Q. Who can sign contracts for services for events?
A. The university’s Contracts’ Policies and Guidelines will assist you in determining that.
Q. How do I determine the costs of my event?
A. Costs vary widely depending on the size, location and type of event. Generally, you need to consider:
- Site fees for set-up and take-down
- Housekeeping fees
- Rental, delivery and pickup fees for furniture or AV equipment
- Catering including labor, linens, flatware and stemware
- Alcoholic beverage costs if served
- Printing costs for posters, programs, invitations or other materials
- Parking costs if parking is complimentary
- Audio-visual costs for on-site technical personnel or virtual event support
- Speaker-related expenses such as travel, overnight accommodation, ground transportation and honorarium
Q. How do I order food for an event?
A. Chartwells Catering holds the exclusive contract for food events at UNC Charlotte locations. The University’s Food Service Policy must be followed. You also must complete the Food, Beverage and Amenity Expense Documentation (found
Q. What is the policy on serving alcohol at a University event?
A. Documentation must be completed, signed by the designated authorities, approved and sent to the on-site event coordinator prior to the event. Alcohol can be served only in certain buildings. Consult the relevant policy, where you also will find forms you must complete. You also must complete the Food, Beverage and Amenity Expense Documentation, along with your Chartwells contract for on-campus events, a copy of your invitation and your guest list (or a partial RSVP list). NOTE: Requirements change, so always consult the relevant forms and University requirements.
Q. How and when is catering entered into the 49er Mart system for payment?
A. Catering quotes should be entered into 49er Mart far enough ahead for it to be approved one week before the event. The Food Procurement process can be found on the university’s finance website in this guide for procuring and paying for food.
Marketing
Q. How do I promote an event to the community outside the University?
A. You can promote your events by posting them to community event calendars, both on and off campus. Most require an account to be set up with a user name and password.
Q. How do I promote an event within the University?
A. You can submit your event for posting to CampusEvents. In the Filters section, Under Department, choose your unit and also the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. If you choose the College, it will automatically populate to our Exchange online news site, and we will include it in other marketing materials. NOTE: Do not mark departments you think would be interested in your event. This is where you ONLY put event sponsors or hosts.
You also can include information on your department, center or program website. You can create posters for bulletin boards around campus and include it on social media. If you have an approved official social media channel, you can use that for wider reach.
Other Logistics
Q. How do I reserve a room for an event?
A. If you wish to hold your event at The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City, visit its website. If you wish to hold it in another room or building on the main campus, visit the Conferences, Reservations, and Event Services (CRES) website.
Q. How is parking handled on the main campus for events for guests?
A. Details on main campus event parking can be found on the Parking and Transporation Services website.
Q. How is parking handled at The Dubois Center at UNC Charlotte Center City?
A. As construction and other considerations impact parking at The Dubois Center, it is best to consult its parking webpage for updated information.
Q. How many attendees should I expect at an event?
A. The estimated number of attendees for an event can be determined by researching similar past events with similar topics and at similar venues. You also should take into account the popularity of the speaker and the relevancy of the topic, the amount of time available for promoting the event, and the number of attendees that can be accommodated as determined by the food and beverage budget and room capacity.
Q. What is a Run-of-Show?
A. The run-of-show is your event blueprint. It is a minute-by-minute chart of what will happen, when it will happen, and who will be responsible, and who will be involved – from the arrival at the site of the event manager through the end of the event. It should be prepared at least two weeks in advance of the event and distributed to each person who is involved with the event from volunteers, to hosts, to guest speaker(s) to caterers.
Q. How many volunteers will I need for an event?
A. Two workers in addition to the event manager should be adequate for an event of 50-100 people; an additional volunteer may be needed for every 50 additional guests.
Q. Where do I find volunteers to work at the event?
A. Volunteers can be found through student groups connected with your department, center or program. Alumni might be interested in helping, as may staff or faculty. Consult resources here, where you also will find the Volunteer Agreement.
Q. What can the volunteers do?
A. Volunteers can greet guests and answer questions. They can hand out materials, including comment cards, drink tickets if you use those, parking passes if you provide parking, programs and name tags. They can distribute and collect comment cards, name tags and pens at the conclusion of an event, and assist with set-up and take-down activities.
Q. How early should the event manager and volunteers arrive at the event?
A. The person managing the event should be at the event at least one hour prior to its start to check on parking, event set-up, registration tables, tables for book signings or materials, and audio-visual details. It is important that the event manager be there before the arrival of any speakers, sponsors, and VIP guests. Volunteers and workers should be there 45 minutes before the event begins to get their assignments and assist with early arrivals.
Q. What is the proper way to dress for working at a College event?
A. Business attire is the appropriate dress for working at a College event, unless it is an event of a more casual nature, such as an alumni outdoor event.
Q. What do I need to remember to take to an event I am managing?
A. You should bring:
- Several copies of the Run-of-Show
- Evaluation or comment cards
- Pre-printed name tags if desired or required
- Blank name tags
- Pencils or pens
- Registration materials
- Promotional handouts for future events
- Department or program information
- Posters with easels or other branding information
- Programs if prepared
- Parking passes if complimentary parking is offered
- Extra volunteer agreements
- Baskets to collect name tags and comment cards
