Office of Special Events | FAQs

Before you begin planning, contact your Department Director/Chair to ensure the event has the green light — especially if you are inviting external guests or speakers and are using Stern funds for expenses.

For on-campus events in the Tisch, KMC, or Shimkin buildings (40-50 West Fourth Street), explore Stern’s Event Management System (EMS) to check availability for your preferred dates and spaces. Ensure your reservation status is updated to “Approved” status (not just In Process) before any public announcements.

Confirm that your department has approved the budget, including:

• Catering
• Rentals (e.g., $20/tablecloth for linens)
• Staffing and other associated fees

Don’t forget to connect early with your Event Consultant in the Office of Special Events, who can guide you through the process and offer support!

Contact your Event Consultant, assigned by unit, at the start of your planning process. 

• Please reference this checklist for the recommended planning timeline. 

Be prepared to review the Event Intake Document, including your:

• Event objectives and success metrics
• Budget
• Run of show (if available), including featured speakers
• Catering needs
• Space and room setup requirements
• Target audience, including special guests
• Preferred dates, times, venues (on-site or off-site)

Event Owner / Stern Department Responsibilities

• Develop programming and book rooms
• Grubhub/Seamless (drop-off food & bev)
• Event materials, programs, and branded items
• Video and photography
• Liaison with Classroom and Event Technology (CETG), Public Affairs (PA), DART (Development and Alumni Relations Team), Corporate Relations, and Government Affairs
• Coordination with stakeholders (speakers, VIPs, staff)
• Event communications (invites, RSVP forms, websites, signage)
• Visitor management (JRNY)
• Day-of staffing  (e.g., inside the event space, at the building entrance, distributing nametags, managing VIP guests, supporting speakers) 
• Event Financials: Securing additional Campus Safety Officers to assist at building entrances and CBS/Facilities Staff (i.e. for assistance during weekend events)

Event Consultant / Special Events Responsibilities

• End-to-end event planning counsel
• Guidance on university policy
• Special Events space and room scheduling
• Event services (catering, room setups, rentals)
• Contracts and payments (when procured by Special Events)
• Off-site venue recommendations and sourcing
• Vendor sourcing (catering, rentals, A/V, florals, décor, Tiffany items)
• Behind-the-scenes logistics and day-of coordination ("air traffic control")

If your proposed event involves an external or NYU (non-Stern) third-party, start the planning process early and notify your Event Consultant for guidance. Be sure to indicate that a 3rd party/external group (non-Stern/NYU, organization or company) is involved when you request space in EMS. This will trigger an “Event with a 3rd Party” questionnaire via email, and the School’s Advisory Council on Events will review your responses before space is confirmed in EMS. In particular, this process aims to clarify roles and accountability from the start of your event planning.

Most classroom spaces cannot be confirmed until at least two weeks into the semester to allow for academic scheduling adjustments. Contact the Office of Records & Registration for questions about classroom bookings.

A reservation establishes the overall event record. It includes the event name, host, contact, date range, approval status, and reservation number. Think of it as the “umbrella” or “container” record for an event. A booking, however, assigns specific rooms or spaces to the reservation. It includes logistical details such as set up style, AV, timing, and food service. One reservation can contain multiple bookings (e.g. multiple rooms or dates). 

• KMC 11-75 (Cantor Boardroom, cap. 130)
• KMC 11-185 (Abbe-Bogen Faculty Lounge, cap. 70)
• KMC 1-100 (Gardner Commons, cap. 164)
• KMC 5-50 (Barr-Kawamura Commons, cap. 190)
• KMC 5-100 (cap. 101) 
• Tisch L101 (Kassin Lounge, cap. 75)
• Tisch 412–413 (cap. 66)

*IMPORTANT NOTE: The maximum capacities listed are based on an empty room or standard theater style. The actual capacity will vary depending on your specific setup requirements, furniture added, etc.

In addition to our event spaces, you can leverage classroom spaces for events, pending availability. Commonly used classrooms include:

• UC-50 (Paulson Auditorium - cap. 455 / Dennis Lobby - cap. 455)
• KMC 1-70 (cap. 130)
• KMC 2-60 (cap. 160)
• KMC 2-100 (cap. 100)
• T200 (cap. 98)
• T201 (cap. 97)

The following contacts can provide more information and suggest alternatives:

• Classroom spaces: Contact Records & Registration at registrn@stern.nyu.edu 
• Event spaces: Contact Special Events at sevents@stern.nyu.edu 

Possibly, depending on availability and how close you are to the event date. See contacts below for questions:

• Classroom changes: registrn@stern.nyu.edu 
• Event space changes: Your Event Consultant

• Classroom issues: registrn@stern.nyu.edu 
• Event space, catering, or room set-up issues: sevents@stern.nyu.edu or your Event Consultant
• Event Technology: cetg@stern.nyu.edu 
• EMS Support: EMS.support@stern.nyu.edu 

Three service types can be requested directly in EMS:

1. Setup Needs: Collins Building Services (CBS) supports various room set-up needs, including chairs, tables, trash and recycling bins, easels, coatracks, and more.
2. Event Technology: Stern’s Classroom and Event Technology Group (CETG) offers in-house AV support.
3. Catering Services: NYU-approved caterers (incl. Food in Motion, Food for Thought, and Sterling Affair) are available upon request. 

For all other services, contact your Event Consultant for guidance.

• Catering & room setup: Preferably 14 days (no less than 10 calendar days) before the event
• A/V: Preferably 7 days (no less than 3 calendar days) before the event

Each room at NYU Stern has mediasite recording capabilities using the basic internal room/classroom cameras. Please contact CETG to arrange to have your event recorded in this fashion. Note, these recordings have low-production quality and are best for archival purposes only.

For professional recordings of events, contact the Stern Studio or NYU TV. Contact the NYU Photo Bureau to book a professional photographer.

Yes, including:
- Food for Thought
- Food in Motion
- Sterling Affair
- Chartwells / NYU Plated

Each caterer can deliver professional catering services at different price points. Contact your Event Consultant for guidance and to request proposals for catering.  

Yes, so long as they are an NYU-approved vendor or they have sufficient time to be onboarded! 

Note that it often takes 4-8 weeks for new vendors to complete the onboarding process. This includes sourcing a valid Certificate of Insurance (COI). 

Please consult early with your Event Consultant regarding hiring external suppliers. 

NYU Stern offers a wide variety of in-house furniture to support your event, which can be delivered and set at no extra change. Commonly requested in-house items include a limited amount of:

• 6ft tables
• 8ft tables
• 48” round tables
• 60” round tables
• Airport tables/High boys
• Stools
• Chairs (e.g. fireside chat chairs)
• Easels

Any furniture required that we do not own can be rented through Broadway Party Rental or other vendors. Please consult with your Event Consultant.

Please add AV requests directly to EMS and consult with CETG on the audio/visual capabilities of each event space. 

Reference EMS or reach out to CETG to see the microphone maximums for each space. 

Directional signage is appreciated, but please take care to use existing sign holders, easels, or your own display stands. Gluing, taping, nailing, or affixing any items to Stern property (including the walls) is strictly prohibited. You can request easels in EMS, which can hold signs up to 30” high x 20” wide. Please specify where you want them placed in the building. In addition, please do not forget to remove any signage after your event ends.

Choosing the right space and room set-up will help facilitate the flow of your event. When thinking about planning your event, consider the following:

• Audience Size and Composition
• Activities and Room Size
• AV Needs
• Registration
• Food and Beverage
• Coat Racks
• Signage
• Branding

Below are sample room arrangements that can be used as a guide when thinking about your event.

• Theater Style: Rows of chairs, all facing the front of the room
• Classroom Style: Similar to theater style with the addition of tables for attendees 
• Banquet Style: Round tables with chairs
• Hollow Square Style: Tables form a square with chairs along the outer perimeter
• U-Shaped Style: Tables in a hollow square; one side open
• Reception Style: A mix of round tables and airport tables 
• Crescent Style: Round tables with chairs that all face the speaker/podium (this setup avoids having any backs to the speaker)

For visuals of these setups, please see here.

No. Licensed bartenders from NYU-approved suppliers are required for on-campus events with alcohol. In addition:

• Food must be provided when alcohol is served
• Only insured catering personnel may serve alcohol
• All alcohol must be served in a glass 
• Alcohol is not permitted at undergraduate student events
• Graduate student events may serve beer and/or wine only (no liquor)

• If your Event Consultant procured the service and is the vendor’s main contact, they will initiate the contract review and PO requisition on your behalf. Event Owners are responsible for entering the department’s chartfield in the PO Requisition after the Event Consultant assigns the iBuy cart. 
• Your department is responsible for contract submission, procurement, payment, and tracking for any services that were secured directly.

For clarification, contact your Event Consultant.

Required for events with 48+ attendees, the NYU Green Event guidelines include:

• Reducing waste
• Minimizing single-use and landfill-bound materials
• No balloons
• No plastic tablecloths

Access more information, including checklists and resources, on NYU’s Green Event Standard website.

Activities that generate income and that are unrelated to the exempt function of the organization can jeopardize its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Consult with the Budget Office and the Office of General Counsel if your event goes beyond  cost recovery. 

Please visit the NYU Stern Identity Toolkit. 

To access campus buildings, visitors must be sponsored by a current NYU student, faculty member, or employee. A visitor includes someone who does not have an NYU Net ID or an NYUCard. They can be one-time guests, visiting scholars, guest lecturers, conference attendees, NYU alumni, or business vendors who provide goods or services to the University and are visiting campus temporarily.

Sponsors must submit an Access Request Form through JRNY, NYU’s visitor management system, each time a visitor or vendor needs access to NYU buildings or activities (including unexpected, last-minute visits). If you are sponsoring NYU alumni, you must use their non-NYU email for the request.

You, as the sponsor, and your visitor(s) will be notified via email when your visitor request has been received and processed. Guests will need to show their “Campus Access Approved” email along with government-issued photo ID to Campus Safety Officers upon entry.

At events with 10 or more attendees, here’s an overview of the guest arrival process:

Building Access Control (Campus Safety): The Campus Safety Officer (CSO) stationed at the entrance will ask all external guests (anyone without an active NYU ID) to show their Campus Access Approval email and a valid, government-issued photo ID. If a guest cannot locate the email, the CSO will call over a member of your team (a Stern staffer) to verify that their name appears on the JRNY-approved guest list before granting entry.

Event Registration / Check-in (Stern Staff): Once inside the turnstiles, Stern staff are responsible for confirming that the guest’s name appears on the final JRNY-approved guest list.  They may also provide nametags, give directions, etc. Event check-in typically takes place at a table in the lobby, but may also occur directly outside the event space.

For any event where you expect more than 10 visitors, a memorandum should be printed out on NYU Stern letterhead and given to the Tisch, KMC, and Shimkin guard desks with the following information:

• A list of all visitors (guests without NYU IDs) expected to the event; please do not include guests with NYU IDs
• A name and contact number of someone from the hosting department who can assist with troubleshooting guest entry, etc.
• Event name, date, time, and location.

If you anticipate a crowd forming at the lobby desk (75+ guests) or feel that security may be needed near or inside the event space for any reason, please submit a request for additional officer(s) through the Campus Safety Request Form (Staffing Provision Services). A member of their team will follow up to confirm and answer any questions. Requests should be submitted at least 72 hours prior to the event to allow adequate time to secure staffing.

For events with high-profile speakers and/or government officials traveling with private security, be sure to notify NYU Campus Safety in advance. Similarly, please consult with NYU Campus Safety on events requiring crowd control support.

Not all events are open to the public, so please contact Public Affairs (paffairs@stern.nyu.edu) as early as possible to discuss protocol and procedures for hosting press on-campus.

All visitors can be added to a specific guest wifi. Please contact CETG to arrange for event specific wifi. 

Notify and consult with NYU Government Affairs at government.affairs@nyu.edu when hosting government officials on-campus.

In some cases, they may advise on spending limits, event format and protocol. Be sure to ask high-profile speakers or officials if they travel with private security and notify NYU Campus Safety and your Event Consultant accordingly.

Stern building hours and entrance schedules may differ on weekend days and nights. Also, certain entrances may not be open at all. 

In addition, please confer with your Event Consultant well in advance to secure weekend CBS/Engineer support, as needed (for example, restroom cleaning). If catering is provided after 2pm, additional CBS staff may need to be hired to stay late for event cleanup. No food waste may remain overnight in any event space.