Getting started
The following information is by no means exhaustive but will help you through the initial stages of preparing for your event.
Starting to think about your event
What is the strategic reason for running your event?
- Showcase expertise?
- Raise money/recognise support?
- Celebrate achievements/anniversaries?
- Engage with an existing or new audience/stakeholder?
How will you achieve this through an event? What type of event would be most suitable?
You will also need to consider:
Budget
Work out how much you have to spend on your event and the breakdown of costs. Please see the for an example of some of the costs you will need to consider.
You could consider asking a business or organisation to sponsor your event. If you are thinking of this, do contact the who will be able to offer advice and will let you know if there are already links with the specified businesses.
Resource
Do not underestimate the time it takes to organise an event. Ensure you have adequate staffing to both plan the event in the run up and to run the event on the day.
Ensure that you have a designated contact available to look after the delegate management and to be available for delegate enquiries in the lead up to the event.
Contact the Events Office
If you are thinking of planning an event, let the Events Office know by emailing or calling on 0118 378 6718. They will be able to provide you with advice and will help you to find a suitable date for your event.
Event approval
The following events require formal approval and are considered by a range of interested parties from across the University. This notification must be submitted at least 28 days prior to the event, together with a risk assessment. To avoid unwanted clashes of events in a specific local area, event organisers should submit these forms as soon as possible.
Type of Function |
The presence of one of the following (or similar) activities regardless of number of persons |
OR Number of attendees required for notification |
| Hall functions including JCR events |
|
300 or over |
| School and departmental functions including graduation receptions etc | 50 or over | |
| RUSU sport and social events | 300 or over | |
| Sportspark | 300 or over | |
| Venue Reading | 300 or over | |
| Other campus wide functions such as Open Days, fairs etc. | 500 or over | |
| Charity events (staff or student- led) | 50 or over | |
| High profile, VIP events | No threshold* | |
| Any event which has an impact upon the University grounds (including hard surfaceareas, roads, car parks etc.) |
* High profile events require notification to ensure that suitable arrangements can be made regarding security, communications etc.
We request that an Event Notification form and Risk Assessment are submitted for any events that are not a usual or regular occurrence, which taking place outside of normal working hours, involve catering and/or inviting external guests and visitors to attend.
Complete Event Notification Form
Download Events-Risk-Assessment-2021_COVID (MS Word - 131 KB)
All materials must be returned to event.notification@reading.ac.uk at least 28 days in advance. Only forms and risk assessments which are completed in full will be processed. Organisers will be notified with the outcome of their event request by the Events Notification team. Please note some requests may be rejected and some requests may be approved with additional conditions set, as advised by the Events Notification Panel (representatives from across University Service Teams).
Please note that the Events Notification Group reserve the right to request an Event Notification form and Risk Assessment for any event they deem applicable. In the case that an event is approved, please also note that approval may be retracted at any time in response to the changing situation of COVID-19.