Students at Florida State University (FSU) are granted many opportunities to make lasting memories in college; namely, through one of FSU’s most noteworthy organizations, Club Downunder (CDU). Their campus events have been met with incredible success over the years, ranging from concerts to carnivals and even open mic nights for students. I recently spoke with CDU’s operations manager Emorie Holmes to discuss the club’s success and how their events bring the FSU community together.
Her Campus (HC): Before we get into Club Downunder itself, tell us about what you do. What is your position within Club Downunder and what does it entail?
Emorie Holmes (EH): I’m the operations manager and the hospitality coordinator at Club Downunder. I implement risk management and staff training for Club Downunder, lead weekly executive board meetings, project manage staff, keep track of a budget and manage a team of 11 people through on-the-job training. I also coordinate talent arrival, green room set up and act as a liaison between departments.
CDU is student-run; all the behind-the-scenes work falls into our hands. As operations manager, it’s my job to protect the core values that CDU has run on for half a century. The reason we’ve existed and thrived for so long is because we focus heavily on the passing down of ideas and mentorship, which is something that I ensure is continuously happening. Here at CDU, without the past, the present wouldn’t exist, and the future couldn’t exist. I try to be that link between the way things have always been done, and the new ideas and evolution of the club.
HC: And how would you describe Club Downunder to someone who has never heard of it?
EH: CDU is a student-run student entertainment board. We plan events for the student body with student activities fees; this way, they are always free for FSU students. Because Club Downunder is student-run, we handle everything from inception to PR and merchandising to making the logistics of the event happen. We put on events like concerts, comedy shows, carnivals, etc.
HC: The arts are a huge theme with what Club Downunder does. What has been your favorite event related to the arts in your time with the club?
EH: In my sophomore year, I helped plan a Street Art event to highlight local Tallahassee talent. We partnered with the FSU hip-hop cypher club to have a live rap battle, break dancers, a live muralist that painted several murals around Tallahassee such as the art on the Gaines Street Pies building and other related crafts. It was my favorite event because we were able to work with local everyday artists. You could feel the passion and love that they had for their crafts and people who came to the event were able to immerse themselves in a side of Tallahassee that they don’t usually see.
HC: You guys get in touch with excellent artists to perform. CDU has hosted bands as big as The White Stripes and Nirvana. You recently got COIN and Dayglow. To put it simply, how do you do it?
EH: I ask myself the same question sometimes! We have a super dedicated Concert Talent buyer who listens to our social media followers to get ideas of who to book. Once she finds an artist that a lot of people would enjoy and is within our budget, she contacts the agent to figure out production and hospitality needs, payment, venue, transportation and getting the [contracts].
Once the contract is finalized, it goes to our production department where they figure out the technical needs of the show. Our hospitality department figures out the artists’ green room needs and day-of-show needs and coordinates their transportation. Our PR department figures out the best way to advertise and promote the event, creates event posters and figures out the best merchandise to give out at the show. Operations staffs the event and then it’s up to the student body to come out and enjoy the show!
HC: Free concert admission for students is an excellent service that CDU offers. How do you think that these concerts bring people together?
EH: With FSU’s population, you’ve got 40,000+ students from different backgrounds. The wonderful thing about CDU is that it is so accessible. For a lot of people, paying to go out and hang out with friends is not always an option. CDU offers a free fun alternative for people to get together, connect and destress. Even if you don’t know anyone you can still come out to an event and meet someone with a similar interest.
CDU brings the full concert experience to you for free; the memories that we create through those free concerts are invaluable. It’s interesting because people always come to our concerts and thank us for hosting them, but being a part of someone else’s concert experience gives us more than their gratitude could ever offer. That brings us together as an organization and is what kept up morale during the pandemic. The concerts we have at CDU bring all of us together one way or another, and they’re such an important part of the culture here.
HC: Do you find that CDU’s social media presence helps with attendance? How has social media helped you guys up to this point?
EH: Our social media has been integral in boosting our attendance. It’s a great way to promote our events because students are always on our social media. Our social media accounts allow us to interact with the student body in a way that we used to not be able to. This year alone, our Instagram has grown about 3,000 followers, and our videos have quadrupled in engagement, which has helped us exponentially with engagement and event attendance. When people can engage with our social media before events, we have a higher engagement to attendance ratio, which allows us to put on more awesome events.
HC: CDU has such a wide range of events. How have they precipitated further student engagement and what is the importance of student engagement to the club?
EH: With FSU having just admitted their largest freshman class, and the student body looking for a sense of normalcy after the pandemic, Club Downunder’s events have provided students with human interaction and a way to get involved in campus culture. Our event attendance has therefore increased exponentially. Student engagement is so important to CDU. The foundation of CDU is students, and we are run for students by students; they are what allows us to continue to put on events.
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