Planning Your Event

We hope this page will assist members of the Smith community in planning successful events and programs that are consistent with Smith School policies and procedures. The information is designed to facilitate the event planning process and to ensure the safety and well-being of the members of the Smith community. The policies listed define guidelines necessary to improve organization and planning as well as the quality of programs and events.

Milestones

Please be aware of the following milestones which will determine if your event is a go or no go.

  1. For events occurring August 1st – December 31st, you must submit an Online Event Request: http://events.rhsmith.umd.edu/eventrequest by March 15th.
  2. For events occurring January 1st – July 31st, you must submit an Online Event Request: http://events.rhsmith.umd.edu/eventrequest by September 15th.
  3. An estimated budget must be established with OSPE and the Business Office prior to any vendor/services being contracted.
  4. If sponsorships are needed, DAR must be contacted and an appropriate staff member assigned to the event. A timeline for request and receipt of sponsorships should be established to minimize budget constraints.
  5. A draft agenda/program must be completed prior to Invites being sent.
  6. Confirmation of a venue either at Smith or elsewhere must be secured prior to Invites being sent.
  7. A Save the Date must be sent out at least 8 weeks prior to the event date.
  8. Invites must be sent out at least 6 weeks prior to the event date.
  9. Keynote Speaker(s) must be secured at least 4 weeks prior to the event.
  10. At least 50% of expected attendance must be registered in accordance with contractual limitations to minimize budget exposures. (varies by event based on signed agreements/contracts)

Steps to Scheduling an Event or Program

Signature Events

If your event has been deemed in the past and/or you believe it should be considered a “Signature Event” by the Dean, you should follow the steps below:

  • Event sponsors (department/center) will contact Office of Smith Programs and Events to determine if there is a conflict on the master calendar for the date you desire.
  • Submit your request for the program/event via the Online Event Request Form: http://events.rhsmith.umd.edu/eventrequest. 
  • WHY SHOULD I USE THIS SYSTEM?: You should submit your event to the online submission site in the following instances:
    1. If you would like your event or program to appear on the Smith Master Calendar,
    2. You plan to ask for room reservations at Van Munching or any of the other satellite campuses,
    3. You plan to ask for support from Events, Mar Comm, Development and Alumni Relations or other staff functions or
    4. You plan to invite any internal or external audiences to attend your program.
  • Based on criteria events will be evaluated to determine if “Signature”
  • Dean will approve strategic “Signature Events”
  • Director (or designated team member) will be point of contact for event
  • Office of Smith Programs and Events plays integral role in planning and implementation
  • Event Sponsor (department/center) support in developing content/theme
  • Office of Smith Programs and Events will contact internal team to support event coordination and execution (includes Office of External Relations, IT, Marketing & Communications, Scheduling, Facilities, etc.)

Academic Conferences & Center Events

  • Contact Office of Smith Programs and Events to determine if there is a conflict on the master calendar for the date you desire.
  • Submit your request for the program/event via the Online Event Request Form: http://events.rhsmith.umd.edu/eventrequest.
  • WHY SHOULD I USE THIS SYSTEM?: You should submit your event to the online submission site in the following instances:
    1. If you would like your event or program to appear on the Smith Master Calendar,
    2. You plan to ask for room reservations at Van Munching or any of the other satellite campuses,
    3. You plan to ask for support from Events, Mar Comm, Development and Alumni Relations or other staff functions or
    4. You plan to invite any internal or external audiences to attend your program.
  • Director will assess event requirements and assign point of contact to assist with coordination, if necessary (based on impact of the event); otherwise, department and/or group will proceed with planning on their own
  • Office of Smith Programs and Events will provide expertise in planning based on event requirements in areas such as online registration, with menu selection, signage, gifts and/or ideas, parking, etc.
  • Office of Smith Programs and Events will direct to proper resources in the Smith School for support (i.e. corporate sponsors, speakers, alumni participation, marketing, a/v support, etc.)
  • Set of guidelines with resources and relevant information for planning and executing these events by students, departments, centers, and programs will be provided.

Non-Academic, Non-Signature & Student Events

  • Contact Office of Smith Programs and Events to determine if there is a conflict on the master calendar for the date you desire.
  • Submit your request for the program/event via the Online Event Request Form: http://events.rhsmith.umd.edu/eventrequest. 
  • WHY SHOULD I USE THIS SYSTEM?: You should submit your event to the online submission site in the following instances:
    1. If you would like your event or program to appear on the Smith Master Calendar,
    2. You plan to ask for room reservations at Van Munching or any of the other satellite campuses,
    3. You plan to ask for support from Events, Mar Comm, Development and Alumni Relations or other staff functions or
    4. You plan to invite any internal or external audiences to attend your program.
  • Director will assess event requirements and assign point of contact to assist with coordination, if necessary (based on impact of the event); otherwise, department and/or group will proceed with planning on their own
  • Office of Smith Programs and Events will provide expertise in planning based on event requirements in areas such as online registration, with menu selection, signage, gifts and/or ideas, parking
  • Office of Smith Programs and Events will direct to proper resources in the Smith School for support (i.e. corporate sponsors, speakers, alumni participation, marketing, a/v support, etc.)
  • Set of guidelines with resources and relevant information for planning and executing these events by students, departments, centers, and programs will be provided

General Meetings

  • To request a room reservation for class, departmental meeting or student activity, contact:
    Michael Sparrow, Scheduling Manager
    Ext. 5-8437, msparrow@rhsmith.umd.edu
    Academic Scheduling: classes, any academic requirement for students (credit and non-credit), scheduling outside the building for academic requirements
    Smith Operations
    Ext. 5-2189, smithoperations@rhsmith.umd.edu
    General Scheduling: meetings, ad-hoc activities, students, SUSA
  • If you request a room that is unavailable, you will be offered a similar room or advised to change the date of your function. Keep in mind that classes and signature events have priority, so it’s best to look at the online Smith Calendar before setting your event date.

Event Type Definitions

For the purpose of room reservations and support, the list below is an effort to further define the “types of events” that are planned for the Smith School and what office in the building the requests for rooms/space should be sent to:

Special Events and Programs

Smith Programs & Events: Smith Programs and Events will reserve rooms for any event with a primarily academic audience such as events with speakers hosted by departments, chairs, or professors with a larger community impact in addition to any event with an external speaker and/or external audience (i.e. alumni, corporate friends, government officials, etc.), Signature Events as determined by the Dean.

  • Any event with an external speaker and/or external audience hosted by Smith departments
  • Any event with an audience of primary focus on alumni, corporate friends and donor prospects.
  • Any event associated with a primary academic audience (hosted by departments; conferences, Open Houses; speaker invited by dept. chair/professor)
  • Signature Events (determined by the Dean)
  • Department events that impact the entire school

Non-Academic/General Meetings

Smith Operations: Smith Operations will be responsible for reserving rooms for all other requirements such as department meetings and other activities arising during the school year. They will also be responsible for scheduling all PhD and MBA student activities not covered under (a) or (b) above. Smith Operations will also schedule any requests from departments on campus not related to academic classes.

  • General department meetings and other staff meetings
  • Ad-hoc activities that come up during the semester
  • Student activities
  • Requests from other departments on campus (not academic classes)
  • Case Rooms

Academic Classes

Scheduling Manager: The Scheduling Manager shall be responsible for reserving rooms for all academic classes and related activities, whether for credit or not. Examples of non-credit events are MBA Case Competition or Business Week events. The Scheduling Manager will also schedule any event with a primarily academic audience such as Open Houses or events with speakers hosted by departments, chairs, or professors for a class. The Scheduling Manager will also coordinate any requests from departments on campus for academic classes.

  • Any requirement for students (including credit and non-credit activities) – i.e. all classes; Business Week events; Convocation, etc.
  • Requests from other departments on campus for academic classes only