Eastern Mennonite University Conferences & Events

General Guidelines for Event Planners

Telephones & Messages for Guests | Insurance | Athletic Facilities | Posting of Signs | Advertising

Campus Parking Policy | Dining Services | Policies | Extra Services | Contact

Application/Contact Person

The first step in reserving facilities is to fill out an application and mail it to our office with the application fee of $25. To avoid conflicting instructions, select one person who will conduct all negotiations with EMU personel and make ALL arrangements and requests. This person is called the "contact."
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Conference Coordinator

We will appoint a Conference Coordinator and ALL requests for equipment, meeting rooms, lodging, special meals, etc., are to be addressed to the Conference Coordinator. Several weeks before your conference/event, all information will be handed off to a designated staff member who will handle the daily running of your conference/event with the assistance of other staff from our office.
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Contract

Contracts are issued in January and must be signed and returned by the last week in February. At this time, a $1000.00 deposit is required by the conference. The amount of the deposit is negotioable for non-conference related groups. This is the time to confirm arrangements with your conference and request reccreational facilities, Snack Shop hours, audio/visual equipment, and food service arrangements for breaks, banquets and social events.
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Event Description

After proper planning, the Conference Coordinator or student staff member will write an "Event Description" with instructions to all campus personnel who will be involved in support of that conference/event. A copy is sent/emailed to the "contact" and the "contact" is asked to carefully examine the document and request changes if it is not correct in every detail.

The information for this document, along with program details, must be received by Eastern Mennonite University not less than two weeks prior to your conference/event date. Meal serving hours, assignment of rooms, audio/visual needs, room set-ups and other program details will be strictly handled according to the "Event Description."

Since the college personnel in charge of those areas cna only suppose that the Event Description was designed for the convenience of your conference/event, they should not be asked to make exceptions or changes. Special requests should be made by your contact person to the student staff member handling your conference/event.
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Keys

If your conference/event requires keys for apartment or dorm rooms, those keys must be requested at the signing of the contract. Keys will be assigned by the Conferences & Events staff according to the conference planner's housing chart or room assignment list which must be received in our office five business days before the conference arrives on campus. There will be a $25.00 charge for lost dorm keys and a $100.00 charge for lost building master keys. There are push button access combination locks on all main entrances and some internal doors of all dorms. These access codes will be given to each individual at registration, along with their key.
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Registration

Your conference/event registrar is responsible for handling registration. That person registers attendees, accepts payments, assigns dorm rooms (and provides our office with assignments five business days before the conference), distributes meal cards and takes care of similar details. The Conferences & Events Office will provide meal cards and assist your registrar, if requested, by suggesting efficient procedures. Our staff is also available to issue leys at the registration location.
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Telephones & Messages for Guests

Telephones are available around the campus for local calls (dial 9 for an outside line). Guests may make long distance calls from EMU hall phones only by using an 800 number or a calling card. In the case of an emergency, guests should dial (9) 9-1-1.

The Information Office, located on the main floor of the Campus Center is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The telephone number at the Information Office/Switchboard is (540) 432-4000. In order to facilitate communications with persons in your group, group leaders may request that a telephone number be assigned to the group. Voice mail can be set up for the conference at that number, allowing callers to leave messages for the leaders in your group.
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Insurance

All groups using the campus are required to provide liability insurance for the organization and all of its participants with limits of not less than $1,000,000 combined single limit for each person/ occurrence for bodily injury and/or property damage. The policy should name the college as additional insured. The certificate of insurance should be forwarded to the college 30 days before the date of the event.
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Athletic Facilities

Tennis courts are available on a first-come, first-serve basis with nighttime lighting until 11 pm.. Bring your own tennis racquets and balls. An outdoor track is also available. Athletic equipment will be checked out to the group leaders and there will be a charge for lost or damaged equipment.

The gymnasiums, game room, and ball fields must be scheduled ahead of time through the Conferences and Events Office. Use of the Climbing Wall and the Fitness Center requires scheduling in advance and completed waiver forms. These forms will be provided to the group leader when the space is reserved.

An EMU monitor is required during the use of indoor facilities. Only athletic shoes with non-marking soles are permitted on the gymnasium floor. Bare feet, sock feet and other shoes will not be permitted. Food and drink are not permitted in the gymnasiums or the game room.
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Posting of Signs

Signs or posters placed on glass, painted or papered walls should be hung with with Plastitack. Please do not use tape or thumbtacks. Plastitack is available in the Campus Bookstore.

Signs along major routes point the way to EMU. Let us know if you would like us to provide signs on campus pointing the way to registration. Area and campus maps are available from the Conferences and Events Office for you to copy and distribute to members of your group.
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Advertising

You may wish to advertise or sell products or services relating to your group. Permission to do so must be secured in advance from the Conferences and Events director.
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Campus Parking Policy

For practical purposes, Eastern Mennonite University is considered a "walking campus" and we discourage the use of motor vehicles on campus while attending your conference or event. We appreciate your cooperation in leaving your vehicles parked in the designated parking areas. Areas marked with a yellow curb are no parking zones. Please also observe all posted parking signs (reserved spaces and handicapped parking).
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Dining Services

Food service on the EMU campus is provided by Pioneer College Caterers USA. Arrangements for food service, including banquets, receptions, snacks, etc. for summer groups will be made by the Director of Conferences and Events with the Food Service Director. Meal times should typically fall between 7-8 a.m. for breakfast, 12 noon-1 p.m. for lunch, an 5-6 p.m. for supper. These times may be negotiated due to having multiple groups on campus at one time, or due to group size. (Review the catering menu.)

Most meals are eaten in the air-conditioned main dining hall, with a seating capacity of up to 320. Three smaller dining rooms are also air-conditioned and may be reserved upon request. The East Dining Room seats 30, the South Dining Room seats 16, and the West Dining Room seats 72.

In order for us ot handle your conference/event as efficiently as possible, we ask that meal hours be strictly adhered to and meal cards be presented at every admittance to the Dining Room. This is especially important when more than one large group may be on campus and when conferences may be assifned a specific period of time for their meal. EMU meal cards are used to identify members of a particular group as they go through the cafeteria line in order to facilitate accurate billing.

Each meal card has a bar code that is scanned upon entry. Billing is based on the number of meals consumed or the guaranteed number of meals, whichever is the higher figure. Children MUST be accompanied by their parents/chaperone.
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Policies

Since it is out intention to establish a congenial, comfortable relationship with clients, we are reluctant to post a set of "rules." However, the distinctiveness which attracted you to Eastern Mennonite University can best be protected for you and other conferences if we clearly state what practices are required.

The posession and /or use of tobacco and/or alcohol is NOT permitted on campus.
Tobacco/and or alcohol found on campus may be confiscated and persons in possession of such items may be asked to leave the campus. Use of tobacco is occasionally permitted in designated areas outdoors by special arrangement. The group will be subject to a fine of $50 for violations of the smoking prohibition in buildings.
NO PETS are permitted on campus.
The cost of any damage to facilities and equipment will be billed to hte conference, which can then be billed to the person responsible.
Unmarried persons of the opposite sex are not permitted to room together.
For the safety of all of our guests, skateboards and rollerblades are not permitted on campus.
After midnight, persons under 16 must be in the dorm unless accompanied by an adult.
Children and teenagers are to be supervised at all times. (recommended 1-10 ratio)
Check-out time from all dorms is 9:00 a.m. unless special arrangements have been made in advance.

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Extra Services

Upon request, our office will endeavor to engage special personnel or services for your conference, or to direct you to a reliable source. These personnel or services are to be paid for by your conference/event. Return to top