Rev. 02.12.18
Meeting/Event Planning and Processes
Because of involvement in partnership-related committees and organizations, faculty are often asked to host
meetings and/or events at Winthrop. Please use the information below to help guide the planning and hosting of
such events. Note that as the primary representative for the group, the faculty member takes responsibility for
the event including, but not limited to: working with department/unit administrative support to submit
required forms/requests, communicating with affiliated group with whom one is working (e.g., Olde
English Consortium) on set up needs and detailed event schedule, and being the on-site point of contact on
the day(s) of the event.
Process for planning an event:
1. Refer to WU events policy (www.winthrop.edu/spaceuse/default.aspx?id=41234
).
2. Contact the building manager for the space you are considering to discuss possible dates/times for the
event (https://www.winthrop.edu/spaceuse/default.aspx?id=41237
). This is especially true for spaces in
the DiGiorgio Center and various auditoriums. (See link for list of building managers.)
3. Be certain of how the event costs will be covered. Communicate with the affiliated group that incidental
costs are possible and have a plan for how to cover. These include expenses such as payment to open a
building before normal opening time or beyond closing time (varies based on building and/or day of the
week/university break status), dedicated set up and A/V staffing costs, dedicated Parking Services staff to
monitor specific parking needs day of your event, increasing food or beverage on the day of the event, etc.
• If the College of Education is expected to cover ANY costs regardless of how minor, prior approval
must be sought from the Dean.
4. Once you know the date is available for the desired space, use the “Request to Host an Event at Winthrop
University” form to communicate with your department/unit administrative assistant.
• The administrative support person can submit required forms such as the space request and
catering order; however, they need specific information included on the form to accurately answer
the required questions and will be a point of contact for Winthrop event units (i.e. Campus Police,
Facilities Management, DiGiorgio Campus Center, etc.) to arrange for any specific services needed
for your event.
5. It is highly recommended that you (and/or your administrative support person) follow-up with various
event units immediately prior to the event. For example:
• Contact catering with final participant numbers. NOTE: Any food costs totaling over $200 requires
the use of Aramark (https://winthrop.catertrax.com/
). Donated food is not allowed.
• Ensure you have access to building/rooms (this may mean picking up/returning a building-specific
key).
• If requested by partnering organizations, check to see if set up or storage of event items can be
accommodated the day before an event, pending availability of each campus space requested, as
this cannot be guaranteed.
• Contact Campus Police to ensure parking procedures are established.
6. All contact with event units (building manager, facilities, Aramark, etc.) must be done by either the
Winthrop faculty member or Winthrop department administrative assistant. This includes any site visits
requested prior to your event or any on-site planning meetings in advance of your event date. Proper
arrangements with Winthrop event units must be made in advance of site visits.
7. Winthrop faculty member or administrative assistant needs to accompany our affiliated groups when they
are on campus at all times, including site visits and events.
