Event Planning Guide
Events make CU Boulder feel like a community.
RSOs (recognized student organizations) play a major role in enriching our community. CSI wants your experience in providing these programs to be fun and educational, not frustrating.
Visit us
Message your liaison or stop into our office before you start planning an event – we’re here to help! We will assist in determining the scope of your program plans and let you know the university requirements or regulations involved with event coordination.
All RSO-related financial transactions are processed through CSI, so it helps both of us knowing your plans. Not only will we help you “cut through the red tape” involved with using state facilities and student fee funds, we wil also help you tie together the elements, including:
- Budgeting
- Funding
- Contracting
- Insurance
- Ticket sales
- Other fundraising involved with the event
Plan far in advance of your intended event date
Successful events can take two to six months to plan and university funding isn’t guaranteed. In order to acquire university funding for an event, you will need to apply and the process requires a minimum of two weeks to complete. Most university funding sources require requests be submitted no later than 30 days prior to your intended event date.
- Before making any commitments or agreements with a performer, speaker or service provider, please contact our office.
- Purchases of more than $5,000 and contracts for speakers/performers must be pre-approved and take four to six weeks to process.
- University facilities are in high demand and require early reservations. Space for RSO events can often be booked up to a year in advance. See more below.
- Advertising, marketing and promotional arrangements should be made well in advance.
- Rememember, funding isn’t necessarily guaranteed. You will need to apply at least 30 days in advance of intended event date.
Know your costs
Be sure to consider the potential cost of your event, including unforseen expenses. Proper cost-consideration can be the difference between a well-run, properly executed event and a disappointing event. Plus you won’t be able to properly determine the size or scope of your potential event without crafting a budget.
- Event security: If you believe the institution may be concerned about the safety of your guests, you may need to budget for metal detectors and additional police or security staffing
- Whether tickets or cash boxes are needed.
- Parking needs
- Insurance and waiver requirements
- Coordination of set-up and take-down with other campus events
- Advertising ideas
- Late closing fees
- Added clean-up costs
Book or schedule an event space
Contact to schedule the use of a university-owned space. If your event requires university funding to proceed, submit your funding request on BuffConnect. Just be sure to have a confirmation of the space where you intend to hold the event and remember many funding boards will not hear proposals until you formally reserved the space.
You should ponder the following prior to calling:
- Is the facility available on the date that you would like to hold the event?
- Is the facility large enough for the event?
- Are there any other events being held in the facility that will conflict with this event?
- Are the technical capabilities of the facility adequate?
- Does the facility have the necessary technical personnel on staff?
- Are there any additional fees for set-up, cleanup or equipment use?
- Will extra security be needed for your event?
- What is the cost?
Essentially you accept responsibility for:
- Sponsoring and supervision of the program.
- Assuring that the scheduled facilities are used for their scheduled purpose.
- Operating costs (which include rental fees, non-routine clean up and security) and for reimbursing the university for damage to university property or facilities that might occur in connection with that scheduled activity.
As a reminder:
- Ensure that all event promotion and advertising involving the use of university facilities identifies the individual or group sponsoring the event.
- Take all reasonable steps to ensure that the use of scheduled facilities complies with local, state and national laws, and university policies and regulations.