Reservations and Fees

Hughes-Trigg Student Center (HTSC) clients and guests must adhere to all SMU policies. While not every situation is covered in this document, SMU policies that may be of interest include:

 

Reservation Classifications

HTSC does not accept reservations for academic teaching or study sessions. In the interest of maintaining availability for as many students and departments as possible, the HTSC will not accept recurring event requests for the Ballroom and Auditorium.

SMU Faculty/Staff may reserve space via the STABLE platform at smu.edu/stable. In the interest of maintaining availability for as many students and departments as possible, the HTSC will not accept recurring event requests for the Ballroom and Auditorium.

Reservation Fees

All SMU faculty, staff and guests will need to comply with the University's polices and procedures as outlined in the SMU University Policy Manual.

A venue/space rental fee will not be charged for any event where the attendees are predominantly SMU students, faculty or staff. However, any "fixed costs" associated with an event such as: labor, set-up, technical rentals, etc. will be charged for the event. The facility will not be held responsible for subsidizing the cost of the event in any way.

Effective August 1, 2024, Event and Setup Fees will be assessed to SMU departments.

Event Fees
Base Custodial Service
 $150
Ballroom - 1/3 Section A/V Use $150
Ballroom - 2/3 Sections A/V Use $250
Ballroom - 3/3 Sections A/V Use $350
Chamber A/V Use $100
Auditorium A/V Use $300
Meeting Room A/V Support $50
Gallery 1911 Video Boards $150
Gallery 1911 LED Wall $150
A/V Tech Fee
(assessed per event		 $50+

 

Setup Fees (Ballroom/Gallery 1911 only)
Stage
 $200
Cocktail Reception Style
1-12 High-top tables $100
Banquet/Reception Style
1-10 60-inch Rounds $150
11-20 60-inch Rounds $250
21+ 60-inch Rounds $400
Fair/Expo Style
1-10 6 ft rectangle $200
11-20 6 ft rectangle $300
21+ 6 ft rectangle $400

 

Additional fees may be assessed for any of following circumstances. 

Supplementary Billing  Fee
Excessive Custodial Needs (Spills, Trash, etc.)
 $50
 Damage to Property or Resources Assessed as required
Changes/Requests Within 72 Hours of Event
 $100
Reservation Outside of Normal Operating Hours
 $150 + $10/hour Staffing Fee

Exceptions to this, regardless of SMU affiliation, include, but are not limited to:

  • An SMU member using their reservation privilege to reserve a space for which a non-SMU entity is the primary host, audience, or participant. See examples below:
    • Events for the general public
    • Corporate recruiting/advertising
    • Personal Party
    • National/Regional organization event
    • This fits under the broader SMU Event Policy
  • An event does not directly serve current SMU students, faculty, or staff. See Examples:
    • Hosting a meeting or conference for your professional network
  • Attendees are charged for admission, refreshments, or any part of their participation.

Event Support Requests

For reservations requiring support services must complete an Indoor Event Support Request in STABLE at least five (5) business days prior to your event. Support services requiring an Indoor Event Support Request including but not limited to, room setups, AV services, etc. Requests made with less than five (5) days’ notice will incur extra fees.

Loss of Privileges and Other Fees

Faculty/Staff will be subject to fees for the following including but not limited to (See fee sheet under Reservation Fees above for charges):

  • Damage to property or resources: fee dependent on damage
  • Failure to clean up after use, requiring additional custodial services
  • Failure to follow the guidelines outlined in this document
  • Failure to return furniture to its original location and setup
  • Late requests for spaces or equipment (within 2 business days)
  • Occupying space 30+ minutes past reservation time (including cleanup efforts): HTSC hourly rate (See price sheet)
  • Space utilization outside normal operating hours
  • Support request/change < 72 hours prior to an event

These fees may be viewed under Reservation Rates above. Failure to pay on time may result in the loss of HTSC reservation privileges.

Reservations with Speakers

SMU Faculty and Staff must adhere to University policies and procedures when hosting events that include speakers. Contact SMU Purchasing for more information.

Screening Movies

If a SMU department wishes to host a movie screening as a part of a meeting or event, the appropriate rights must be purchased. Please note educational copyrights only apply for academic, credit-bearing classes.

View more information about Digital Rights Management and Copyright Law at SMU. Many SMU departments and organizations purchase film rights with Swank, a licensing company.

Staff Presence/Security

The use of Hughes-Trigg Student Center (HTSC) will only be allowed during operating hours or with the express permission of HTSC staff. Occupancy may be granted only if there is presence of HTSC Staff and/or SMU PD. Clients may be required to provide security for their event, and HTSC may require that security be coordinated through the SMU Police Department. Clients are responsible for the cost of security. You will be contacted by the HTSC staff if security is required for your event. Fees will apply for reservations made outside of regular hours.

Making Changes to Your Event Reservation

To adjust the date or time, access your reservation through STABLE with the “My Reservations” icon. Select the reservation you would like to change and make your desired edits.

If you require any edits related to equipment, audio-visual needs, setup, etc., you must also e-mail those changes to htsc@smu.edu and provide your reservation number. If these changes are not e-mailed, they may not be applied to your reservation.

Cancelling Reservations

Clients should notify Hughes-Trigg Student Center as soon as possible when a reservation needs to be cancelled.

Email: htsc@smu.edu
Phone: 214-768-4400

Inclement Weather Location

If your reservation is for an inclement weather backup location, be sure to include all details as if your event were taking place indoors. You must notify htsc@smu.edu no later than 2 business days before your event of your final choice of venue, indoors or outdoors. If you do not communicate your decision by the deadline, we will assume the event will be inside utilizing your HTSC reservation, and associated fees will be applied.

Food and Beverage

Catering Information

All catering for plated or buffet meals must be provided by SMU Catering, SMU’s official caterer. An SMU Catering Event Manager can assist with all planning needs, including food and beverages, staffing, tables, chairs, linens, flowers, etc. Contact SMU Catering at 214-768-2368 or smu.campusdish.com. Select the “catering” link from the menu on the left. Deliveries and pick-ups must be arranged with the SMU event manager in advance.

Casual Catering

Casual catering includes box lunches and grab-n-go setups. View a list of SMU Preferred Casual Catering Vendors. This list of caterers should NOT be used for plated or buffet meals.

SMU Exclusive providers for Casual Catering "Boxed-Lunches" have extended special pricing and offers to University orders. Please review the SMU Casual Catering "Boxed-Lunch" Vendor list for detailed contact information. Supplemental information on specific pricing and items offered may be obtained by contacting SMU Purchasing at purchasing@smu.edu.

Pre-packaged and open-container food served by you or a vendor from our preferred vendor list, must follow the SMU Food Safety Program. Please review carefully.