University and Outdoor Spaces

Following Our Events Process

With any special event that takes place under a student group, it is important that your group follows our events process. 

For on-campus events, you need to submit an events management form (EMF) at least 21 days before your event occurs. 

You also need to submit an events application with a specific risk assessment at least 7 days before your event occurs/ your tickets are scheduled to go live. 

These timeframes allow York SU staff to feedback with any additional support you may need, or to make any alterations on your event application, in time for your event. 

The information on this page should be completed in addition to completing an EMF, events application and specific risk assesment. 

University Spaces

You can book out almost any lecture or seminar room on campus (when it's not in use) for your group's activities. However, you must adhere to the University's Room Bookings Terms and Conditions. 

Specifically:

• You must not exceed the room's capacity.

  • The capacity is listed on Planon in brackets after the room name

• If you move the furniture, you must return it to the original layout before you leave.

  • In most rooms there are posters on the wall with the usual layout.

• You must leave the room clean and tidy, and inform the Room Bookings team if there is any damage or mess at the start or during your booking.

  • If any litter does not fit in the bin in the room, you must take it to another bin - don't leave it by the side!

• Alcohol is not permitted in University teaching spaces.

  • If you want to host an event involving alcohol, one of York SU's licensed venues may be more appropriate.

If you repeatedly break these rules, your group may lose the right to book space on campus.

More information can be found on the Student Room Bookings page on the University website. 

Using Planon

Planon is the University room bookings system. It is not managed by York SU, so any issues you encounter should be directed straight to the Room Bookings team at roombookings@york.ac.uk.

Planon will open for Semester 1 bookings during the summer vacation, and then will open for Semester 2 bookings during winter vacation, shortly before Semester 2 begins. 

Some key things to note about Planon:

• Planon is only available using the University network, so you either need to be on campus or connected via the University Virtual Private Network (VPN) to use it.

• You must enter your group’s name when asked on the form. If you don’t, the room will be booked under your name, meaning you could be held personally responsible for any damage which occurs (even if you're not in the room at the time).

• You must book your room as early as possible, allowing at least two working days for confirmation.

Your booking will be sent to the Room Bookings team who will confirm it by email. Occasionally, a booking may be rejected or altered if a request by the University takes precdedent (eg. if a seminar has to go into the space you have booked, or these is an important event occuring within the University), so do not assume your request has been successful until you have received confirmation. 

When you get confirmation, double-check the room number; sometimes they are changed.

You may see a ‘booking warning’ attached to your request. This usually indicates that you’ve asked to book a room either outside standard portering hours or at a time when the room is not available to book (e.g. during the holidays). The Room Bookings team will contact you about your request. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your booking cannot go ahead.

Seating, Room Adjustments or Staging Requirements

For any layout adjustments for any on-campus events, please contact the Rapid Response team at room-setup@york.ac.uk in the first stages of planning your event. 

Please email Rapid Response with the date of your event, the details of what you need rearranging for the room, and when you need to have the room rearranged for. 

Rapid Response require at least the morning before your event and the morning after your event has taken place to reset your space. 

This needs to be accounted for in your room booking, for example:

If your event takes place at 17:00-22:00 on a Saturday, you will need to book out your space from 09:00 on that Saturday to 12:00 on the Sunday, to give Rapid Response the time to reset the space!

Alcohol

If your event involves the consumption of alcohol, this should ideally take place in licensed premises, on-campus or off-campus. York SU cannot support the consumption of alcohol in University lecture theatres, rooms or other bookable spaces.

York SU will only support events involving alcohol which are accompanied by an EMF and/or Specific Risk Assessment, and have put in place sufficient controls on its consumption.

Booking the Roger Kirk Centre

The Roger Kirk Centre can be booked for events during the evenings and weekends. 

Please be aware larger event bookings (that require the dining tables to be moved) must be made at a weekend, for Rapid Response need to coordinate removing tables and setting them back up again, in time for dining on a Monday morning. 

To book the RKC, please complete York SU's events inquiry form, ticking 'The Lounge' as your option for the booking. Please be aware that you cannot book the RKC without booking The Lounge too!

Your group will also need to provide £250 upfront to pay for the staffing of the RKC/ The Lounge, which is opened specially for event bookings. 

Booking Central Hall

Central Hall Availability 

Central Hall is being increasingly used for teaching during the week. This means that any large-scale events by student groups (ie. anything that requires staging and seating to be rearranged) will need to take place on a Saturday, to allow Rapid Response enough time to set up and reset the room afterwards. 

On-Campus Outdoor Spaces

When organising an event that is taking place outside on-campus, remember: 

1. Book your space on Planon.

2. Contact events@yorksu.org, Geoff Ward (g.ward@yorksu.org) and your link staff member in the first instance, with an overview of your event. 

This will mean that the appropriate staff are aware of your event from the first instance, and can provide any additional support and advise on additional risks to consider. 

3. York SU is the only lisence holder for alcohol on-campus. 

This means that no group can sell alcohol or consume alcohol as part of their event, if it the event is not also organised with a York SU Venue. 

4. For large-scale events (eg. events with over 100 people expected to attend), your group will have to budget and pay for additional fencing, barriers and door staff, from your group's own funds account. 

For more information about the cost of this, email events@yorksu.org and Geoff Ward at g.ward@yorksu.org. 

5. For events on Greg's Place that are large-scale or uses Vanbrugh Arms for the sale of alcohol, your group will have to budget and pay for additional fencing, barriers and door staff, from your group's own funds account. 

For more information about the cost of this, email events@yorksu.org and Geoff Ward at g.ward@yorksu.org. 

6. For events that would require additional costs with barriers or door staff, we advise that your group charges for tickets on your SU page, through your events application. 

7. For outdoor events that could cause noise pollution during teaching hours (eg. any event that includes music or speakers), organise this to take place after teaching hours (18:30 onwards) or weekends.