CMCI and Campus Events Toolkit

CMCI community: We’ve gathered tools and resources together in one place to make event planning easier. This self-service toolkit is intended for events planned primarily by departments, centers and labs.

Read first:

  •   Compliance, Ethics and Policy
    This campus office contains multiple important policies you can reference as resources during the event planning process, including: the Events and Activities policy (general guidelines and helpful vocabulary definitions used across campus), Events and Activities Approval Guidance (may be needed for venue approval), Campus Use of University Facilities and the Child Protection Policy (if any attendees are under the age 18).
  •   Events with Alcohol policy
    If campus alcohol policies are not followed and Alcohol Authorization Form (AAF) is not completed/submitted, the university may be fined or could lose their liquor license. The link includes contact information for the campus manager of alcohol services. Another important note: During alcohol service, you are required to serve at least three (3) different proteins.
  •   Guide for making your event accessible (PDF)
    From the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance: Tips and sample language
  •   Event Management Form (EMF)
    If an EMF is needed, the venue scheduler is responsible for initiating and explaining the process to the client (you). If so, the EMF will be emailed to the client to complete through DocuSign.
    • The EMF is used to gather information regarding your event to help the University determine if your event meets the academic mission of the University and can be held on campus. University stakeholders such as Risk Management, ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵPD, Facilities Maintenance and the fire marshal will review the EMF. You will then be notified by the appropriate scheduling authority that your event has been approved (or not) and you are clear to finalize the scheduling process. You will be issued a confirmation/permit to hold your event upon final approval. An EMF may be initiated if (not a complete list):

      • Anticipated attendance is 150 or more

      • Outside

      • Minors attending

      • Activity may be considered dangerous, such as axe throwing

content list: event support staff

Annie Hergenrader

Events Planner
Communications and Engagement
annie.hergenrader@colorado.edu

College-wide events / Event communication plans / Event support / ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ CMCI swag for events

Libby Aliberti

Dean's Office Professional Assistant
Operations and Support
elizabeth.aliberti@colorado.edu

Amanda J. McManus

Interactive Media Manager
Communications and Engagement
amanda.mcmanus@colorado.edu 303-492-9542

Websites manager / Accessibility / Branding / Digital screens / Newsletters & listservs support / ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ CMCI swag design & ordering

Pre-Event Planning

Guidance, event policies, and resources for reserving space, including CASE spaces.

 (Google Doc, must log in with your identikey to view)
These are questions often asked by Annie as she begins to plan an event.  

 (Google Doc, must log in with your identikey to view)
View and copy a list of suggested event tasks, modeled on a typical check list by Annie.


CMCI events and department meetings are added to this shared internal calendar so that anyone can see at a glance if there are other events/meetings planned before committing to a date/time for their event/meeting. To access this calendar, please contact the dean’s office. 

(External) Campus Events Calendar
Check the campus events calendar to check what may be happening on your event date/time. Enter your event on this calendar to have it appear on CMCI’s websites and newsletters.

Learn how to on the calendar, then contact Annie or Amanda after you enter the event for approval. They are not notified automatically.

Reserving Space

There are several methods to reserve space on campus. Some may require a rental fee and/or deposit. View campus map for a general overview of various buildings →

  1. Start here: Read how to reserve a campus space through the and create an account. The majority of spaces across campus can be reserved this way. 
  2. If you’re unable to locate your preferred space on EMS, contact ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Events, Planning & Catering (EP&C) for assistance. EP&C does not reserve all campus spaces and may redirect you to the proper contact. 
    Other possible venues: These are generally not managed by the EMS or EP&C.

    • CASE W357 (Dean’s conference room)

    • NEST space (for special events only, capacity varies)

    • E330 multi-purpose room

    • , located off-campus on Walnut St.

    Branding and Swag

    Using logos

    Looking for existing ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ and CMCI-branded event displays like popup banners and tablecloths to have at your event? Please contact Annie.

    Or, want to have your own? Amanda has web and print-ready files available for most CMCI departments, centers and units and can coordinate with you on design and ordering. Be ready to discuss your budget and timeline, advance notice—generally a minimum of six weeks—is needed.

    There are strict guidelines and design parameters for ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ and CMCI logos, please contact Amanda with any questions prior to creating any assets. They may be rejected by licensing if not done properly, which slows down production time.

    Printing needs

    Ink Spot: located in the UMC
    Able to handle most event imaging/printing needs with fast turnaround and speedtype billing capabilities. Amanda recommends!

    More Options

    If Ink Spot cannot complete your order, look for your nearest . Closest to campus is on Baseline across the street from the law school. They have a discount for ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ work. Contact them directly to arrange for tax-exempt billing.

    CMCI and/or unit-branded swag giveaways

    If you're interested in branded swag, please contact Annie and Amanda. Be mindful of production times, a minimum of 6-8 weeks before your event is generally suggested to start this process. We can help with university-approved vendors, recommendations to handle the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ gold color, spacing requirements around visual assets and more.

    Due to strict logo rules from main campus, branding guidance, external licensing requirements, vendor policies and other factors, it is strongly recommended to involve the CMCI Comms team with any orders. Failure to do so will likely cause production delays and licensing issues. 

    Catering

    Always confirm with the venue scheduler if food, beverages and alcohol are allowed in the reserved space. Most classrooms do not permit food and beverages. Some spaces require a specific caterer as part of the usage agreement. Venues may have a preferred catering list.  Be aware of A9 allergens and other dietary restrictions of your attendees.

    is an excellent site for simplifying your casual catering needs (small meetings, department lunches, etc).

    Off-campus caterers must provide a certificate of insurance (COI) to ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Risk Management. Email Risk Managementto inquire if a COI is already on file with the university or if one must be provided.

    Recommended off-campus caterers:

    • ​â¶Ä‹

    Rent Event Supplies 

    For events at ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ, Campus Dining Services (CDS) will provide standard-issue tablecloths if you order their full-service catering. Tablecloths are not provided for CDS' Express Drop-Off Menu.

    Before contacting an external company, check with your venue and your caterer. They may also have available supplies. This could incur additional costs and service fees.

    There are numerous to assist with rentals of tables, chairs, tents, linens, coat racks, china, glassware and other party supplies. 

    Annie frequently uses ​â¶Ä‹ for various events.

    Are you hosting speakers from out of town or would like ideas for what's new locally?  is a great resource for general questions, things to do, event ideas, event locations and possible swag items.

    Parking on Campus

    Are you planning an event on campus that will require parking for ten or more vehicles and need information about how campus Parking Services can help make your event successful? Fill out the special event parking request form. If you are not ready to submit a request yet but would like more information about event parking services, you can contact Parking Services by email or by phone at 303-492-7344. It’s never too early to plan parking for your event! 

    Many buildings have vendor parking spaces. Reach out to Parking and Transportation Services to inquire about vendor parking information and one-time use permits. You may also need to contact the to confirm if there are vendor parking spaces and if not what is the best lot for vendor parking.

     

    College Resources

    View a list of team members.

    What we help with:

    Possible Branding Assets

    • Digital (conference ads, graphics, digital flyers, CMCI screen ads and templates in all college buildings)

    • Print (handouts, postcards, posters)

    • Physical (branded swag)

    • Canva access with your speedtype (branding kits with fonts, colors, logos, etc)

    • Event promotion  

    • Registration (Cvent) and newsletter inclusion (Marketing Cloud, Listservs)

    • Pre-event website stories

    • Photography/videography of event

    • Social media guidance

    • Branding guidance (main campus and CMCI)

    • Ordering swag, gifts and awards with your provided speedtype (such as crystal buffaloes)

      • This requires advance notice, we may not have items on-hand.

    View a list of team members.

    What we help with:

    • Speedtypes
    • Contracts
    • Budgets
    • Purchase Orders (when a PO is needed)
       

    Post-Event Assistance and Suggestions

    • Send thank you notes
    • Financial settlement
    • Post-event survey (through Cvent or other platform)
    • Evaluation
    • Add all historical documents to a shared drive
       

      Visit