Conference and Event Planning

Internal vs. External Events

Generally, events at Northeastern fall into three categories.

Internal events
External events hosted by a University group
A cosponsored event (an event that is a joint effort between a Northeastern unit and an outside group)

Internal events
Internal events are planned, managed, promoted by, and paid for by University departments. Attendees may include both Northeastern guests as well as outside guests. Internal events are conducted in the course of University business, and serve to advance the University's and the host unit's mission, values, academic, and business objectives. University faculty or staff planning a meeting or an event for University business can book space directly with facility schedulers and can order services directly with the respective University departments and/or outside vendors. Lists of facility schedulers and service providers are located in this guide in the “Reservations Contact List” and “Event Services” sections.

University Events staff are available to advise any member of the University on effective ways to plan and manage a meeting or event. We can guide you through the planning steps and help you to develop efficient and cost-effective event strategies.

At any point in the planning process, please feel free to call us for advice. It is always better to connect with this office early in the planning process.

External events
Frequently, outside groups wish to use University facilities for a meeting, conference, or event. The University allows qualified outside groups, particularly community and neighborhood groups, to make use of the meeting resources at Northeastern. It is beneficial to the University to make our facilities available to some groups for appropriate reasons, but it is important for outside groups to go through the proper channels when requesting space on campus.

There are legal, risk management, and financial issues at stake when the University opens its doors to an outside group. It is important that the University knows who is interested in using our facilities, who is on campus, and the purpose of the meeting or event. University Events will help you to qualify the group, if necessary.

Therefore, if a University department wishes to invite an external group to use campus meeting facilities, or if you are asked by an outside group to book space for them on campus, here are the steps to take:

Always let us know first before you make any arrangements, including space reservation, on behalf of an outside group.
The outside group must have a written contract with the University that spells out the terms and conditions of the use of University facilities, with specific dates, times and locations, and the costs involved.
University Counsel has prepared standard contracts for outside groups coming to campus to use University facilities for meetings or events. University Events will prepare a Space Use Agreement for the outside group.
The Space Use Agreement must be signed by the outside group at least 30 business days before the event. After the agreement is approved and signed by University Counsel, it is returned to University Events.
Outside group must present evidence of insurance to the University as required in the Agreement. The Certificate of Insurance should accompany the signed Agreement. It is optimal to get a Certificate of Insurance from an outside group as far in advance as possible. The Office of Risk Management sets the insurance requirements for outside groups and reviews and approves all insurance certificates for adequate coverage.
An outside group is required to pay facility rent and to pay for any direct costs provided by a University service provider. Direct costs include, but are not limited to, building services charges to reset or refresh a room; building services overtime charges for evening and weekend events; cleaning; catering; parking; audio-visual equipment or technical support; in some cases, the cost of an assigned facility manager to monitor the event (this usually applies in the Curry Student Center); cost of a public safety detail if deemed appropriate by the University; signage, if deemed appropriate by the University; and other costs on a case-by-case basis.

Cosponsored events
A cosponsored event is a joint effort between Northeastern and an outside group. Events that are jointly sponsored may or may not require a Space Use Agreement, insurance coverage, and facility rental fees. If you are considering hosting a jointly sponsored event on campus, please contact us so that we can assist you in determining the right steps to take.


Meeting Services Facilities Availability Visitor Information Planning Guide Links Contact Us	Internal vs. External Events Generally, events at Northeastern fall into three categories. Internal events External events hosted by a University group A cosponsored event (an event that is a joint effort between a Northeastern unit and an outside group) Internal events Internal events are planned, managed, promoted by, and paid for by University departments. Attendees may include both Northeastern guests as well as outside guests. Internal events are conducted in the course of University business, and serve to advance the University's and the host unit's mission, values, academic, and business objectives. University faculty or staff planning a meeting or an event for University business can book space directly with facility schedulers and can order services directly with the respective University departments and/or outside vendors. Lists of facility schedulers and service providers are located in this guide in the “Reservations Contact List” and “Event Services” sections. University Events staff are available to advise any member of the University on effective ways to plan and manage a meeting or event. We can guide you through the planning steps and help you to develop efficient and cost-effective event strategies. At any point in the planning process, please feel free to call us for advice. It is always better to connect with this office early in the planning process. External events Frequently, outside groups wish to use University facilities for a meeting, conference, or event. The University allows qualified outside groups, particularly community and neighborhood groups, to make use of the meeting resources at Northeastern. It is beneficial to the University to make our facilities available to some groups for appropriate reasons, but it is important for outside groups to go through the proper channels when requesting space on campus. There are legal, risk management, and financial issues at stake when the University opens its doors to an outside group. It is important that the University knows who is interested in using our facilities, who is on campus, and the purpose of the meeting or event. University Events will help you to qualify the group, if necessary. Therefore, if a University department wishes to invite an external group to use campus meeting facilities, or if you are asked by an outside group to book space for them on campus, here are the steps to take: Always let us know first before you make any arrangements, including space reservation, on behalf of an outside group. The outside group must have a written contract with the University that spells out the terms and conditions of the use of University facilities, with specific dates, times and locations, and the costs involved. University Counsel has prepared standard contracts for outside groups coming to campus to use University facilities for meetings or events. University Events will prepare a Space Use Agreement for the outside group. The Space Use Agreement must be signed by the outside group at least 30 business days before the event. After the agreement is approved and signed by University Counsel, it is returned to University Events. Outside group must present evidence of insurance to the University as required in the Agreement. The Certificate of Insurance should accompany the signed Agreement. It is optimal to get a Certificate of Insurance from an outside group as far in advance as possible. The Office of Risk Management sets the insurance requirements for outside groups and reviews and approves all insurance certificates for adequate coverage. An outside group is required to pay facility rent and to pay for any direct costs provided by a University service provider. Direct costs include, but are not limited to, building services charges to reset or refresh a room; building services overtime charges for evening and weekend events; cleaning; catering; parking; audio-visual equipment or technical support; in some cases, the cost of an assigned facility manager to monitor the event (this usually applies in the Curry Student Center); cost of a public safety detail if deemed appropriate by the University; signage, if deemed appropriate by the University; and other costs on a case-by-case basis. Cosponsored events A cosponsored event is a joint effort between Northeastern and an outside group. Events that are jointly sponsored may or may not require a Space Use Agreement, insurance coverage, and facility rental fees. If you are considering hosting a jointly sponsored event on campus, please contact us so that we can assist you in determining the right steps to take.
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