GW Student Activities Center

How to Plan an Event

Where will your event be held?

Marvin Center Space:
Registered student organizations are not charged a room rental fee for reserving space in the Marvin Center as long as 75% of their event attendees are members of the GW community (faculty, staff, students). However, other fees may apply based on the nature of the event (audio-visual, technician fees, University Police-Department frees, etc.), so be sure to check with your event planner from the Marvin Center and University Conferences to confirm event costs.

The following spaces are considered Major Event Space in/outside of the Marvin Center: Amphitheater, Continental Ballroom, Columbian Square (reserved for large events during the following hours: M-W: 9pm-12am| R-Sat: 9pm-2am| Sun: 12pm-12am), Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre, Grand Ballroom, Hippodrome, Anniversary Park, Kogan Plaza, Marvin Center 3rd Floor Terrace, Mid Campus Quad, University Yard ("The Quad"), Veterans’ Memorial Park, 1918 F Street (Alumni House), and Meeting spaces are also available in the Marvin Center on the first, third, and forth floors. 1957 E Street is also reservable Major Event Space for student organizations, but rental fees DO apply.

Annex Major

Other spaces on the Foggy Bottom campus are available to reserve. For more information on these spaces click here.

To go to and obtain the Event Space request form click here.

Event Planners and the Checklist Process in the Marvin Center:
If a student organization is using major event space or multiple meeting rooms in the Marvin Center, a Marvin Center Event planner is assigned to the event. The MC Event Planner reviews the request and sends a standard e-mail to the student contact including basic event information and an event checklist to be completed by the org, and reviewed and signed by their SAT advisor. To view the Marvin Center Student Org Manual for event planning please click here .

Mount Vernon Campus:
Event spaces are available at the Mount Vernon Campus as well and can be reserved online at http://gwired.gwu.edu/mvcl. Many event spaces at MVC have the opportunity to use outside catering and self-catering which is an exciting perk! Do keep in mind, when planning an event at MVC, that the Vern Express has limited space and may not be able to transport all members of an event at one time.

Outdoor spaces:
It is important that, when reserving an outdoor space on campus, you think about a rain location or rain date for the event. Please be advised of certain changes that could occur with your event in the instance of inclement weather.

Many student organizations choose to use the outdoor spaces listed above for concerts, speakers, etc. Keep in mind that the use of amplified sound is not always an option in these spaces because of their location near classrooms and Lisner Auditorium performances. Check with your Marvin center event planner for further details on this.

Cancelation of Space:
In order to avoid receiving a no-show notice, your organization must cancel all meeting room space at least 1 full business day in advance and 10 business days in advance for major event space. Failure to cancel your space in the appropriate time required may result in a penalty to your organization. Click here for more information: http://gwired.gwu.edu/marvincenter/plan/StudentOrgManual/cancel/

Are you having food at your event?

Sodexo
Marvin Center 311
(202) 994-7472

Sodexo has exclusive rights to the service of food within the Marvin Center - this means that any food for events or meetings held in the Marvin Center must be purchased through them. Catering has just recently created a NEW catering menu for student organizations, so click here to download and view this menu!! Please see Catering staff if you have further questions about the menu (ie: requests for special food items or to request to bring in donated food for an event).

Complete a Catering Request Form.

Catering Invoice may be paid using your SA allocation or your Revenue account. Use and EAF or a Revenue Expenditure form to request payment. The catering office must have the signed invoice before the event.

Are you having alcohol at your event?

All scheduled events with alcohol must be approved and processed through the Center for Alcohol and other Drug Education (CADE). In addition, at each event with alcohol at least 1 person per every 20 attendees has to be trained in Responsible Alcohol Management (RAM) according to CADE policy.

The University allows for responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages through compliance with the ABCD Policy (Alcoholic Beverage Consumption and Distribution Policy). All members of The George Washington University community are expected to be familiar with, and are held accountable for, all policies of the University.

In order to register your event, you must fill out an Event Registration Application and please be sure to complete the steps outlined on the Event Registration Checklist, located on the CADE Website. If you fail to provide the proper documentation, or if your event does not comply with University guidelines, your event will not be registered.

Please keep in mind that all documentation for events must be submitted 5 business days in advance in order to be considered for registration. Be sure to also review thoroughly all the CADE policies listed on their website.

If you have questions or request further information, please contact The Center for Alcohol and other Drug Education at: http://gwired.gwu.edu/cade, (202) 994-2599 or cade@gwu.edu.

Is your event off campus and does it require travel?

All student group travel: Any group of students taking a trip that fits the following criteria must fill out the Travel Registration Form and Travel Participation Forms (for each member), and set an appointment to discuss them with their SAT Advisor at least 14 business days prior to departure of the trip:

An event requires overnight stay

The activity or event involves a hazardous activity

The activity or event involves the chartering of transportation services (bus, van, limousine, watercraft, train)

The activity or event involves the rental of a licensed road vehicle (automobile, motorcycle or moped) or watercraft

Car Rental: Any member of a Student Organization who drives for a University or Student Organization event is required to register annually with the Risk Management Office. This must be completed by filling out a Driver Authorization Form, passing an on-line test and receiving notification from the Risk Management Office of official driver approval status. Visit the Risk Management Website at http://www.gwu.edu/~riskmgnt/program/insurance/motor_vehicle_operators.cfm for forms and to find out if you are registered as an authorized driver. Student Organizations are advised to use Thrifty as the University receives discounted rates through this company. Joan Mitchell in MC 427 will assist groups with reservations and payment. Call 202-994-6555 or email jzmitch@gwu.edu for more information.

Approved Bus Vendors: The Office of Risk Management has reviewed the insurance policies and practices of a variety of bus companies in the metro D.C. area to ensure quality and safe services for the GW community. GW affiliated groups and departments are asked to use only the vendors on this approved list. To see a full list, visit the Risk Management website at: http://www.gwu.edu/~riskmgnt/program/forms_documents/vendor.cfm.

International Travel: Any student, faculty, or staff member proposing to undertake University-supported or University-related international travel must follow the appropriate approval, insurance, and travel security requirements set for in this policy. GW's Office of International Programs provides checklists specific to various purposes for University-related international travel. The policy can be downloaded by clicking here. To view the GW International Travel policy website follow this link.

The University provides an International Travel Insurance and Assistance Program to GW students engaged in University-related activities abroad. The program includes: travel advice services; security evacuations; re-patriation services; access to International SOS clinics and on-line information, such as country guides, travel security reports, vaccinations and diseases, business and cultural etiquette.

If you have any questions about complying with the International Travel Approval Policy or registering your travel with the U.S. Department of State, please e-mail the Office of International Programs at sipadmin@gwu.edu.

If you have any questions about registering for or the coverage provided by International SOS Emergency Insurance and/or Summit America International Medical Insurance, please e-mail the Office of Risk Management at risk@gwu.edu.

In order to access coverage while traveling, you MUST activate your Personal Travel Record for each leg of your trip. To activate your Record, login to the Assistance Abroad Portal located at http://www.gwu.edu/~riskmgnt/travelinsurance.cfm. Use the login instructions located in the Handbook to assist in recording your trip details. This program does not include health insurance so it is strongly encouraged that University travelers maintain their own personal health insurance and determine how their health insurance program applies to medical care abroad prior to traveling.