By: Gabrielle McLaren, Editor-in-Chief
At the July 25 board meeting, vice-president student life Jessica Nguyen announced that Fall Kickoff 2019 was scheduled for September 20. She also told the board that the event’s Facebook page and early bird ticket sales would go live the next day, July 26.
“It’s a very limited number, they will be the cheapest ticket you can get,” Nguyen said. “The tickets will be $30 and that’s the cheapest it will go.”
Fall Kickoff will be hosted in the Strand Hall parking lot near Blusson Hall. The SFSS has partnered with the production company Crescendo1 to put on the event. In a follow-up email interview with The Peak, Nguyen wrote that she was excited to be supporting a passionate small business through this partnership.
“I found the owner, Johnny Black, had the same visions as me for Fall Kickoff so I knew we were going to be a great fit. Moreover, Crescendo1 was significantly more affordable than other companies so we were able to save some money there to re-allocate to other value providing services for students.”
According to Nguyen, students can expect to hear more about the line-up in mid-August as details are still being finalized.
“I am so excited to see this project come to fruition! This is the biggest Fall Kickoff that the SFSS will have ever hosted as the venue is much bigger this year,” Nguyen wrote.
She encouraged the board to share the post on social media and otherwise promote the event, to engage with as many students as possible. SFSS president Giovanni HoSang commended Nguyen for her and her team’s hard work and perseverance in putting the event together over the last few months.
“It completely took over my life,” Nguyen joked when asked about the organizational process. “I think at this point, I live, love, breathe Fall Kickoff haha! There is a lot that goes into the logistics and behind the scenes planning to ensure that we bring a safe and fun event to the students. In addition, there were a lot of unforeseen hurdles that my team and I had to leap through. Fortunately, the team I hired for Fall Kickoff has been more than amazing and I could not imagine a better group to be working on this major project with.”
The Peak asked Nguyen if she had a favourite Fall Kickoff memory, and she recalled the 2015 Kickoff on her first year at SFU.
“I actually went with VP External, Jasdeep Gill, so [Fall Kickoff] has a big sentimental value for me! I don’t remember who the artists were but what I do remember is having lots of fun with her and my other girlfriends!”
Nguyen is positive that this year’s event will be just as fun, and emphasized the importance of students getting their tickets early. Once early bird tickets are gone, tier 1 tickets will be $35 each, tier 2 tickets will be $40, and tier 3 tickets will be $45. VIP tickets will go for $75, and public tickets will be available to non-SFU students 19 years old or over for $50. Nguyen specified that VIP tickets were reserved for SFU students.
This will be the first Fall Kickoff since 2017, as the 2018 event was cancelled due to logistical errors and replaced by a partnership with UBC’s week of welcome event. More details will be released as September approaches.
