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Event Planning

Planning an event for the Kenyon community? Check out some of the tips provided here on how to reserve a room on campus, post an event to the Kenyon calendar, advertise, and more!

When initiating a program, keep the following in mind:

  • How will the program be financed?
  • Where/when will the program be held?
  • Who is the intended audience?
  • What College services are needed to produce the program?
  • What type of publicity is needed?
  • Is a contract necessary? If so, it must be reviewed and signed by the Director of Student Activities.
  • Will the timing of your event conflict with another large event on campus?
  • Does the content of your program implicitly or explicitly exclude particular segments of the campus population (e.g., serving only pork products at events with food)?


There are limited spaces on campus where a bonfire may be held. Please see the Ceremonial Fire Permit, which must be signed by Student Activities, Maintenance, and Safety before the bonfire can take place. Additionally, a maintenance order needs to be submitted with details of the bonfire event setup. This should be done at least 2 weeks in advance of the event. Proper rules and fire safety must be followed at all times.

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The Parish House is owned, supported, and maintained by Harcourt Parish, an Episcopal congregation in the Diocese of Ohio. Contributions made in aid of the expenses associated with sustaining this outreach service are greatly appreciated.

Availability: Visit the Parish House calendar or email Hallie Logan at loganh@kenyon.edu.

Fee Schedule: $15 per Kenyon College event (All users are required to pay a $30 refundable cleaning deposit.)

Parish House Contract: If the Parish House is available, complete the Parish House Contract and email it to Hallie Logan at loganh@kenyon.edu.

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Make your room reservations now! For more information call X5846.

FACILITY/ROOM SIZES
Lower Dempsey: 140 people
Gund Private Dining Room: 30 people
Higley Auditorium:180 people
Storer Recital Hall: 120 people
Hill Theater: 186 people
Horn Gallery: depends on seating preference chairs vs. floor
KC Theater: 55 people
Olin Auditorium: 69 people
Rosse Auditorium: 650 people
Ascension 220: 90 people
Black Box Theater: 30 people

During the academic year, individuals and groups who would like to use most spaces on campus must make a reservation following the steps outlined on this page. We request that you plan at least 48 hours ahead and remember that all offices are closed on weekends.

Below are the steps for making a request for a space through the Office of the Coordinator of Campus Events, Lorie Shults.

  1. Consult KC Reserve It to find an available space at least 24 hours before the space is required.
  2. Once you have found an available space, fill out the Online Room Reservation Form to request the space (see specific exceptions to this below).
  3. Once Ms. Shults has confirmed your reservation, you will receive an email confirmation of your space.
  4. If you are requesting a Maintenance setup or take down, you must complete a maintenance work order, though the Work Order Request Form. All work orders must have an account number or they will not be processed.
  5. Reservation of Rosse or Storer Hall require that the Rosse Hall Program Request Form be completed by the requestor at least 2 weeks prior to the scheduled date of your event. This form can be found at https://forms.kenyon.edu/rosseprogramrequest

To reserve the following spaces for events, contact:
Bolton Theater or Hill Theater--Kris Conant, PBX: 5531
Brandi Recital Hall (Storer) and Bemis Music Room (Peirce 210)--Donna Maloney, PBX: 5197
Brown Family Environmental Center--Dave Heithaus, PBX: 5050
Common Hour Reservations (T & Thurs 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.)--Susan Spaid, PBX: 5650
Eaton Center--Barb Hamm, PBX: 5172
Gund Gallery Atrium--Megan Hancock
Gund Gallery Reservations (other)--Mary Lynn Perry, PBX: 5837
Horn Gallery--Horn Managers
Kenyon Athletic Center--Michael Taylor
Norton Room, Ransom Hall--Kim Totman, PBX: 5778
Parish House--Hallie Logan, 427-2187
Ringwalt Room (Olin Library)--Anita Hooper, PBX: 5697
Rosse Hall--Lorie Shults, Online Room Reservation Form

Once the academic year finishes or during College breaks (Thanksgiving, Winter, Spring and Summer), the Office of Business services handles all room and space reservations. Please contact Bonnie Warren at 427-5250 for availability and pricing.

Policies and Procedures

Room Requests:

  1. The requestor of the Reservation is the person responsible to see that all of the below regulations are followed and is responsible to educate all using the requested space to the proper treatment of the area.
  2. All furniture or room setups need to be returned to their original locations once your event is finished. If you or someone in your group has rearranged the room the requestor is responsible to see that it is returned to the original location. Failure to do so will result in a $50.00 fee by Maintenance each time the area has to be reset to the original setup. Student Groups and Organizations must take special note of this especially in places like, but not limited to, the Pub, Black Box Theater and Horn Gallery. If maintenance has managed set-up of your room, you do not need to reset it.
  3. Any presence of alcohol, including empty alcohol containers found in an area without filling out the proper Party Registration Forms will result in a $50.00 fee by Maintenance for cleanup and Conduct Sanctions for an Unregistered Party. To Complete the Party Registration forms please use the following links.

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If you need extra tables or chairs, or you need a room's furniture rearranged or removed, you must submit a maintenance order. Make sure you have enough funds to cover this cost - it can be expensive. Submit work orders at least one week in advance, although earlier is better! For more information call maintenance at X5129.

1. Determine exactly what you need from maintenance and when and where you need it. The more detail, the better. This includes tables, chairs, room rearranging, trash cans, outdoor power supplies, etc.

2. Draw a map of the room setup if you think it is necessary (it usually is). You can scan it at the Student Activities Office or drop it off yourself at the maintenance office.

3. Email maintenanceworkorder@kenyon.edu with the following information: Name, organization name, account number, exact details of what you need, location, date and time you require setup and teardown, a phone number/email where you can be reached.

4. Keep in mind that if you need something on a weekend or late at night, you will be paying overtime for maintenance staff. If possible, ask them to set up things before 4pm on a weekday, and if the weekend/night setup can be left until the next day (make sure no one else needs the room in between), ask maintenance to reset the room the following weekday.

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The contents of every advertisement should contain the following:
· Name of the event
· Date and time
· Place
· Price, if any
· Sponsoring organization

Advertising with Emails and Newscope

Emails to the student body are a cheap and easy way to advertise, but don't be afraid to think outside the box either! Try multiple forms of advertising in order to reach different groups of students. Facebook events, sidewalk chalk, and candy handouts are some other examples.

1. Emails to use: allstu@kenyon.edu, student-info@kenyon.edu (this is only for college business only, so use it sparingly), allemp@kenyon.edu. Remember, sometimes less is more. Duplicate messages to allstu and student-info are strongly discouraged.

2. Email newscope@kenyon.edu with information about your event. Newscope is released twice a week and can be found on all tables in the dining hall.

You may also think about informing the Kenyon Collegian, WKCO, or the Public Affairs Office about your event. Publicity for open events intended for off-campus newspapers and radio stations should be channeled through Public Affairs. If the event is newsworthy, they may seek your help in arranging press coverage.

Placing a Print Shop Order

Print color copies of posters or flyers, or get table tents made on thick paper so they stand up! Submit orders at least one week in advance. For more information call the print shop at X5251.

1. Put the following information on your flyer: sponsoring organization(s)/fund(s)/department(s), date, time, location.

2. Print a copy- proofread!

3. Send the finalized proof to printshop@kenyon.edu with all the details of your print job: account number, number and type of copies (colored paper? Heavy paper? Half-fold for table tent?)

4. Pick up your order at the print shop, located behind the post office in the Business Services building.

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Contracts must be signed by a Student Activities professional - no student should ever sign a contract!

1. Contact the appropriate agency to work out the date and tentative price of event/service. Always inform the agency that the agreed price is dependent upon approval from the college. No student name can go on the contract. An official from the college, usually the Director of Student Activities must sign the contract.

2. The agency should send the contract to person who contacted the agency. When there is not an agency involved, generally the performer does not have his/her own contract. In this case, you can pick one up in the Student Activities Office or download from our website.

3. Set up an appointment to review the contract with either Christina Mastrangelo (mastrangeloc@kenyon.edu) or Kim Blank (blankk@kenyon.edu).

4. The Student Activities Office representative will either approve it by signing it or discuss any further steps that are needed.

5. When the contract is signed, an accounting form needs to be filled out in order to begin the payment process. Paid performers/speakers must also submit a completed W9 form. Both the contract and W9 form must be attached to a budget transaction form and submitted in the Student Activities Office AT LEAST 2 weeks in advance of the event in order for checks to be cut on time.

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The Student Activities Office offers van service to provide student organizations the opportunity to reserve a van to access off-campus events/locations for approved college sponsored programs. Requests must be made through our online student organization transportation request form. Unfortunately, we will not be able to fulfill all requests and a completed form does not guarantee that a van will be reserved.

All requests must be made in conjunction with a certified driver. It is your responsibility to find a certified driver for your trip, or to become a certified driver see the driver certification requirements at http://www.kenyon.edu/x32876.xml.

You must submit your request as far in advance as possible. The deadline for submitting requests is at least 5 business days prior to the departure date for the trip. We will not be able to accommodate late requests.

Questions? Please contact Kim Blank, Coordinator of Student Activities, at blankk@kenyon.edu.

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