2. Event Notification Process

The Event Notification Process is the University’s events approval system. It exists to enable holistic campus co-ordination, provide high-quality guest experiences and give guidance to event organisers so they can ensure campus events and activities are safe.

Events are activities which intend to gather people for a purpose outside of core curriculum teaching and learning. As part of this process, details of the event will be circulated to the Event Notification Group for comment and approval. In return, event organisers receive a collective response to verify the activity. The group is represented by senior University stakeholders from a variety of areas, such as Catering, Estates, Health & Safety and Security.

The process enables monitoring of adequate risk mitigation and management of event volumes on any given day/time/venue. Third-party, commercial events brokered, booked and managed with Venue Reading and Venue Henley are currently exempt and should follow their existing risk assessment procedures. However, internal University schools, departments, functions and areas organising their own non-timetabled activity taking place outside of buildings’ regular opening hours will need to submit an event notification.

Please refer to the list below for clarification as to which events require an Event Notification. Organisers must submit their event using the Event Notification Portal.

If the event falls into one of the following categories:

• Venue Reading managed events, with 500 or more attendees.

• Student hall functions, including JCR events, with 100 or more attendees.

• RUSU sports and social events, with 100 or more attendees.

• Sport Park events, with 100 or more attendees.

• School, department, function, museum events* (e.g., research events, careers talks, award ceremonies, guest lectures, etc), with 50 or more attendees.

• Charity events (if involving students or members of the public)

• Campus-wide events such as Open Days, Visit Days, Clearing, Welcome Week, Graduation, Careers Fairs, Summer Ball, Varsity, etc

• Any event which has an impact upon the University grounds (including hard surface areas, roads, car parks, etc) or adverse impact on buildings.

• Any event that presents an environmental risk which could impact the University grounds (including hard surface areas, roads, car parks, land, water, or air, such as: 

  Additional waste services required (e.g., skip hire)

  Use of hazardous substances

  Potential discharge of substances to drains

  Potential for littering.

• Any Estates/Construction project which could have a significant impact on activities on campus.

• Any event which involves a significant number of vulnerable people, such as children or the elderly, immunocompromised people or people with disabilities.

• Any event with high profile or VIP guests attending (e.g., royalty, government, celebrity).

• Any event with high profile or VIP external speakers, or event with a controversial topic, or an event with an external speaker presenting to a public audience (note: External Speaker Policy must also be followed in this instance).

• Any event (other than a business meeting) which invites members of the public onto campus.

• Any event outside of buildings’ regular opening hours (please note these may differ out of term time), apart from Venue Reading, Venue Henley, RUSU, UPP Ltd. managed events, who have their own risk assessment.

Or if one of the following activities is present, regardless of the number of attendees:

• Staking the ground e.g., for a marquee (Permit to Dig should also be applied for)

• Temporary structures (larger than a small, weighted pop-up gazebo).

• Alcohol provided (unless in a licensed UoR premise served by Catering Services).

• Music (recorded or live).

• Inflatables.

• Fairground equipment.

• Barbeques or other naked flames, except fixed barbecues within campus catering facilities run by catering staff and those within university student accommodation grounds where activities are controlled by UPP Ltd.

• Fireworks or pyrotechnics or dry ice.

• Toxic or asphyxiant gases.

• Animals.

• Work at height or similar high-risk activity, such as bungee jumping, bucking bronco, mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), and hot air balloons.

• Drones on campus (even if owned by a school or department).

• Food for an on-campus University event that is not provided by Catering Services.

Points to note:

*Please note if you are organising a series of near-identical events taking place across several dates, these can all be submitted in one Event Notification at the start of the academic year or term (use the + button to add all dates). Note that this function should only be used in cases where all of the event details (aside from the date) are the same and can be covered under the same risk assessment. Please also ensure that Security Services are reminded 48 hours prior to each event of the nature/number/movement of visitors on campus.

Events which occur in Venue Reading/Venue Henley/RUSU/UPP Ltd. managed inside spaces (such as Meadow Suite, Great Hall, Student’s Union, and Student Halls) are only exempt from Event Notifications if the Venue Reading/RUSU/UPP Ltd. teams are the Organisers.

Student Societies must notify the Student Activities Manager at RUSU of any events planned, who will submit an Event Notification on their behalf if required.

Community events organised by a member of the public will need an internal sponsor who can submit an Event Notification on their behalf.

For events where an Event Notification isn’t required, Organisers should complete a local risk assessment with their Health & Safety Coordinator.

Note: The Event Notification Group reserves the right to ask for an Event Notification to be submitted if deemed necessary.