Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to some of the most commonly asked questions by students and employees planning on-campus events.

You must login to STABLE and complete an indoor reservation form and an indoor event request form.

You must login to STABLE and complete an outdoor reservation request and an outdoor event request.

An image of the outdoor event location with the activities hand or digitally drawn showing their approximate locations, and proximities to one another and the nearby streets and buildings. All outdoor events except Tabling require a site plan. See an OER sample site plan.

A two-step process is required for all events held on main or east campus to better consolidate the process for requesting support services such as custodial, catering, or irrigation to be turned off (outdoor events only). If you are having a departmental or organizational meeting and do not need services from any campus partner (Custodial, Facilities, SMUPD, etc.) you only need to complete the room reservation form.

Note: Outdoor events always require both forms.

No more than 4 people standing behind or near a table distributing/sharing information, or commercially packaged food/beverages with people passing by. No congregating or activities, and no other structures are present. Note: Commercially packaged items are items typically purchased from a grocery store that have been heat-treated. They are canned or packaged in bottles, flexible pouches, bags or boxes.

First submit the applicable indoor or outdoor reservation request for every location that your event requires. Then submit one event request form. Be sure to indicate all of the locations in the "Comment" field, and enter all of your room/venue reservation request numbers when prompted.

  • Submit a ticket to STABLEevents@smu.edu that includes the following information…
    • Name, date, time of event
    • Name of organization sponsoring event and advisor (if applicable)
    • Location of where you would like to hold your event.
  • Please note the following:
    • Events are not permitted in any of the parking lots or garages
    • Outdoor events at sorority houses do not require OERs. See the following links if these services are needed.
      • SMU PD (select the "Event Security Request" button)
      • Facilities (select the "submit a work order" button)

  1. You need an outdoor reservation for each day your event may occur--one for the desired date and another one for the potential rain date.
  2. You need only one OER. The Start/End Date fields must contain the desired date of the event; the Description field needs to include the rain date and time.
  3. If you decide to proceed with the rain date you must email STABLEevents@smu.edu at least one business day prior to the original date of the event so your OER can be edited and all support partners notified.

Canceling a room/space reservation: please sign in to STABLE, select your desired reservation from the "My Reservations" widget, and choose the Cancel button at bottom left of screen.

Canceling an indoor event request: log in to STABLE and select the "Cancel My Event Request" widget, and then select the event request you would like to cancel. You can also refer to the Wiki pages for more detailed instructions.

Cancelling an outdoor event request (OER):

  1. Cancel the outdoor reservation(s) associated with the OER
  2. Email your OER number to STABLEevents@smu.edu requesting that it be cancelled

If the span is not greater than 5 consecutive days, and the activities, vendors, and general details are identical each day, you can submit 5 reservations and one OER. Be sure to indicate in the OER Description field that this is a multi-day day setup, teardown or event.

All outdoor spaces and many indoor locations can be reserved at no cost. However, some venues do have fees associated with them. A venue fee will not be charged for any event where the attendees are exclusively SMU students, faculty or staff. Fixed costs associated with an event, such as labor, set-up, technical rentals, etc. will be charged for the event. 

A venue fee may be charged for any event where the majority of attendees are external to the university, or if tickets are being sold. The fee charged is determined by the management of the facility in which the event is being held. Fixed costs associated with an event, such as labor, set-up, technical rentals, etc. will be charged for the event.

It is at the discretion of the management of the venue to determine which category an event falls under and to grant any exceptions to the procedures above.  The venue’s school, department or division will not subsidize the cost of the event. A cancellation fee may apply as determined by the management of the venue.

Please see University Policy 6.4 or contact the Event Lead of the venue for additional information.  

  • Indoor events: contact the room approver for the space you reserved. Their contact information can be found in the reservation confirmation email you received.
  • Outdoor events: email STABLEevents@smu.edu.

Please see the SMU Conference Services website for details.  

A certificate of insurance (COI), also known as evidence of insurance is requested when liability (or loss) may be a concern for the University. To protect the SMU community, vendors are asked to show a COI as evidence that certain liabilities will be covered during the course of the activity or event.  More information can be found at the Office of Risk Management website.

See the Printable Version of Polices & Procedures for Events on Campus. Please review carefully.

Due to very limited parking, motorized food/beverage vehicles are not permitted at indoor events. However, non-motorized food/beverage carts are permitted at indoor events with approval. Submit the appropriate student or employee indoor event support request form in STABLE at least three weeks prior to the event.

Service of alcohol on campus must be facilitated through SMU Hospitality. Complete guidelines for the service or sale of alcohol on the SMU campus may be found here. Please note that some locations do not allow the service of red wine. Select the "More Info" feature on a desired location under STABLE's Indoor Reservations widget.

All participants under the age of 18, must be accompanied by an adult chaperone/advisor at all times--this includes all “free time.” To ensure the personal safety of the participants, the University requires a minimum of one chaperone for every twelve (12) youth participants. For more information visit the Protection of Minors Training web site.

Currently, parking is limited. So please submit your indoor or outdoor reservation and event request as soon as you know the date and time of your event. Select the "Parking" box on the Event Request form and provide as many details as possible in the "Description" box. Parking and ID services will be in contact.