The foundation of any great campus coffeehouse starts with the space you choose. While not every school has access to a built-in café or coffee venue, that shouldn’t hold you back. In fact, it’s an opportunity for you and your programming team to get creative and discover a unique location that adds character to your events. Most campuses already have multipurpose areas where students naturally gather; think, lounges, residence hall lobbies, tucked away corners of the student center, or quiet sections of dining halls. Once you identify the right space, try to stick with it. Consistency helps students associate that location with your programming. Before long, “Tuesday Nights at the Lounge” becomes a familiar part of their routine, and that reliability leads to stronger attendance over time.
A great example of this consistency and creativity in action is the University of Akron’s long-running 7:17, 8:08, and 9:09 series by their RHPB – Residence Hall Program Board. These cleverly timed shows have become a landmark in the world of college programming. Created and curated by the legendary Tom Faessel, a UA fixture, the series has earned a reputation among touring artists as one of the best-run and most memorable stops on the college circuit. The unique start times aren’t random either. Each is tied to room numbers and building traditions, giving each show a quirky personality all its own. You can read more about the series and its backstory through the University of Akron’s Office of Student Life archives.
Before you start booking talent, take time to inventory your sound and production equipment. Do you have working microphones? A reliable sound system? Adequate lighting and all the necessary cables? If you're unsure how to set it up, reach out to your campus AV team or student tech crew. Many schools have trained student staff who can assist with running sound and troubleshooting tech issues for small-scale events.
If you’re missing some essentials, don’t panic. Most performers booked for intimate college coffeehouse events can bring their own gear, especially if you’re transparent during the booking process about what you do and don’t have available. Communication is key.
Another creative solution is to involve a well-known student musician. Most campuses have that ‘someone’ student performer or DJ on campus who already has a following and access to their own PA system. Invite them to host your series, or rotate them in regularly. Not only does this lean into the consistency principle mentioned earlier, but it also helps solve your production challenges while boosting engagement through a familiar face. And because they have a following on campus and around town, their help to market on social media and to their fanbase can quickly increase the attendance of these events.
Pro Tip: Create a simple, reusable equipment checklist (sometimes called a production “pull list” or “pull sheet”) to share to the Artist ahead of time. This helps you stay organized, prevent last-minute scrambles, and ensure each performance runs smoothly from start to finish.
Great coffeehouse events aren’t just about filling a calendar. They’re about giving students something that feels relevant, timely, and fun. One of the easiest ways to do that is by building your programming around what’s happening on campus or in the world that month. A little thoughtful planning can turn a simple acoustic night into something students actually talk about.
Take Valentine’s Day, for example. A singer-songwriter playing love songs might seem like the obvious choice. But flipping the script with breakup ballads or self-love anthems can be even more fun. Give it a cheeky name like “Love Bites” or “Sad Songs and Snacks” and you’ve already got a hook.
Monthly themes are your best friend. During Black History Month, bring in an R&B artist or spoken word performer with a powerful message. For Women’s History Month, spotlight a strong female voice. Hispanic Heritage Month? Book a Latin acoustic act and tie in music, food, and culture. Even campus traditions like Magic Week in late October can inspire a themed show with a clever twist.
And let’s be honest, if you ask any college student, FREE FOOD is the secret sauce. Students may not stop for the music, but they’ll show up for cookies and pizza. Match the snacks to the theme whenever you can. Heart-shaped donuts, tamales, cocoa, or even coffee and muffins for a midday show all help create a full experience.
Today’s students aren’t just looking to sit and watch a performance. They’re looking to be engaged and want an experience. Your coffeehouse setup should feel like a place they want to hang out, not just pass through. Even where and when you place the free food (uh huh, another food reference!) to draw them in, while not disrupting the ongoing show, is critical to consider. Think warm lighting, comfy seating, ambient decor, and small details that make the space feel intentional. Seasonal snacks or drinks go a long way in creating that welcoming feel. Yes, this is reference number two to free food, and we warn you there may be more. But honestly, food is magic.
When students walk into a space that feels inviting and relaxed, they’re more likely to stick around, soak it in, and come back next time. The environment matters just as much as the music. Get both right and you’ve got something they’ll talk about long after the last song. Looking for some ideas, check out Acousticafe at Notre Dame, The Grind at Champlain College or Traditions Lounge at TCNJ.
Marketing, marketing, marketing. It is the biggest driver behind whether your coffeehouse event is full of energy or full of empty chairs. Most coffeehouse acts aren’t household names, despite the lofty tv or social media credits that some carry. Using that student host we mentioned or the local act with a strong draw will reach some. But most students don’t attend things by accidents. That underscores our comments above around consistency, and our focus here on marketing. How can you reach them and continue to reach new students after to grow this space?
One obvious key is to meet them where they already spend their time -- on their phones. Your CAB or SAB social media channels are essential and should be treated like your event’s front door. The beginning of the school year is the best time to build these platforms, especially with incoming first year students who are actively looking for new experiences and ways to connect. This is your chance to catch them early, get them following your content, and make your programming part of their regular routine. Whether it is through Instagram Reels, TikTok clips, or even behind the scenes content, make your posts personal, creative, and consistent. For a deeper look at creative strategies campuses are using, check out this helpful blog from Concept3D on standout campus event promotion ideas.
Beyond social, smart programming teams are using tools like OnCampusText to send direct messages with reminders, links, and updates. A well timed text that says “Live acoustic set. Free cookies. Tonight at 8 in the Union Lounge” might be all it takes to get students to show up. For broader outreach and engagement, BounceLife.com, a community data and marketing connection platform, allows you to track attendance trends, student preferences, and even reward students who engage consistently across multiple events. These tools take the guesswork out of student programming and give your team real insights into what is working.
Flyers, table tents, and sidewalk chalk still have value too, especially when paired with QR codes or snack tie-ins (what, you mean free food?). The goal is to make your event unavoidable in the best way possible. With strong branding, engaging content, and a little support from cookies or cocoa, your coffeehouse series can become something students plan around rather than stumble into.
Great programming does not stop when the last song ends. Some of your best insight happens after the event is over. That is when your programming team should take time to break down what worked, what did not, and what could be improved. Every event should have an informal or formal after action report, sometimes called an AAR (After Action Report) or Post-Mortem, where each team member shares what they observed. Different people notice different things. One person might catch that students left early. Someone else may note that the room layout worked better than expected. Another person may want to move the food setup since it disrupted the performance. Gathering this feedback in one place helps you spot patterns and build smarter strategies over time.
This does not have to be complicated. Take notes on the vibe, turnout, timing, and audience reactions. Which genre had the most energy in the room? What day or time drew the best crowd? What marketing channel seemed to create the most visibility? These simple details are valuable when planning your next event.
Platforms like BounceLife.com are helping Canadian college programming teams to track attendance, gather student feedback, manage free or ticketed events, and get real time analytics. But you can event put survey forms on each table with cool pencils to fill out. You can add QR codes on tabletops at the coffeehouse to offer their feedback digitally. Each of these options can offer rewards such as school swag, coffee cards, or even brand giveaways if you team up with a company that wants to reach their students with a product giveaway. Regardless of how you obtain the data, information-based decisions are always best to guide your future strategy for events.
Consistency builds community and turns a good idea into a lasting tradition. Choose a time, day, and location – and stick with it. When students start to associate that regular time, place, and rhythm with a great experience, showing up becomes part of their routine. In fact, perhaps it can lead to a reoccurring ical event for them to schedule around.
Over time, that kind of consistency transforms a weekly event into a real piece of campus culture. It no longer needs explaining. Word spreads. Students bring friends. New students arrive already knowing it's something worth checking out. That is how campus traditions are born and how real student engagement grows. If you are looking for more ideas on how to build sustainable programming, organizations like NACA, APCA and COCA support student program boards by offering conferences, tools, and examples for creating events that stick.
Here's your sign to stop overthinking and start brewing. Building a campus coffeehouse isn’t about having fancy lighting or the trendiest acoustic act -- it’s about creating a vibe, showing up consistently, and giving students a place to land. Make it warm, make it welcoming, and make it yours. The playlist, the snacks, the weird little traditions you invent along the way and marketing your team does from every angle. That’s the good stuff. And who knows? Your Tuesday night coffeehouse might just become the thing everyone is still talking about on Thursday. I’ll let you go because there’s lots of work ahead, but it’s worth it. Your campus is waiting…
Degy Entertainment offers a deep roster of acoustic artists, spoken word performers, and variety acts who thrive in intimate college environments.
Contact: Jeff Hyman, Vice President at Degy Entertainment
Email: jeff@degy.com
Phone: 732-818-9600
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