Frequently Asked Questions

If you are an employee of UMass Lowell, click Internal UMass Lowell Events and follow the steps to submit your request for space on campus.

If you are looking to reserve space on behalf of an external organization or for persona use, click External/Private Events for more information.

In general, you should be prepared to pay fees for:

• Space
• A/V staff
• Facilities (after hours and weekend events)
• Décor (not all)
• Resources (linens, custom lighting, etc.)
• Catering
• Rentals
• Signs
• Transportation

For internal UMass Lowell events, space and staff fees do not apply with the exception of the Bellegarde Boathouse. 

The university does receive public support. Public funds are ear-marked for university events, activities and staffing. Specifically, activities that are planned by UMass Lowell departments and/or student groups. We have limited space, resources and staffing. When an affiliated or external organization wishes to use UMass Lowell spaces and/or resources for their own activities charges apply.

External organizations hosting an event at UMass Lowell must request space on their own. We will work directly with that organization to provide a quote, contract and plan event-related details. Your department is welcome to cover a portion of the costs at the external rate. Post-event we can bill your department for a portion of the costs and the external organization for the balance. We must receive notification in writing of the portion you choose to cover. Departments are not permitted to book space on behalf of external organizations to assist them with avoiding fees.

Per the Space Use Policy, the university classifies events into three categories: internal, external and affiliated. An organization that is separate from the university but clearly has a special partnership/relationship with the university or a representative of the university qualifies as affiliated. The university has chosen to support affiliated entities by offering a discounted rate on most spaces on campus. Discounts do not apply to resources or additional staffing.

The university bears certain costs for hosting events and activities on university property, including staffing, set-up, AV equipment, repairs, utilities, etc.  Unfortunately we are unable to waive or eliminate space or equipment rental charges. As an arm of the state, we have an obligation to apply our rates fairly and equally to all organizations. We would never want to be perceived as offering a discount to one group but not all. We strive to always apply our rates fairly and consistently.

Internal events do not require insurance as the university is self-insured.  

Affiliated and External events require that you provide proof of insurance. The university requires that you provide one-time event insurance to cover the event you are holding on university property. In most cases event planners ask their company to provide this documentation. Some clients purchase a one-time insurance policy from an independent insurance provider they select. In any case, the insurance policy must list the event name, date and the insured.

We recommend that you submit all meetings/events into 25Live to ensure your desired space is available and confirmed just for you.  In addition to traditional meetings and events, you should also submit space requests for the following:

• Any event held outdoors including information tables
• Any event that involves the consumption of alcohol
• Any event that may be considered unusual or potentially risky (i.e. controversial speakers)

Hospitality & Event Services are always ready and willing to help you with the detail of planning your event.  This site has a lot of resources but we encourage you to click Internal UMass Lowell Events (UMass Lowell employees) or External/Private Events (outside groups or individuals) to get started.  If you have additional questions you can always call (978) 934 3888.

Choose a date and secure a location. The sooner you can lock in your date, the easier the planning process will be. For additional help with planning, check out our Event Planning page for some tips.

If you are not able to find a specific location in 25Live, the location you are trying to request may be unavailable on the date/time that you are requesting. Additionally, not all locations are available to request during specific timeframes. For example, academic locations are not available during the Registrar’s blackout prior to add/drop.

This is typically encountered when users select an event time outside of the location's normal open/close hours. Submit your request within the building open hours and make note in the comments section if requesting an additional timeframe.

Once your event has been saved, you may go back and edit the event NAME, TITLE and DESCRIPTION fields as needed. You will need to contact the HES Office to edit any other additional fields.

Most event requests need to be approved and will not populate on the calendar until approval has been granted. Also note, the system requires sufficient time to “refresh.” Please do not submit duplicate event requests for the same event, as this may slow the process.

Schedulers are expected to act on requests and communicate the assignment status within three business days for “as is” event locations. Custom space requests must be submitted a minimum of five business days in advance of the event date. During high volume peak seasons event requests may be delayed.