On this page:
Financial
- What is your budget?
- What cost object(s) will cover this event?
Facilities
- Arrange to have your event space cleaned and any needed repairs made; submit requests to MIT Facilities for on-campus venues or the relevant management company if the event is taking place in one of the buildings that MIT leases.
- Check for any elevator and wheelchair lift outages in and near your event space.
- Schedule day-of technicians to be onsite.
- Be aware of delivery hours and who has access and/or keys to the space.
- Ensure you have any required permits (also part of the event registration process).
- Review the Environment, Health, and Safety Office’s safety and preparedness information for events.
- Have designated reserved seating available, being mindful of space and ease of accessibility for those in need (attendees who are pregnant, those with disabilities or service animals, older adults, etc.).
Assistive services
- Ascertain the accommodation needs of your guests.
- Designate event personnel to ensure attendees are connected to accommodation support on event day.
- If needed, request assistive services for your event at least three weeks in advance.
Lighting and stage
- Consider the event décor.
- How should the stage be set?
- Do you need any of the following?
- Lectern
- MIT logo sign or seal
- Banners
- Flags (if government official/s will be participating)
Audiovisual
- To request audiovisual support for your event, contact MIT Audiovisual Services.
- Do you need to hire a photographer and/or videographer?
- Will you be playing video or showing slides?
- Enable display of closed captions and audio descriptions for any presentation videos.
- Should the event be webcast?
- Helpful if interest exceeds onsite capacity
- Could hurt in-person attendance and engagement; a recording could be made available to a wider audience after the event
- Choose a streaming platform(s) (e.g., your website, Facebook Live, YouTube).
- Will the webcast be available to the public or a restricted audience?
- Will it need to be interactive (i.e., viewers can submit questions or comments)?
- Will the event be recorded?
- You may need releases
- Consider privacy issues related to recording.
- Who will handle editing, captioning (required for videos that are to be made publicly available by MIT’s settlement with the National Association of the Deaf), and sharing the video?
- Provide assistance for deaf or hard of hearing guests, for example:
- Request an ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Transcription) services through the HR Service Request form for staff events, or Disability and Access Services for student ones.
- Offer assistive listening devices
- Minimize background noise
- Provide assistance for blind or visually impaired, such as:
- Audio descriptions of content
- Large print and/or Braille materials
- Avoid flashing animations, unnecessary/unusually loud sounds
Virtual/Hybrid Event Considerations
- Provide connectivity for speakers, staff, and participants
- Will you use real or virtual backgrounds?
- Consider the speaker’s sound, lighting, and wardrobe.
- If using Zoom, enable the sign language interpretation (or spoken language interpretation) and live captioning features. (Note: enabling auto captions does not make a video accessible as these tend to be inconsistently accurate.)
- Identify someone who will share verbally what is in the chat periodically as well as describe what is on slides; for smaller virtual group meetings, reserve an Owl so remote participants can see the faces of who is speaking.
Catering
- Solicit vendors certified by Massachusetts and/or MIT as diverse
- If you would like to have a food truck, consult with MIT Dining for rules and regulations
- Consider how to address allergies and special dietary needs (e.g., halal and kosher).
- Label ingredients for each item.
- Arrange for linens, dishes, and glasses.
- Give thought to table types and layout.
- Provide lightweight dishware.
- Use low cocktail tables or a mix of high and low.
- Consider finger foods that do not require utensil use.
Parking and transportation
- Have signs, directions, and maps available.
- If needed, arrange for special shuttles and parking.
- Do you need meter reservations or special street access?
Safety and security
- Check the MIT Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) Office’s Event Safety Guidelines to see whether a formal safety plan is required for your event.
- A safety plan may also be required if you are planning on an art installation or exhibit.
- Have MIT Police advised you that other entities will be engaged (e.g., State Department, Secret Service, MA state police)?
- Will staff need ID/special access/badges during the event?
Sustainability
- Review the MIT Office of Sustainability’s guidance to event planners to help reduce the environmental impact of your event.
Press and media
- Are you expecting members of the press?
- Do you need to advise or engage with MIT News?