4. There was a smooth transition from dancing to 1 2 3 4 5
mingling/eating
5. We took down the event and left within our 1 2 3 4 5
reserved room time

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