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Northwestern University
Serial > Event Planning > Event Policies

Event Policies

If you have any questions or would like clarification on any of these policies, please reach out to the Office of Student Life.

General Event Policies

Policies

1. You must obtain pre-approval for your event.

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Pre-Approval is required for all off-campus events

You can request event pre-approval by submitting an event pre-approval form at least 2 weeks in advance of your event date (and at least 3 weeks in advance if your event requires any contracts).

 

Pre-Approval is required for some on-campus events

If you will not be serving alcohol at your on-campus event, pre-approval is not required. Similarly, if alcohol will be purchased and served through Global Hub Catering or Northwestern Catering, pre-approval is not required, either.

However, if alcohol for your event will not be purchased from or served by our campus caterers (see "Serving purchased or donated alcohol on-campus," below), you are required to obtain pre-approval for your event. You can request event pre-approval by submitting an event pre-approval form at least 4 weeks in advance of your event date.


2. Events cannot occur during normal class times.

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Student events cannot be scheduled during class times, including night classes, or during the Wednesday lunch hour. As such, acceptable times for events are:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 12:15-1:15pm, 5:15-6:15pm

Wednesday: Anytime other than 12:15-1:15pm

Saturday: All day

No events may be scheduled in the Global Hub on Sundays, as the Hub is closed to the public and facilities staff are not available.


3. Club events are not permitted at student residences.

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Clubs are not permitted to host events in students' apartments, condos, or houses.

Events in the common areas of these buildings (including McManus Lounge) will be considered in advance, on a case-by-case basis, by submitting an event pre-approval form. If approved, please remember that any common area rental form with a signature line is considered a contract; these forms must be signed by our University signatory, with any applicable rental fees paid via University check.

Other private residences are strongly discouraged as event venues, but will be considered on a case-by-case basis. To request consideration, submit a pre-approval form well in advance of your proposed event (at least 3 weeks in advance if a contract will be required).

4. Do not sign any contracts for service providers and other vendors.

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If you plan on hiring any service provider for your event - a DJ, photographer, band, rental company, etc. - you must work with the Office of Student Life to obtain a signed contract for their service. Details on this process are located here, which you must begin at least 4 weeks in advance of your event. Please note that students are not permitted to sign contracts, and are not permitted to pay service providers themselves; the Club Coordinator will help you arrange for payment by University check. This process applies without exception - whether the service provider is an individual or an organization, and whether or not they provide you with their own contract.

If any other event vendor requires a contract, the same process and policies apply, and are available here.

5. Paying venues and vendors by your event date is your responsibility.

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Unless you have specifically made other arrangements with your vendor or venue, it is your responsibility to arrange for payment by the date of your event. Instructions to pay by University check are available here; individual reimbursement is your other option, unless the vendor in question is a service provider or has issued a contract for the event charges.

Alcohol Policies

Policies

1. Alcohol must be served by a licensed bartender.

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All alcohol must be served by licensed bartenders, with no exceptions. For on-campus events, you can purchase alcohol from - and have it served by - Global Hub Catering (on campus or at the Global Hub) or Northwestern Catering (outside of the Global Hub only). We provide step-by-step instructions on how to purchase alcohol for events right here.


2. BYOB events are not permitted.

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If alcohol will be present at a club event, it must be served by licensed bartenders who have provided specific documentation to the University. For that reason, BYOB events are not permitted; instead, we have a list of local pre-contracted venues where you can host events with alcohol.


3. Food is required at any event where alcohol is served.

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If alcohol will be served at your event, food must also be provided by the organizers. You're not required to buy every attendee a full meal, but something to eat must be made available for the duration of the event.

4. The maximum duration for events where alcohol is served is 5 hours.

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5. If alcohol is incorporated into a ticket price, you must include a dry ticket option.

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This dry ticket option must be offered for a lesser price than the wet ticket.

6. Hard alcohol is prohibited at on-campus events.

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Only beer and wine are permitted to be served during events at the Global Hub. Any drink whose alcohol content is higher than the average wine's is prohibited at all on-campus events; this includes sake because of its varying alcohol content.

7. Wristbands will be issued for all on-campus events where alcohol is served.

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The licensed bartenders serving alcohol must also check IDs and issue wristbands to the appropriate event attendees. Your group can certainly staff a registration table to check attendees into the event; however, wristbands may only be given out by the bartending staff. Please plan accordingly if you need another system to identify attendees who have already checked in.

8. Students are not permitted to bring their own alcohol into on-campus events.

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All alcohol must be purchased and served following the guidelines above.

9. Leftover alcohol cannot be taken home after an event.

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If there is alcohol left over after an event, students cannot take the extras with them. The caterer or staffing company is liable for all the alcohol they bring in and serve, so all leftovers must go back with them. Please work with your caterer to make appropriate estimates when ordering for your event.