The Daily Bulletin Archive

The Events Management Office is facing a new challenge this semester: shrinking space. A large number of incoming students means more classes—and more classrooms—while major renovation projects and the loss of two large meeting areas have caused spatial contraction campuswide.

Events Management maintains the inventory of campus space available for event, meeting, and function use after the Registrar's Office allocates rooms for credit-bearing classes. According to Tom Coates, director of Events Management, his office is facing increased difficulty because of the renovation projects in Cassety Hall and the Campbell Student Union.

Many student organizations moved from Cassety—which is being converted to a residence hall—to the Student Union, which is itself undergoing renovation. Loss of the Margaret Grant Lounge and the Twin Rise conference room have compounded the crunch, especially at peak times.

"More meetings and events are being scheduled during the Tuesday-Thursday Bengal Pause period, as well as during evenings and weekends," said Coates. "Spaces that were once readily available are occupied more consistently; therefore, the need to be flexible and creative with event planning is needed."

In addition to working with the administration, faculty, and staff, the Student Events division of Events Management coordinates the use of campus facilities for student organizations. The office also offers limited use to community organizations—mostly on weekends and during semester breaks.

Facilities are assigned on the basis of not just availability, but also the type and nature of the event. "Requests are treated equally, and we don't bump anyone once space is booked," said Coates.

Team EMO, as the office refers to itself, maintains good working relationships with venue managers, and works with programming agencies to make sure that they are using rooms the right way, that they are not violating code, and that the proper insurance and licenses are accounted for. While the office mainly handles scheduling and logistics, the office employs a "one-stop shop" approach in order to facilitate parking and service arrangements, as well as pre-event on-site planning for all-college events.

A reservation confirmation is sent for all faculty and staff department use of facilities. Beyond e-confirmations for basic reservations, the office may issue a reservation contract that details all event arrangements. It requires the signature of the event coordinator and his or her department head. In addition, the office issues revocable permits to all nonaffiliated organizations using college facilities.

To reserve a room, faculty and staff should call the office at ext. 6114, send an e-mail, or complete an Event Application form. The Event Application is mandatory for functions lasting four or more hours.

Coates offers the following tips to facilitate a smoother reservation process:

• Book early!
• Do not announce your event or meeting until a space has been assigned for your use.
• Reserve space only for programs that you are sure will take place.
• Cancel any unneeded reservations to increase space availability for others.
• Be open to using general-purpose classrooms versus traditional meeting rooms.
• Reserve rooms that are appropriately sized for the numbers attending.

"Space is really at a premium right now," said Coates, "but we have a good system in place to find suitable sites on campus and assist with event execution. We're here to work with you."