Edson College Event Resources

Planning an event with Edson College? Get started here! On this page, you will find tools and resources to assist with your events and programs. If you need additional assistance or want to talk through certain aspects of your event, please fill out our Marketing Request Form to get connected with the Events and Marcom team.

 Download ICS Calendar

You’ll want your date and time to align with the goals of your event, as well as avoid scheduling conflicts with key university timelines, religious holidays or other large events at ASU. Check the following calendars before confirming your date and time:

• ASU Academic Calendar

• Interfaith holiday calendar

• ASU Events Calendar

   

You want to be sure to have enough time ahead of your event to not only secure the logistics for a great program, but also provide sufficient notice to your potential audiences. For some timeline examples on different types of events, please view this event tier guide.

As of August 2024, all in-person gatherings on university property, as well as off-campus gatherings that relate to university business or are paid for using university funds or student fees must be registered with the Special Event Registry in advance. This process connects event planners with key university safety teams to ensure our programs are organized and prepared to host events of all sizes.

An “in-person gathering” is when people gather in the same physical space to engage in a shared activity. Examples include speeches, lectures, seminars, conferences, informational fairs, celebrations, memorials, banquets, concerts, theatrical performances, art exhibits, athletic contests, and festivals. Regular classes or course-related trips do not need to be registered.

If you are unsure about this process or registration criteria, please contact Lex at [email protected] for a virtual walk-through.

One of the most important front-end event details to consider is how you want to gather information about your participants. You need information about how many guests will be attending as well as their contact information to send out important event reminders, updates or cancellations if needed. Here are a few options for you to build as simple or as complex of a RSVP form that is needed for your event:

• Stova @ ASU – Recommended

• Google forms

• Eventbrite

Some key items to consider when selecting your location and venue:

• Will the reservation require funding and if so, how much?
• Room capacity and set up options.
• Whether catering/food is allowed in the space, and if so, whether specific vendors are contracted to service the area.
• If parking is available nearby, and if validations are required.
• What equipment and supplies are already in the room, and what needs to be brought in separately.

A more thorough guide on room locations and booking procedures is coming soon! Check back here before Fall 2025 for updates.

Having a marketing plan that incorporates a variety of methods is essential to generating public interest in your event. Some examples of free or low-cost promotional options include:

• List your event or program on ASU Events
• Add your event to the Edson College Events public page
• Add a burb to the Edson internal newsletter
• Create a digital flyer to display on the Health North Lobby screen

It is highly recommended that you consult with the Edson College Marketing and Communications team if you need any help with building and strategizing your content. Fill out the Marketing Request Form to get started.

For reserving more than 30 parking spaces on any campus, fill out a reservation form with ASU Parking and Transit Services (PTS) to let them know of increased traffic and parking needs related to your event. PTS staff will contact you with next steps after form submission.

Determine whether your unit will cover the cost of parking validations, lot reservations and/or attendant hours, or if attendees are responsible for their own parking fees. With either option, let your guests know the arrangement to help with planning their travel to campus.

Staff from the PTS team can assist with securing parking validations for your selected location, and staffing garage entries, if applicable. Email [email protected] with any questions you have for this process.

If you are requesting validations for the Heritage Square Garage, contact Geri Chaffee at [email protected]. 

The ASU shuttle program offers free, convenient intercampus transportation for students, faculty and staff. When sharing this information with your event guests, be sure to indicate the correct route to deliver attendees closest to your event location.

Shuttles operate at full capacity during the fall and spring semesters, with reduced service on weekends, during class breaks, and over the summer months. Visit https://cfo.asu.edu/shuttles for more information.

Many campus locations and areas around the valley – including Sky Harbor International Airport – are accessible with the Valley Metro transit system.

When sharing transit options with event attendees, one best practice is to link the Trip Planner tool along with the Stop # closest to your venue. From there, attendees can plan their commute according to their starting location.

Other transportation scenarios, from town car service to golf cart rentals, might be relevant to your program plan. Please reach out to Lex at [email protected] if any special cases apply and you have questions.
 

ASU has established partnerships with certain caterers, such as Aramark, Atlasta and Sodexo. These entities have more resources and in-house support to put together comprehensive catering packages for any event on campus. Some campus venues have exclusive contracts with these caterers, so be sure to familiarize yourself with the venue’s policies before booking a caterer for your event.

If your event is taking place at a venue without an exclusive catering contract, you are welcome to use any other reputable food service provider. Check out the new guidelines at https://eoss.asu.edu/food-safety-and-health. 

We are working to gather a crowdsourced list of vendors commonly used for Edson events. Check back here before Fall 2025 for updates.

If your venue does not already have a state-issued liquor license, you must follow the protocol for requesting an ASU alcohol permit. This takes some additional administrative processing time, so please make sure that planning for an event needing this permit starts at least three months prior to the program date.

To begin this process, you will indicate on the Special Events Registry form, under the “Food & Alcohol” tab, that you plan to serve alcohol at your event. This will kickstart the process and inform the necessary safety parties at ASU that your event needs this additional review. If you have any questions about the permitting process, please feel free to contact Lex at [email protected].
 

Important reminders regarding alcohol for events –

• Alcohol cannot be purchased with local ASU accounts. Check with Business Services on options for paying for alcohol. 

• Alcohol permit requests are reviewed case-by-case and must be approved by the Dean; permission to have alcohol at your event is not guaranteed.

The Edson College Events office has a small, but varied inventory of items available for faculty, staff and students to borrow for official events. Equipment can be reserved using the Marketing Request Form at least 2 weeks prior to your planned event.

Frequently requested items include:

• Edson-branded tablecloths, available in Gold, Maroon, or Black
• Pop-up floor banners with college branding
• A-Frame sign holders for outdoor signage needs

View the full catalog

Depending on the needs of your event, you may find it useful to request equipment that otherwise would not be included in your venue reservation. Consider if you may need additional or different tables than the venue provides (rounds instead of rectangular, for instance), added chairs or trash cans.

• ASU Facilities offers a range of options through their Moving and Event Services program. Request services through this online form, or email [email protected] for any questions related to their program.
• You may find that your event set up needs more complex support and equipment to bring your vision to life. This can include additional lighting, tenting, table covers, water stations, and more. View the list of approved vendors for rentals here.

Event hosts are encouraged to be creative with their decor and entertainment choices at official programs. Balloons, flowers, candy, photobooths, selfie booths, and interactive games are all great choices that can be scaled to meet any budget.

We are working to gather a crowdsourced list of vendors commonly used for Edson events. Check back here before Fall 2025 for updates.