Policies

Before contacting staff and at least 2-6 months prior to the event, obtain approval from the department Chair and area heads. Chair approval is required before you proceed any further with event planning. If you attempt to schedule an event with less than a 2-months heads up, there may be fewer resources available. Because funding is limited and distributed on a first come, first served basis, submit your proposals before the end of the first week of classes for priority consideration.

Procedures & Timelines

2–6 months prior to the event, submit the Request Event Approval form to request approval of funds and the use of resources from the Chair.

The form will ask you the following information about the event:

1. Proposed title of event
2. Brief description
3. Type of event (e.g., screening, guest lecture, panel discussion, reception, etc.)
4. Purpose and benefit to the department
5. Target audience
6. Whether it can fit into an existing series/initiative or paired with a class
7. Location: On campus or off campus? And If there is an online component (e.g., Zoom)
8. Budget info and scope, including thoughts about partnering with other units for funding and cross-promotion, and if you need support in finding funding. Here are potential partnership options / funding sources.
9. Potential date/dates. First, be sure to consult internal planning calendars to avoid conflicts with other events with similar audiences:
   1. RTF Department Calendar
   2. Annual RTF Activities by Month
   3. Moody’s internal special event spreadsheet
   4. if you are working with another unit on co-sponsorship, check in with their event planning internal calendars.

Longhorn Planners Listserv

There is a listserv for event staff campus-wide. This is an email you can send event related questions to and get advice from other planners on campus. The link to self-subscribe is: https://utlists.utexas.edu/sympa/subscribe/longhorn_planners

Moody Events Forum

This is a group for Moody staff that works with events that meets monthly on the second Wednesday of the month at 1 PM via Zoom. If you would like to be added contact Sara Abrams: sara.abrams@austin.utexas.edu.

Submit appropriate forms to secure support from RTF staff and initiate UT protocols:

1. For any event that includes food, submit Request for OOEF, which will initiate steps towards the following:
   
   1. Arranging event-related travel
   2. UT approvals for future reimbursement, event purchases such as catering, and vendor contracts, if applicable
   3. Securing an off campus venue
   4. Promoting the event
2. If you are bringing in a guest or contractor, fill out a Compensating Guests Request Form.
3. For an on-campus room reservation, email milaka.falk@austin.utexas.edu

Policies

If a contract is needed...

• Faculty/staff members are not permitted to sign contracts on behalf of the University.
• The contract approval process usually takes 3-4 weeks.

Considerations for selecting a venue

• • Number of guests
  • Parking
  • A/V needs
  • Physical flow of activities, including food traffic and set-up
  • Rental fees
  • Signage
  • Inclement weather/back-up plan if outdoors
  • ADA Accommodations
  • Restroom access
  • Multiple vendors needed? (e.g., space rental + catering + bartender + furniture + waste removal)

Procedures

Off campus venues and vendors

• Contact Milaka for reaching out to vendors.
• Contract needed? Once you choose your vendors and negotiate your event prices, vendors may ask you to sign their contracts. Faculty/staff members are not permitted to sign contracts on behalf of the University. You will need to submit the contract and a filled-out Business Contracts Review Checklist to rtf-accounting@austin.utexas.edu to start the contract signature process through the central business office. This process usually takes 3-4 weeks.

Moody College Rooms & Spaces

• Submit your reservation requests to milaka.falk@austin.utexas.edu.
• To learn more about room capacity and A/V options, see Moody Facilities Room Overview pages.

UT (Non-Moody) Venues

• To review other campus venues, use this Find a Space tool.
• Note for screening at the Texas Union Theatre, McCullough Theatre, and other theatrical screening spaces on campus, please know that there are fairly steep rental fees.

Note: Permits are required for special events that feature any of the following:

• tents
• temporary cooking equipment
• open flames
• temporary decorative lighting
• food trucks
• pyrotechnics (fireworks) or flame effects

Policies

• Since this event speaker is connected to an event, Chair approval for the event itself needs to be secured before proceeding.
• The Department Chair must approve funding for paying a guest prior to making arrangements to compensate a guest or pay for a guest's travel.
• Because funding is limited, there is no guarantee of approval.
• UT does not allow the department to reimburse faculty or staff for paid professional services (because the University is responsible to fulfill IRS requirements for year-end reporting of non-employee compensation); instead, we will need to pay the professional/s directly.
• *Note: If you fail to notify us until after the services have been performed, you will be required to submit an exception letter to the Dean’s office and the AVP of Purchasing for approval. There is no guarantee these exceptions will be approved, meaning that your business associates and students would be at risk of not being paid.

Procedures & Timelines

1. If you have not already done so, submit the Event Approval Form to receive approval from the chair for the event itself.
2. Submit the Event Speaker Request Form in advance of services in order to arrange compensation for the speaker, according the following timeline:
   1. If no travel is needed:
      1. at least 30 days prior to the visit/service
      2. at least 60 days in advance for International non-employees
   2. If travel is needed:
      1. at least 45 days in advance for domestic travel
      2. at least 60 days in advance for international travel
3. If the event and request to compensate the speaker are both approved, the RTF Accounting team will follow up with directions for you to notify the event speaker about what is needed for compensation, and then they will follow up with the professional in order to process the payment.

Policy

Coffee, snacks, or any food or beverage for any meeting or film crew must be requested BEFORE purchase.

To request reimbursement or pay a vendor directly for food/entertainment expenses at an official meal or reception, submit the Request to submit the Official Occasion Expense Form (OOEF) at least 5 days before the event, or 10 days in advance for events estimated over $5K or alcohol is served at the event.

Procedures

Sooner is better to make sure you have time to book the vendor.

• Submit the Request to submit the Official Occasion Expense Form (OOEF)
• RTF Office Manager Milaka Falk will work with you on your catering order.
• Be aware that certain UT spaces require certain caterers. For example, University Unions requires us to use Forty Acres Catering for their events.

Procedures & Considerations

If you would like to request assistance with technology at your event, please submit a Generic Request for Tech Team request on the Texas Moody Support Portal.

For a screening, consider the following:

• Subtitles/Captions for ADA accommodations
• Media format: DCP, Blu-Ray, Quicktime file…
• Quality Control
• Screener copy for Q&A facilitator to watch in advance/prepare
• Other support

For a talk, consider the stage set-up and technology needs

• Stage layout and background images (we have a slide with the department logo, for example)
• Lighting
• Mics
• Recording
  • Do you plan to have the event recorded?
  • How will you use the recorded footage when complete?
• Request access to green room from facilities manager if you need it for pre-event staging

Consider how you will use/share the video or audio recording.

Reach out to the Moody Production team at comm-production@austin.utexas.edu. If they are unavailable to help, you can hire Texas Student Media or other student videographers.

Videography subjects will need to sign release forms.