Tips for Event Planning & Promotion
Student Center Operations and Events (SCOE) team is here to help you plan the logistics of your event and provide resources to support your event promotion.
Planning
Determine a budget before planning your event’s logistics. Consider expenses like equipment rentals, catering, and facility rental (if applicable). Note that registered student organizations do not pay to use Student Center spaces.
Select a few potential dates and check the availability of your desired location.
Choose a space that fits your needs and theme. Emory offers a variety of spaces, each with different capacities and capabilities. If planning an outdoor event, also identify an indoor location or a rain date in case of inclement weather.
Reserve your event space through 25Live and obtain approval before advertising. Student organizations must also submit their events on the Hub.
Determine a realistic expectation of the number of attendees.
Think about the needs of your speakers, presenters, and vendors. This includes audio/visual equipment like speakers, microphones, podiums, screens, and projectors.
Are you planning a high-profile event? An event qualifies as “high profile” if the subject of the event is characterized by being particularly well-known and/or highly publicized. This includes the presence of prominent public figures such as current or former government officials, leaders of large organizations, well-known celebrities or artists, or individuals/groups representing various topics.
If you are unsure if your event meets these qualifications, please email esc@emory.edu and we will be happy to discuss with you.
All student groups hosting high-profile events are required to meet with the Associate Director for Student Engagement and Programming before the event is approved. Learn more about High-Profile Events here.
Event planners may consider requesting an Open Expression Observer at your event or program. Students, faculty and staff can request to have an Open Expression Observer if there are concerns related to the Respect for Open Expression Policy.
Assign a primary contact person, who should be listed as the requestor on the 25Live space request.
Build enough time for speakers, presenters, and performers and transition times between segments. Reserve the space for sufficient time for the event, including setup and takedown. Consider consolidating decoration time to fit within 30 minutes to 1 hour before the event starts.
Consider potential dietary restrictions of guests. Use the ESC Approved Catering List if the catering kitchen is used.
Ensure your event is accessible to all guests. Learn more from the Department of Accessibility Services.
For outdoor events, request equipment such as chairs, tables, tableware, decorations, signage, and water through the Special Event Request link. For indoor events and the Campus Life Pavilion, communicate your needs to the Student Center team. Students must finalize all setups two weeks before your event date.
The Department of Recreation and Wellness has cornhole, Jenga, ladderball, spikeball, pop-up soccer nets, and general sporting equipment available on a first-come, first-served basis. To request equipment, email Juliana Frigerio at jfriger@emory.edu with your event’s date, times, and location. During building operating hours, collect and return games from the WoodPEC Equipment Room or the SAAC front desk.
Promotion
Use social media, physical fliers around campus, large banners in designated locations, digital signage at the Emory Student Center, and emails to organization members to help advertise your event.
As a pilot program beginning in Fall 2024, banners for registered student events in The Hub may be hung on one of two designated, reservable outdoor banner poles. The designated banner spaces are located near the ESC by Asbury Circle. For specific locations, see the banner locations on 25Live; there is a picture in the “Details” section for each location. See the Outdoor Banner Reservation Process and Guidelines for specific details.
The light pole banners on campus are managed by central communications under a process separate from outlined in these guidelines.
We welcome university departments and Recognized Student Organizations to utilize our digital signage within the student centers to engage and promote their approved events, member recruitment, and official institutional communications. Signs must follow all University policies and guidelines.
To submit a digital signage request, use the ESC Digital Signage Request Form on the Hub.
Each department or student organization can submit one 60-second video per semester or have one image in rotation, for a week at a time. Content must include contact information and have:
- an aspect ratio of 16:9,
- 1920x1080 resolution, and
- files should be either .JPEG or .PNG (images), or .MPEG4 or .MOV (videos).
All submissions must be submitted at least one week in advance. All content will be removed from digital signage displays at the end of each semester.
The use of chalk (“chalking”) is permitted on most sidewalks and streets on university property that are exposed to the elements. Chalking is only permitted in areas where the chalk would be washed away by normal rainfall.
Chalking is prohibited on building exteriors or other vertical surfaces and on horizontal surfaces covered by permanent structures such as covered walkways, tented entryways, and covered terraces.
The use of spray chalk or other spray products (toxic or non-toxic) is strictly prohibited. Failure to comply will result in a clean-up fee.
University maintenance will only remove chalking from unpermitted locations or for special circumstances such as construction or special events. Otherwise, chalk messages will remain subject to rainfall.
Recognizing the educational process of our institution requires diverse forms of open expression – including freedom of thought, inquiry, speech, activism, and assembly – the university affirms the rights of members of the community to assemble and demonstrate peaceably within the limits of this policy.
The university simultaneously maintains the right of community members to pursue their day-to-day activities and to be protected from physical injury or property damage.
Yard signs are generally not permitted on campus.
Event Day Tips
Arrive according to your confirmation and the agreed-upon time from the event scheduler. Ensure all requested equipment has been set up correctly. If you are setting up equipment and decorations on your own, plan accordingly and check all policies.
Make sure attendees know the location and how to get there. Consider parking and navigation around campus for those unfamiliar with the area.
If you need assistance in the Student Center spaces (including AMUC and the Campus Life Pavilion), contact the Manager on Duty at 404-904-9481.