Under circumstances permissible by State Statutes and Regulations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission, official University academic and administrative units and University affiliated organizations may serve alcoholic liquor at approved events in designated non-classroom areas on the University campus.
Alcoholic liquor service may only be provided at campus events that are related to legitimate functions of the University. Such events cannot be opened to the general public and only members of the sponsoring organizations, their spouses and invited guests may participate. Such events may not be of a commercial nature, but rather occasions which are luncheons, dinners or receptions in honor of certain individuals, and which occur in connection with official University events and/or fundraising activities for University programs.
Complete University Policy
Alcoholic Beverage Request Form (PDF)
The sponsoring organization must provide information on stage setup needs. Unauthorized alteration of the stage setup is prohibited due to safety and liability concerns. If a special stage setup is needed, additional fees may apply.
Banners may be hung from the ceiling on Jayhawk Walk. All banners must promote university-related events; priority given to events held in the Union. Only registered campus organizations or university departments may use banners to sponsor events. Banners must be professionally made and approved by the Union. Grommets (with ½” holes) should be placed (at minimum) in the upper left and right corners of the banner.
Indoor banners on Jayhawk Walk: $10/day, minimum of $20; maximum size: 2’ high x 15’ wide. Printing may be on both sides. Time limit is one week. No paper banners will be allowed unless laminated.
An invoice will be sent following the event. All charges should be paid within 30 days after receipt of an invoice. Questions, call 785-864-4687. Any organization with past due accounts (past 60 days) will be denied access until past due bills are paid in full.
A group may cancel their meeting room reservation without charge or penalty up to the end of the business day prior to their event. For example, a 7 p.m. reservation on a Friday must be cancelled by contacting the Event Services Office (864-4651) no later than 5 p.m. on the preceding Thursday. Please note the Event Services Office is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri. Weekend cancellations must be communicated by 5 p.m. on the preceding Friday.
Event cancellations that include services such as catering, audio visual equipment and/or personnel charges require at least 48 hours notice to avoid charges. When a group or individual does not utilize a meeting room reservation and does not communicate to the Event Services Office in the timely manner described above, the group or individual has committed a “no show” and is subject to the following:
The Union reserves the right to cancel a reservation if it conflicts with the general policies of the University regarding meetings on campus or in case of an emergency.
Candles used in the building must be approved by the Union. Candles must not drip nor smoke and must be used with holders to catch any wax. Wax cleanup charges will be billed to the group.
KU Catering will provide all catering and refreshments. No outside catering or carry in food is permitted. See the KU Catering page.
Changes in reservations should be made at least two days before the event. The Union reserves the right to reassign space to meet campus needs. However, such changes are made in consultation with the users and only in critical situations. For last minute room changes, or when notification cannot be made in time, the Union staff will post signs directing people to the correct room.
Additional charges may be added for cleaning or repairs. This includes, but is not limited to, carpet cleaning if spills occur, wall repairs if decorations are attached to the wall, and other repairs resulting from accidents or abuse. Applicable repair or replacement costs will be billed for any equipment damage.
Notify the reservations staff in advance of any decorating plans. All exits must be free of obstruction; exit signs must remain clearly visible. All paper materials must be fire retardant. The building engineer must approve any extensive electrical power demands. Nothing is to be driven into walls, floors, ceilings or tables. Tape or glue that damages any surface must not be used. Do not use duct tape on floors. All decorations must be removed by the conclusion of the event. No use of glitter. The sponsoring organization will be charged for any damages associated with their event.
Selective Opening Charge: $500, to open the event facility on a day when it is normally closed. Add additional extended hours charges at $50/hour if over 8 hours.
Extended Hours Charge: $50 per hour, to open the building early or stay after normal closing time.
All events must end no later than 2 a.m.
No food or beverage acquired outside of the KU Memorial Unions may
be served at events held in the KU Memorial Union facilities unless the
sponsoring group has been approved for an exception to the University
Food Policy. Food exceptions are typically granted when the type of
food appropriate to the event (often when a particular culture is being
celebrated) is not offered by KU Dining Services.
| Policy Guidelines | request form |
Due to the special nature of the Hawks Nest and Baumgartner Terrace, their use as a public space will only be interrupted for an event that is open to the public, does not require payment for admission and does not occur between the hours of 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Meetings, classes and other non-public events will be redirected to our meeting spaces.
The Hawks Nest and Baumgartner Terrace may be reserved through our Event Services department by calling 864-4651.
Wireless: Wireless access is available in throughout the Kansas and Burge Unions to those with a KU online ID.
Wired: A limited number of rooms have wired internet connections. The user is responsible for providing their own computer equipment and software. Connecting cables will be supplied by the Union. The Union will assign the IP number for each required port. Time should be set aside before the event to check the connection.
After hours dances and concerts will require approval from the Office of Public Safety and the University Events Committee.
Requests must be made at least 17 days before the event.
See the Late Night Event guidelines.
Major entertainment events are defined as events that present complex logistical and safety issues. Major entertainment events may include live music shows, comedy acts, concerts and dances. These events are usually held in a large room (capacity of 200 or more) and require closing off other rooms around the main room to act as a noise barrier.
Requests for major entertainment events must be made with the Event Services Office at least 20 days prior to the event. Written applications must list the sponsoring organization, the contact person, nature of the event, admission price, all technical requirements needed to produce the event, public safety concerns and any special needs for the performers, vendors and setup crews.
University Events Committee (UEC) approval is required.
The noise level should never exceed 95 decibels.
We also offer a comprehensive service to bring you and your audience together to include video conferencing, audio-video production and recording. Contact Mark Crabtree at 785-864-7848. markc@ku.edu. More details
When you want to show a film in the Union, you will be asked to provide proof that you have obtained permission (the "rights") to show that material. To do it right, please read I Want to Show a Movie!
To assure the best communication possible, one contact person should be designated to make the arrangements for the group to avoid conflicting details.
| Special Personnel Charges | (need advance notice) | ||
| AV technician | $15 | per hour | |
| custodian | $15 | per hour | |
| electrician | $35 | per hour | |
| event supervisor | $15 | per hour | |
| projectionist | $15 | per hour | |
| piano tuner | $90 | per piano | |
| Setup Charges | |||
| special stage setup | $75 | ||
| table cover | $10 | each | |
| Unauthorized room reset | $15 | per hour (labor), min. $50 (see standard setups) |
|
All-day parking permits for the Mississippi Street or Allen Fieldhouse Garage may be purchased for conference attendees. A two weeks’ notice is required. The rate is $6.50 versus the regular rate of $8 per day. Minimum order: 10.
Registered student organizations and University departments may reserve a rain location for events at half of the University room rent. Non-KU groups will be charged full room rent. Rain location charges are prepaid and non-refundable. The final determination of the location for the event must be made no less than six (6) hours prior to the start of the event.
Rain sites are not permitted for events where control of room capacity and prohibited items (non-Union food, alcohol and other beverages) cannot be maintained. Rain sites for outdoor major events, especially events without a ticket system, cannot be accommodated.
Weekly meetings are scheduled one semester at a time. For monthly or quarterly meetings, reservations will be accepted for the entire academic year. The Union reserves the right to make room changes in order to accommodate special events.
Academic classes may be scheduled space permitting. As the university conference center, there will be times during a semester a class cannot meet. Again, the Union reserves the right to make room changes.
There are a number of activities that are coordinated by university departments or student organizations that involve non-KU participants but no third party sponsorship is involved. In these cases, departments and student organizations will be assessed room and equipment rental, at the university rate, if any of the following are true:
Room rental is reduced 50% for catered meals or formal receptions. Room discounts do not apply to refreshment orders.
See the Room description/rates.
The Client is responsible for the arrangements and all expenses involved with the shipping of materials, merchandise, exhibits, and any other items the Client arranges to move to and/or from the Union. The Union must be notified in advance of shipping arrangements to ensure proper acceptance of these items upon arrival at the Union. The Union is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
No COD packages will be accepted.
If the KU Memorial Unions staff receives a package for a group using our meeting space and no arrangements for storage have been made, a $5 per box charge will be assessed. For groups expecting a significant amount of material for their event, a room must be reserved for the storage of the shipments at least 1 day prior to the event and until the event has concluded. The group will be charged room rental at the University rate for the storage space regardless of campus affiliation. In the case of early shipments, a $5 per box charge will be assessed if the box precedes the reservation for the storage space.
For large single shipments, special arrangements must be made by contacting the Event Services Department at 864-4651.
Please address all packages to:
Kansas Union – Room 476
Attn: Your Event’s Name AND your KU Memorial Unions Event Coordinator
1301 Jayhawk Blvd
Lawrence, KS 66045
Throughout the year student organizations use the Union to present what could be called showcase events. A showcase event is essentially a talent show, with different people or groups presenting or performing throughout the event. Putting on event like this can be very stressful for the organizer-each "act" has different technical needs...how many microphones are needed, different music for each performer, staging (tables, chairs, props) and even lighting requests. A successful production requires thorough planning. Please review our guide to streamline the process. Use the showcase event form to coordinate the needs of each performer.
Information tables will be scheduled up to a maximum of 10 days at a time. An off campus vendor sponsored by a campus organization is limited to a total of 5 days per semester.
A $20 per day fee is charged to the campus organization sponsoring vendors. Vendors not sponsored by a campus organization will be charged $200 a day. Any rental charges are to be paid in advance.
See complete guidelines.
University departments and registered student organizations have the option to sponsor non-KU group use of the KU Memorial Unions facilities. In this case, the organization being sponsored will be charged at the university rate for space and equipment rental. Those rates can be found at room description/rates. Rental for tables on Jayhawk Walk is $20/day for sponsored non-KU organizations and $200 a day for non-KU organizations without sponsorship.
The sponsoring organization assumes responsibility for the non-KU group activity to include policy compliance, event charges and damages. The sponsored organization will be invoiced for any services associated with the event. Any charges that are 90 plus days overdue become the responsibility of the sponsoring organization. A contact person for the sponsoring and sponsored organization must be designated. It is highly recommended that both contacts be part of the planning process and be present at the event.
Several of our rooms (all alcoves, Governors, International, Curry, Regionalist, Drive and Rock Chalk) have what is termed a “standard setup.” These rooms are often reserved back to back. Moving tables in these rooms is prohibited. Reset charges will be billed to the responsible organization.
Special room setups should be requested no later than 48 hours before the event. Extra labor charges may be assessed for any extraordinary, last minute changes.
Seating will be limited to the designated capacity for each room and availability of chairs.
Table tents are an opportunity to advertise your on-campus event or student organization. We welcome requests from student organizations, campus departments, and campus affiliates.
Table tents will be placed at retail locations: The Market at the Kansas Union; The Underground at Wescoe Hall; and The Crimson Café at the Burge Union and/or residential locations: Ekdahl (Mrs. E’s) Dining Commons, GSP Dining, The Studio at Hashinger Hall, and Oliver Dining.
For more information on table tent policies or to request their placement, please contact Kamay Plunkett at 785-864-2447.
Priority goes to university departments and registered organizations.
External organizations and individuals have access to the facilities after campus needs are met. External organizations may be permitted to use the Union facilities provided that the proposed use conforms to Board of Regents policies, is appropriate, and does not interfere with the academic, research, or other mission-related functions of the institution. See Use of University Facilities by External Organizations.
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