Large Events

Organized by LCSL Departments

Conferences, Invited Speakers Needing Travel, etc. Heading link

Please contact LCSL staff early in the event planning stages. If dates are flexible the staff can help you select times and dates to prevent event overlap.

Below are some guidelines for the logistics (rooms, catering, publicity, etc.) of a conference. They will not apply to all events and do not include things like inviting keynote speakers, distributing CFPs and collecting submissions, etc. If you have questions about things not included here, please email Denise McClinton (denisemc@uic.edu) for guidance.

The times below are guidelines. Doing things sooner is almost always better. The LCSL staff are happy to help with any steps.

First Steps: As soon as your dates are set (at least 12 weeks prior to your event) Heading link

Fill out event form

Space(s)

Think about where you would like to hold your event on campus. Depending on the number of participants you anticipate and the space you would like to use, you will need to plan ahead. Reserving Library 1-470, the Humanities Institute, a Lecture Center, or a room in SCE need to be done at least 8 weeks ahead of time.

  • To reserve one of our conference rooms, contact LCSLoffice@uic.edu. We will eventually need to know how you would like the room to be configured (conference table vs. theater style) and if you will be having any food at the event. If you don’t have those details yet, but would like to reserve the room, that’s fine.
  • Library 1-470, Humanities Institute, Hull House, or SCE conference rooms should be booked at least 8 weeks out. To reserve these rooms, please contact Denise (denisemc@uic.edu) who will request the rooms on your behalf.

Apply for funding

  • Apply for funding from LCSL and other sources. Program fund applications are due on September 15, December 1, February 15, and April 15. If you plan to request funding, please apply during the earliest possible distribution round. Applications can be downloaded here.
  • Ask other departments/units for co-sponsorship.

Budget

Determine your approximate budget:

  • Will you be able to pay for rooms?
  • What kind of catering will you have if any?
  • What kind of honorarium and expenses will you pay for your keynote speaker (if applicable)?
  • Will you charge a registration fee? If so, how much? Will it be the same for all participants or will you have a variable scale (e.g., early bird registration, student pricing, etc.)?

Need help with your budget? Please contact Stephanie Yang for assistance.

Next Steps: Registration, Publicity, and Travel Heading link

Please click on the pertinent button for more information.

UIC has two free, easy-to-use website options:

Both of these options will allow you to create a simple website for your event. The LCLC has a tutorial for using Google Sites that you may find useful.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Denise. She can also help you with designing a site that will match any eventual posters and/or programs.

Suggestions for websites:

  • Don’t be afraid to create a website with little initial information and update as things progress. Getting something out on the web to let people know about your event is better than nothing!
  • Be sure to include the conference name (full name and acronym) and year throughout the site, not just on the first page. For example, if you have a page for registration, instead of “Registration is now open,” say “Registration for CONFERENCE YEAR is now open.”
  • Include the full name “University of Illinois at Chicago” instead of UIC the first time it appears on each page.
  • Make sure the conference name, date, and location appear clearly and prominently on the home page.
  • Add contact information (either for a person or create a free gmail account for the conference) or a contact form so people can ask questions!

These things will make your website easier for people to use and find when searching!

Your timeline for registration will depend on whether registration for your event is free or paid.

Paid Registration

For paid registrations we use FormBuilder, a University system that allows for registration and online credit card payment. This is a system that must be set up for us by the Administrative Information Technology Services (AITS). Please contact Denise who will coordinate the FormBuilder registration form for your event.

Because this is not something that we can do ourselves but is done through AITS, it can take several weeks to get the registration up and running, so please plan ahead!

Free Registration

There are two free registration options through UIC:

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Denise.

All Registration

No matter the registration type you choose, you will want to think about what kind of information you need to collect. Commonly collected information may include, but is not limited to:

  • Name (first and last as separate questions)
  • Email address
  • Institution
  • Rank/Degree (give choices like PhD, grad student, etc. that make sense for your needs)
  • For multi-day conferences, days one will attend
  • For conferences offering catering, dietary preferences (give choices that you can accommodate!)

This is usually the windows for getting the best deals. Please send all information and questions about travel to Denise.

Please let us know in advance what your travel budget is! This will help us all avoid surprises.

Flights

To book flights, we need the following information:

  1. Date of birth
  2. Full legal name as it appears on the ID with which the guest will travel
  3. Preferred airport
  4. Preferred travel times for both legs of the trip (approximate times like “late morning,” “early evening,” “afternoon,” etc. are fine)
  5. For international guests – passport number and country that issued the passport
  6. Any frequent flyer numbers your guest might have

Note that state regulations require us to book the cheapest available flight that meets the given schedule. This means that we cannot purchase seat upgrades, premium economy, or business class without justification.

Hotel

To book hotel rooms, we need the following information:

  1. Guest name
  2. Arrival and check-out dates

If you have a preferred hotel, please let us know.

Other Travel Expenses

If you need other travel arrangements (train, bus, etc.) or your guest will be driving and needs mileage reimbursement, please email Denise for details.

LCSL staff can help you design posters and coordinate their printing. Time frame varies depending on size and complexity. In most cases, design takes 1-2 weeks.

11 x 17 posters must be printed by Creative and Digital Services. This takes 5-7 days and will be charged to your event budget.

8.5 x 11 posters can be printed in-house usually the same day.

Please talk to Denise or email the LCSL office about poster design, including any color or image preferences.

Final Stretch: Catering, Announcements, and Tech Heading link

Please click on the pertinent button for more information.

Emails

Once you have your event dates finalized, have reserved locations, and if you are making one, have a website set up for your event, you should announce it to the School via the listserv. (If you’re not sure how to do this, just ask!)

You will, of course, also want to announce it elsewhere on campus and in interested communities.

If you are asking people to register, you should send a reminder a few days before any registration deadlines.

Send a reminder a week before and one week before the event.

Calendars

Once you send your announcement to the School, we will add your event to the LCSL and your department website calendars. We will also add it to the UIC Today events listing. If you would prefer that your events not be added to these calendars, please tell us.

Twitter

The School will Tweet about your event when you send emails. If you have a hashtag or Twitter account for your event, let us know!

Meet with Denise about catering needs and decide on a menu.

Catering is usually ordered 1-2 weeks before an event depending on the size of the order.

If you are using 1750 or 1501, please be sure to confirm the room setup with the LCSL staff. Email LCSLoffice@uic.edu and let us know if you’d like it set up theater style (rows of chairs with an aisle in the middle) or conference style (with a large table and chairs around it and circling the room).

If you are using another space and have any final requests for setup, please email Denise so she can coordinate those for you.

This is also a good time to touch base and make sure that we have all of your requests covered.

If your event is in 1750 or 1501 and will require use of the technology, you may contact LAS IT and set up an appointment to meet with them 30 minutes – 1 hour before the event. This will allow them to check that everything is working properly. IT tickets should be submitted to lassupport@uic.edu and should include the date, time, and location of the event, what time you will meet them, what technology needs to be set up, and your contact information.

For rooms other than 1750 and 1501, you will need to arrange technology assistance with the contact for that space. If you’re not sure who that is or need help making those arrangements, please contact Denise.