***The first step in planning

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for ANY School of Architecture event should be the completion of the 

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EVENTS REQUEST SURVEY. ***

This short survey helps SOA staff coordinate schedules, timing, space reservations, and necessary event support. Read on for more detail and guidelines. This is a living document that will be updated regularly. 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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EVENT SCHEDULING AND PLANNING TIMELINES

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• A minimum of two weeks' notice is required for all small events with minimal IT needs and no facilities or staff support. 
• At least one month of lead time is required for events that need facilities prep, space allocation, IT support, food, and/or other on-site staff assistance. 
• ***Ideally, event planners would let SOA staff know about your event as soon as you are starting to plan for it.

Master Calendar

As you're considering dates for your event, please consult the Master Calendar.  The Master Calendar is managed by the Dean's Office and can be a great reference for planning. The Master Calendar is different than the more public-facing calendar on the School of Architecture website but does include events and information relevant to School of Architecture students, faculty, and staff. This includes dates for the Lectures & Exhibitions Series, CAAD and Career Services events, Development events, and committee meetings, as well as holidays and other events in Austin that might affect scheduling. 

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ON-SITE RESOURCES AND FACILITIES SUPPORT

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• Tablecloths and linens (black and various colors)
• Easels
• Vases
• Kitchen utensils
• Foldable tables and cocktail tables

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• A large cooler/ice chest

For a full list, reach out to staff in the Dean's Office. 

Facilities Support

For more extensive event support and set-up, a Facilities Services Work Order will be required. The Any event requiring custodial services or delivery/set up/break down of event equipment like tables and chairs will require a Facilities Work Order and associated fees. The university's Event Support & Moving Services Office provides event-related assistance and equipment for university events of all sizes. The following are the services and inventory available for special events on a first-come, first-served basis: 

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Facilities Services' event inventory includes banners, chairs, coat racks, easels, lecterns/podiums, silk plants, privacy screens, staging/risers, tables, table cloths/skirts, and waste containers. Here is a photo gallery of Facilities Services' event their available inventory. To request services or inventory, please complete an online Event Planning Request form. Requests should be submitted as early as possible in the event planning processbecause services are available on a first-come basis, and event inventory quantities are limited.

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• Please be aware that we cannot provide parking arrangements for event speakers or other attendees. These participants should be advised to use public transit or park in one of the university's parking garages. The garage nearest to the School of Architecture's buildings is the San Antonio Garage. 
• If your budget allows, you can purchase Event Garage QR Code Permits from Parking and Transportation Services for about $12 / vehicle by filling out the Event Parking Request Form.
• If a visitor requests ADA parking accommodations, a permit for one of our nearby ADA spaces may be requested through the university at least two weeks in advance by completing the form at  https://parking.utexas.edu/parking/ada-parking-map

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PAPERWORK & PAYMENTS

Participant Payments

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• Please be aware that honoraria, especially when extended to non-U.S. citizens/residents, requires a substantial amount of paperwork both for us and the visitor.
• For non-U.S. citizens, certain visa requirements will apply, and the payment may be subject to a 30% tax. The school’s general practice is to “gross up” the honorarium to make up for this withholding using the formula: desired payment to speaker divided by 0.7 (e.g. $3,500 honorarium grossed up would cost you $5,000). Please keep this in mind when planning your budget. Please also be aware that honoraria cannot be extended to UT faculty members.
• It is also possible to reimburse participants for direct travel costs (airfare, lodging) do direct billed airfare and lodging when an honorarium is not involved.

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Anyone being paid for providing a good or service to the school, such as a lecture, participation in an event, or a vendor providing services for an event, must be entered into UT’s vendor system in order to be paid. A purchase order or contract outlining the terms of the agreement must also be processed and approved beforeBEFORE the service is performed. 

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• Step 1: School sends “Payee Information Form” (PIF) to the individual via DocuSign, which they will fill out accordingly, and return with a copy of their driver’s license or passport (if being paid as an individual. If paying the company, ID is not required).
• Step 2:
  • If the payee is a U.S. citizen/permanent resident: SOA Business Office sends purchase order information to UT Accounting for approval based on the agreed-upon honorarium amount. Turnaround time from receipt of PIF: allow 1 week.
  • If the payee is not a U.S. citizen/permanent resident: SOA Business Office sends contract information to UT Business Contracts Office (BCO) for approval based on the agreed-upon honorarium. Upon approval, the contract is sent to the individual for signature and is then countersigned by BCO. Copy is sent to individual for their records. Turnaround time from receipt of PIF: at least 2 weeks; allow more if possible. This is also the stage when the Business Office determines any visa requirements that may apply, and whether the 30% nonresident tax will be assessed.
• Step 3: After service is performed, SOA Business Office sends an invoice to UT Accounting for payment processing, and a check is mailed to the address on the PIF.

Contracts

Some vendors require a contract. Intra-university contracts are usually executed at the unit level (if renting a space at LBJ Auditorium, for example), and outside contracts require UT Business Contracts Office approval via the SOA Business Office. You will need to fill out this form, and send it as a PDF along with your contract to vpcfo.contracts@austin.utexas.edu 

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Never sign a contract of any kind - The University's Business Contracts Office is the only entity on campus authorized to sign contacts.

As a courtesy to the Business Office, please let them know of any contracts being signed by UT Contracts.

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If the contract is related to catering, the signed contract will

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need to be included with the OOEF after the event. 

Material Purchases

Small materials for events can be purchased using the Procurement Card (the school's "credit card"), which can be checked out from the Dean's Suite and/or Business Office.

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• When you check out the Procard, you will need to provide the UT account number that should be charged
• Receipts must be provided when the card is returned and no Texas state sales tax can be shown on the receipt
• If Texas state sales tax is shown on a Procard receipt, the user is required to return to the vendor and have it removed.
• If a disallowed item is purchased using the Procard, the user is responsible for paying out of pocket to reimburse the school.

Larger expenses such as equipment require purchase orders. See "Preferred Vendors" for tips above, and contact the SOA business team for more information.

Please also be aware that the SOA owns a limited number of event items such as cocktail tables, tablecloths, and sign stands; see the "On-Site Resources" section above for details about inventory available and policies for their use.

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Some items, like tables, linens, and chairs, can be rented through a UT Facilities Work Order, also explained above. 

Official Occasions and Entertainment Expenses Policy (OOEF)

An "official occasion" is defined as a reception, luncheon, dinner, or similar event that is sponsored and funded by The University of Texas at Austin. These functions are normally associated with special programs, university guests, and faculty and staff recruitment. Examples include conferences, workshops, seminars, development events, planned retreats, and staff meetings. Please note that you must have or secure funding for such an expense in advance. 

OOEFs must be completed after the purchase of any food, beverage, flowers, invitations, or similar expenses: 

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As noted in the Participant Payment section above, out-of-town event participants typically make their own hotel reservations using their SOA honorarium to self-reimburse for hotel expenses. In this case, the participant may select their own lodging based on their personal preferences.  Hotels that are closest to the School of Architecture are the:

• AT&T Hotel (an 8-minute/0.4-mile walk to the SOA)
• AC Hotel and Otis (a 6-minute/0.3-mile walk), and the
• Hampton Inn (a 10-minute/0.5-mile walk).

In cases when SOA will be reserving and/or paying for the participant's room–-including events with multiple speakers, in which case a block of room reservations is most efficient-- the event contact can make the reservation using the hotel conference card (checked out from SOA Business Office) by contacting the hotel on behalf of the participant(s).

• Hotel contacts and rate information can be found here. (see "Hotel Contact Sheet")
• When making a reservation, be sure to let the hotel know that SOA is part of The University of Texas at Austin, and as such is exempt from the state hotel occupancy tax. It is also important to let them know that the school is ONLY covering lodging and not incidentals.
• You will need to complete and submit the Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemption Certificate, and be sure to ask for any relevant UT Austin rates/discounts. 
• If the hotel is set up for direct billing (which is the case for the three listed above), you can make the reservation without a credit card, and the SOA will be invoiced following the guest's stay. When you receive the invoice, ensure that it does not include state occupancy tax. If it does, request a revised invoice from the hotel, and resubmit the tax exemption certificate with your request.
• If the hotel is not set up for direct billing, you can request the use of the Hotel Conference Card from the SOA Business Office. 

TECHNOLOGY

IT Set-Up Needs

Presentation Preparation

To facilitate technology support, we strongly recommend speakers prepare their presentation(s) in PowerPoint. We will provide a PC laptop for the presentation. 

Lead Times:

• If a speaker prefers another set-up, please let the Technology Resource and Technology Group (TRIG) know at least XXX days in advance.
• We also request that they send their presentation at least 2-3 days in advance of the lecture so that we can test the file and any audio/video components. 
• On the day of the lecture, we ask that the speaker be available 30 minutes prior to the lecture start time for tech set-up and that they bring their presentation file on a USB drive as a backup.

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TECHNOLOGY

Important Links

• Texas Architecture YouTube Channel
• School of Architecture Digital Technologies Wiki 
• Technology Resources and Integration Group Email Address: trig@utexas.edu

IT Set-Up Questions and Needs

In order to plan for and best support event-related technology needs, the School of Architecture's Technology Resources and Integration Group (TRIG) will require quite a few pieces of information from event planners well in advance of the event.

Specific questions include, but are not limited to:    

• Event Format - Will this be a lecture, a panel discussion, or a more involved forum? Is there a planned Q&A or other audience interaction?
• Event Type - Will this event be completely in-person, will it take place via Zoom with links shared externally with a wide audience, or with a limited, more exclusive audience?
• Will this event be publicly live-streamed on the Texas Architecture YouTube channel? Do you have the appropriate permissions?
• Will we need to create a Zoom meeting or do you already have one in place?
• Will there be any "presentations"? If so, what format: PowerPoint, PDF, Keynote? Will it include audio or video?

Presentation Preparation

As you coordinate with event participants and lecturers for your event, please consider the presentation format. This is important for ensuring that technology runs smoothly for your event. TRIG recommends presentations be formatted in PowerPoint. They will also provide a loaner PC laptop to run the presentation day-of.   

Lead Times:

• If a speaker prefers another set-up, please let us know at least 1 week in advance.
• We also request that they send their presentation at least 2-3 days in advance of the lecture so that we can test the file and any audio/video components. 
• On the day of the lecture, we ask that the speaker be available 30 minutes prior to the lecture start time for tech set-up and that they bring their presentation file on a USB drive as a backup.

Livestreaming via Zoom

UTSOA hosts many events that are shared live using YouTube and Zoom. In order to facilitate this process, some settings must be changed within your Zoom account. You also need to contact the Technology Research Integration Group in advance for permissions. Approval from the Communications Coordinator is required to Livestream on the Texas Architecture YouTube channel as well. 

A Livestream can be initiated by one of three methods:

1. The host requests that a stream is scheduled and the following information is shared with the host: streaming key, streaming URL, and live stream URL
2. The host's UT Mail has Manager permissions to the Texas Architecture YouTube account
3. The host has the credentials to log directly into the Texas Architecture YouTube account. 

The TRIG Team will help event planners determine the best method and approach for a live-stream. For more detailed instructions for each method please visit this page. 

Livestreaming via OWLs

The Meeting Owl camera is equipped with a 360-degree lens that captures a panoramic view of your meeting room. This creates a more immersive experience, and remote team members can see all the participants and present during the meeting or event. The owl streams its audio and video to your computer via USB, and the video conferencing platform (ie Zoom) streams the audio and video over the internet to your remote participants. 

The TRIG team is available to support OWL setup and troubleshooting with advance notice. For more information about the OWL's capabilities, click here.

Broadcasting/Recording/Talent Release

Historically, the University used a “Talent Release Form” that guests would sign to authorize the recording or live-streaming of their participation in an event. This language is now worked into both POs and Contracts, so a Talent Release form is only needed if a speaker is not receiving payment. If the speaker does not want to be recorded, broadcast, or published, we respect their wishes. This If you are live-streaming or plan to record your event, this should be discussed at the beginning of your engagement with this person to avoid last-minute surprises. 

Accessibility

Building accessibility into the planning stages of an event can eliminate barriers to participation and create a more inclusive environment. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires all media used or purchased by public agencies receiving federal/state funds to be accessible. This also applies to online videos. We recommend that all event planners include an accommodation statement on materials, which allows you to make arrangements in advance: If you need accommodations for this event, please contact (name) at (email or phone) five business days in advance. 

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General accommodation or accessibility questions can be directed to SSD at (512) 471-6259 or ssd@austin.utexas.edu. For more information about the university's Disability and Access office, visit their website: https://diversity.utexas.edu/disability/

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PROMOTION

As you plan for your event and think through attendance, it is important to consider several aspects of marketing and communications to help get the word out. The best option for advertising a campus event will vary depending on the target audience. 

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*Keep geography in mind when going outside of Central Texas. Only send to non-Texas outlets if there is a virtual component to the event.

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