Santa Clara University

Event Planning

Need to reserve a room? Planning a movie Night? Hosting an event with a speaker? The Center for Student Leadership is your one-stop shop for all your planning needs. Call the Center at 408.554.4745 or stop by Benson Center, room one to start planning your event.

One Stop Event Planning Begins Here!

Room Reservation: 1.      Download and complete the new CSL Event Planning Form. 2.      Bring completed form to the CSL Administrative Assistant (Benson Center, Room One).   Advisor’s Signature Required? If it is determined by the CSL Administrative Assistant that your CSL Advisor’s signature is required to confirm a room reservation, you will be provided with a supplemental Event Planning Form. And then… 3.      Meet with your CSL Advisor 4.      Review the Supplemental Event Planning Form 5.      Complete the tasks that you discuss with your advisor Return the Supplemental Event Planning Form having (a) completed all tasks as reviewed by Advisor and (b) attached all required documents.

Scroll down the page for more detailed information on these topics!

Amplification of Sound

Student organizations wishing to have amplified music or speech at an outdoor event must obtain approval in advance of the event from the appropriate facility manager and obtain an Amplification Permit from the City of Santa Clara.

The "Permit Request for the Outdoor Amplification of Music" form can be obtained from the Benson Memorial Center Event Planning Office, facility managers, or CSL. For more information on how and if to obtain a permit for sound amplification, contact your advisor in the Center for Student Leadership.

Budget 

A "Budget" is a plan that estimates revenues and expenses during a certain time period. "Available Cash" is the actual amount of cash available for expenditure. Accurate budgeting will allow for expenditures before actual cash is received.

 

 

 

Campus Facilities and Scheduling

To reserve an on-campus facility, complete the CSL Event Planning Form. Bring the completed form the CSL Administrative Assistant (Benson 1) to begin the process of planning your event or meeting.  A number of facilities and a lot of equipment are available to recognized student organizations. Rental fees, hours of operation, and reservations guidelines differ depending on the facility or equipment requested. Be prepared to discuss these issues with the CSL Administrative Assistant and your CSL Advisor when you begin to schedule a facility. Outdoor events must not be scheduled at times and in locations that are disruptive to regularly scheduled classes. When scheduling an outdoor facility, it is especially important to review your event with the Facility Manager to ensure no disturbances occur.

Contracts

Regardless of how much it costs - or even if it's free - any agreement with a non-University agency is considered a contract and should be in writing. Contracts serve to protect the student organization and the outside agency.

Copyright and Duplication

To be able to show a movie you must have the permission from the copyright holder according to the Federal Copyright Law.  Prerecorded videocassettes and dvds of public domain programs which are rented from a store are copyrighted by the distributor and may not be duplicated without written authorization from the copyright holder.

Media Services will not duplicate copyrighted materials (this includes programming recorded off-the-air) without written permission.

Crowd Control

To ensure appropriate individuals are in attendance and the safety of those in attendance, crowd control measures must be used for all programs and activities. The University administrative office responsible for management of the facility is responsible for developing reasonable crowd control measures with the sponsoring organization for each event, including (if appropriate) the presence of Campus Safety.  Other management techniques may also need to be put in place.

Food and Beverage Service

All food and beverage served at programs or activities in an outdoor programming area must be arranged according to the Food and Beverage Service policy. According to the University Alcohol policy, alcoholic beverages are not permitted at outdoor student events.

Clubs must submit a completed Food Service Agreement form at least one week BEFORE ordering catering.

 

Fundraising

Student organizations are encouraged to engage in fundraising activities. Fundraising allows for the opportunity to raise money to support programs and activities.

The following are some ideas for fundraisers:

• T-shirt sales
• Bake sales
• Car washes
• Dues
• Ticket sales
• Co-sponsorships

If your fundraising ideas include charitable contributions - sponsorships, gifts, and/or donations - to your organization, you'll need to work closely with your CSL advisor. Plan ahead! Some businesses require advanced notice for gift requests.

Marketing

There are lots of standard ways to market your event. For information about marketing methods, talk with your CSL advisor and the Event Planning Office in Benson Center.

• Benson Center Advertising/Posting Policies (pdf) From A-frames to Chalking to Table Tents.
• Residence Hall Posting Policy
• Email is an increasingly popular way to communicate with the campus community. To announce club information through the Ugrad "events" list, contact the ASSCU Student Body Vice President. But remember: people get a lot of spam, and you may want to consider how much more you're adding to their "in boxes".
• The Santa Clara (TSC)
• It is important to include the following statements on any written material, if they apply:
• • Disability
  • Transportation
  • Speaker's Policy Statement
  • As stated in the Benson Center Advertising/Posting Policy - All printed material and chalk messages posted by University organizations must contain the name of the sponsoring/co-sponsoring organizations, the words "SCU" or "Santa Clara University", and a description of the event.

Risk Management

Risk management is defined as techniques used to minimize and prevent accidental loss and to ensure a fun safe event. For risk management purposes, events not approved and sanctioned by the University cannot be promoted with the University's or Organization's name and/or resources. Talk with your CSL advisor to determine if your event poses a need for risk management techniques.

Timeline

When planning an event, spending time planning can save you from some last-minute anxiety and can help ensure a smooth event. Before sponsoring an event, you should make sure it is in line with the purpose of your organization and that you have the resources necessary to pull off the event.

 

 

 

Trip Planning

If you're planning an organizational trip off-campus, there are a few things to consider.

Where are you going? Traveling locally vs nationally vs internationally require different issues to consider.

How will you get there? Driving either locally or a long distance presents significant risk. Drivers need to complete a Driver's Agreement form and provide a copy of their license, registration, and insurance policy.

How will you manage the risk? It is important that participants know the full scope of the event and any risks that might be associated with it. Each participant leaving campus for an event will need to complete a Participant Agreement form.