FAQ for Departments

Who We Are
Requesting Events
Food & Beverage
Venues / Locations
25Live
Fees
Diagrams / Estimates
Next Steps
Miscellaneous

Who We Are

Who and what is E&C Reservations?: The Reservations area in Events & Conferences books academic classrooms and various event locations throughout campus for departmental events. We are comprised of three full-time staff and several student staff members. Meet our professional team.
What do we book?: We book all academic classrooms (CRC and Fenway Campus), most of the locations in the GSU and SAC, several outdoor locations (Alpert Mall/BU Beach, COM Lawn, Towers Lawn, and more), Trustee Ballroom, Dahod Family Alumni Center at The Castle, PHO Colloquium Room, and Wolf Room (Fenway Campus). Explore our campus locations.
What don’t we book?: We don’t book a number of locations that might be popular with departments that are listed on our Proprietary Spaces page with information about how to book.
When are we open?: Our office is open Monday through Friday from 9 am – 5 pm. We are closed on weekends, nights & holidays. We typically respond to all 25Live requests, emails, and phone messages within one to two business days. All room requests sent after 4 pm will be responded to by the next business day. If you are requesting a location for a weekend, please make sure that you submit your request well in advance of the close of business on Friday. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to respond to your request before the end of the day on Friday.
Can I visit your office in person?: We do not offer in-person consultations, but we are happy to work with you over the phone, email, Microsoft Teams or Zoom.

Requesting Events

How do I request a location for an event?

All requests must be submitted through 25Live.

How do I get 25Live access?

Request access to 25Live via the OUR website. Follow the instructions in the box titled “General Event Requesting Access” which includes reviewing training materials, creating a user record, and completing the access request form. Access for faculty, staff, and student employees is reviewed and granted by the Office of the University Registrar. Access for student organization leaders is reviewed and granted by Events & Conferences.

I want to hold my event in a specific location, but it doesn’t appear in 25Live. Why can’t I see it?

There are a couple of things you should check if you can’t see a certain location. First, do you have access to 25Live? If you don’t have access to 25Live, you will be unable to request locations. Second, the location may be unavailable for the date or time you need or not listed in 25Live. If you’re unsure, feel free to contact us at roomres@bu.edu.

How do I book a classroom or event location for a weekend date?

All requests must be submitted in 25Live, but if you can’t submit your request due to the building being closed you will need to make your request using our online form.

There will be charges to open the building, payable to Facilities Management via FSR. Charges will apply to keep a building open past its scheduled closing time, open the building early, or open a building when it is scheduled to be closed.

I had multiple dates on my request and some of them were cancelled. Why?

There could be any number of reasons why we may have cancelled specific occurrence dates off of your request. The most common reason is that you requested a date that falls on a holiday, sub-day, or during a time when the University will be closed. We will provide an explanation on the event confirmation and in the confirmation email. To see a list of important dates, please refer to the academic calendar.

What is a “sub-day”?

A sub-day is when the academic class schedule for a Monday shifts to a different day in the week due to a holiday (the Tuesday after Columbus Day in October, the Tuesday after Presidents’ Day in February, and the Wednesday after Patriots’ Day in April). On these days, the Monday schedule will take place on a sub-day, replacing that day’s classes and events. Classes booked on the date that is being replaced do not occur that day; however, events booked on the day that is being replaced will actually occur on the holiday instead. Sub-Monday scheduling ONLY applies to classes and events in academic classrooms. Scheduling of event locations such as GSU, PHO Colloquium Room, SAC Gym, or Trustee Center are not affected by sub-days.

I have a multi-day request and some of the dates were changed due to “sub-days.” Why is that?

On days when a Sub-Monday schedule is in effect, all academic classes and any events scheduled in classrooms on the holidays will automatically follow the Sub-Monday schedule and occur on either the Tuesday or Wednesday, as applicable. This means that any weekly meetings on Monday will follow the Sub-Monday schedule and will NOT meet on the actual Monday holidays, and any weekly Tuesday or Wednesday meetings will not occur that week. One-time only events that need to occur on either the Monday holidays or on the Sub-Monday schedule days can happen but must be booked differently. When requesting these days, please indicate in the event description if you want to meet on the actual holiday or on the sub-day. If you meet on the holiday, there might be building opening fees as many academic buildings are closed on holidays and will need to be opened for your event. Please contact our office with any questions.

Food & Beverage

Where can I have food & beverages?: Food and beverages are NOT permitted in any academic classroom. Food & beverages are permitted in event locations, like Metcalf Hall or the PHO Colloquium Room, as well as all of our outdoor locations. All food and beverages must be provided by our in-house caterer, Catering on the Charles, or if the event is on the Fenway Campus, it must be provided by Fenway Campus Catering by Sodexo.
Can I hire my own caterer for my departmental event?: No, all catering must be provided by Catering on the Charles for the Charles River Campus, or Fenway Campus Catering by Sodexo.

Venues / Locations

Who do I contact to make sure my event location is open?: Facilities Management is provided with a calendar of events and also has access to 25Live to see location schedules so your event location should be open for you. If it is not for some reason, you must contact the Facilities Management Emergency Desk at 617-353-2105, and they will dispatch a custodian to open the room/building. You MUST have a confirmed reservation to get access to a room or building.
Who do I contact to make sure that my event location is set up?: You must work with the Facilities Management Area Manager to coordinate the room setup (primarily for event locations only and not classrooms). You will need to submit a Facilities Service Request (FSR) and a floorplan. Charges will apply for setup and cleaning in any event location. Classrooms typically don’t have setup requirements as they are used “as is.”
I already have a location reserved and I need to bring in special furniture, so who do I contact?: Depending on the location, you will need to work with the Area Manager to ensure that special furniture/equipment can be brought in and used. Once you have determined what you need, you will need to submit a purchase requisition through SAP Ariba Guided BUying to rent furniture and equipment from a vendor. If you are not sure what vendor to use, we have compiled a list of preferred vendors that are familiar with campus. For help with purchase requisitions, see Sourcing and Procurement for more information.
Why do GSU Metcalf Hall and SAC Gym have events called “SAO Hold for Student Organization”?: These event holds are in place for Fridays and Saturdays during the academic year for student organization events. If you see an SAO Hold, the location is not available.
If I want to have an event at an outdoor location, such as Alpert Mall/BU Beach or other, do I need to reserve it?: Yes, you must request outdoor locations in 25Live 6-8 weeks in advance and should also request a rain location (room rental fees may apply for the rain location). All outdoor locations have an approval process that takes 1-2 weeks to complete. View detailed information about Outdoor Locations.
Now that The Castle is the Dahod Family Alumni Center, can I still request it for a departmental event?: Yes, you can request it for an event, but there are timing considerations that can impact if it is the right location for your event. Visit the Dahod Family Alumni Center at the Castle page to learn more.
How do I make a reservation for lunch at the BU Club in the Dahod Family Alumni Center?: You can make lunch reservations for the BU Club here.
My department wants to hold a meeting in a classroom but we want to serve food. Can we do that?: No, food and beverages are not allowed in classrooms. If you need to serve food at your event, you will need to request an event location instead of a classroom.
I requested a location for a certain amount of time, but my reservation has more time on it, why?: For all event locations (most everything except academic classrooms), setup and takedown time is required for all events in order to properly set the room for your event and then clean it after the event is over. It is very important that you communicate with us the type of your event and the actual event start and end times so that we can apply the appropriate amount of time for setup and takedown. When making a request in 25Live, please DO NOT put in setup and takedown times on your own or add in setup and takedown times to your event times. We only need your actual event start and end times. View a sample event confirmation to understand what you will see.
I want to book the GSU Ziskind Lounge for my event, but 25Live won’t allow me to request it. Why can’t I request the room?: The GSU Ziskind Lounge cannot be booked for stand-alone events. This location can only be booked in conjunction with one of the adjacent locations (GSU Metcalf Hall, GSU Conference Auditorium, or the GSU Terrace Lounge). Special approval is required to use Ziskind Lounge since it serves as a student study lounge and is the access point to the elevator and the other rooms on the second floor.
What is a blackout in 25Live?: A blackout signifies that a location is not available for events. Reasons for a blackout include construction, room maintenance, or large University events like Alumni Weekend and Commencement. You cannot request to have an event in a location that has a blackout as the location is not available.

25Live

Are there any training videos on how to use 25Live?

Yes, we have a full library of training materials on our website.

I need to change the date, time, or location of my event. How do I do this?

If your request has yet to be assigned a location, you have the ability to edit it to change the date, time, location, or other aspects of your event.

If a location has been assigned, you will need to email us at roomres@bu.edu so we can make changes to your reservation. You must include the event reference number in your email. We are happy to make changes to your reservations if your event plans change. Please do not submit a new request and ask us to cancel your existing reservation because you need a change.

How can I cancel my event?

You do not have the ability to cancel your own reservation in 25Live. To cancel your reservation, please email us at roomres@bu.edu and provide the reference number and reason for cancellation. You can also forward your event confirmation that we sent you and ask us to cancel the reservation and providing us with the reason for your cancellation.

It is your responsibility to inform any service providers that your event is no longer happening and that depending on when you cancel, charges may still apply. Asking us to cancel your reservation in 25Live only cancels the location reservation; it does not cancel any services that you already ordered for your event.

Why is my event still in the Tentative event state?

A request or reservation (a “request” becomes a “reservation” once a location is assigned) may remain in the Tentative event state for a few reasons: a) a location has not yet been assigned to your event so it is still waiting for a response; b) you are using a location that has a room usage fee and we have not received your non-refundable ISR for payment so that it can be confirmed; and c) you have a multi-day reservation and we are only able to assign a location for some dates, so we will need to go back later to assign the other dates (This can occur when your reservation spans different booking periods.)

Fees

What is a room usage fee?: This is a fee, like a room rental fee, to use the location. The room usage fee is paid with an ISR and is non-refundable. This fee is for use of the room only and does not include any charges for room setup, audio-visual equipment, catering, or any other event charges.
What locations that E&C Reservations books has a room usage fee?: Dahod Family Alumni Center at The Castle
Kenmore Room (OSW 916)
Trustee Ballroom (OSW 922)
PHO Colloquium Room (PHO 906)
Wolf Room (FCC 105)– Fenway Campus
18th Floor of 10 Buick Street (StuVi1 1801)*
26th Floor of 33 Agganis Way (StuVi2 2603)
**These locations are only available for use during the summer months.
How do I pay the room usage fee?: This fee is payable to Events & Conferences with an ISR (Internal Service Request) and is non-refundable.
I was told that I need to pay the room usage fee with an ISR. What is an ISR?: An Internal Service Request (ISR) is used to send payments between departments at BU. An ISR must be submitted before your event or services will not be provided.
I was told that I needed to supply an FSR. What is an FSR?: A Facilities Service Request (FSR) is just like an ISR but is only used to send payments to Facilities Management for room setups, cleaning, and building openings. An FSR must be submitted before the event or services will not be provided.

Diagrams / Estimates

I need to submit a floorplan for my event. Where do I get this?: We have a library of floorplans with typical event setups on our Locations pages. Find your venue to see what diagrams are available. You can also find standard setups for some locations in the CAMMS system where you submit your FSR. For a custom setup, you will need to work with the Facilities Management Area Manager for the location where your event will be held.
Who do I contact to make sure that my location is setup?: You must work with the Facilities Management Area Manager to coordinate the room setup (primarily for event locations only and not classrooms). You will need to submit a Facilities Service Request (FSR) and a floorplan. Charges will apply for setup and cleaning in any event location. Classrooms typically don’t have setup requirements as they are used “as is.”

Next Steps

My event request was converted to a reservation. Now what?: After your request is assigned a location, you will receive an email from us with your event confirmation that will show what location or locations have been assigned to your event/reservation. That email will also have two other documents attached: the Next Steps to Planning Your Event document for the particular location reserved, and the Requirements for Student Organization and Department Use of University Facilities document. Please read both of these documents completely to understand how to move forward with planning your event. If you still have any questions, please feel free to email us at roomres@bu.edu.
What are the Next Steps documents?: The Next Steps to Planning Your Event documents were created to help you plan your event by listing many of the services that you will need. Please read through the documents carefully to understand what services you may need and how to order them, and contact us with any questions.

Miscellaneous

I have a conference that I want to plan but it’s for an organization that I belong to outside of BU. Can I use BU event locations?: Yes, you can use BU locations for your event but you will need to work with our Sales team as this event will be considered an external event and fees will be charged, a contract issued and signed, and insurance provided. You can submit an inquiry form on our website or email our Sales team at meet@bu.edu.
Does BU allow the use of its locations for personal social events?: Yes, there are several locations on campus that are perfect for weddings, anniversary parties, birthday parties, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, and other social events. Please submit an inquiry form on our website and our Sales team will be in touch with you.
I’m from a BU department and I want to use a GSU Link Table. How can I do that?: GSU Link Tables are primarily for student organization use only. If a department wants to use a Link Table, special approval is required but rarely granted. Please submit a request and we will do our best to help you.
I’ve heard that BU offers overnight housing accommodations during the summer Is this true?: Yes, we provide overnight housing accommodations for guests attending conferences being held on campus. If you are hosting a summer conference on campus and want to provide overnight housing to your guests, please fill out the form on our website and someone from our Sales team will be in touch to discuss your options.
Can you help me plan my event?: Absolutely! Events & Conferences has experienced, professional event specialists whom you can hire for a fee to help handle the logistics of your event. From registration, catering, and on-site management, we can do it all. Feel free to contact us at meet@bu.edu or 617-353-2932 for more information. Can’t find what you were looking for? Send us an email at roomres@bu.edu and we will be happy to help!