Planning Your Event

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Student organizations at Illinois are afforded several university benefits and services, including access to more than 450 spaces on campus. To assist you with planning a successful student organization event, please review the information below.

Facility & Space Minimum Required Submission Lead Days/Weeks for Approval

Facility/Space Minimum Time Required for Approval
  • Illini Union (including Courtyard & Rec Room)
  • Anniversary Plaza
  • Academic Classrooms
  • Siebel Center for Design
  • Stock Pavilion
  • SDRP Lobby (tabling only)
 2 weeks (14 days)
2 weeks (14 days)
  • Performance Spaces – Production Events
    • More than 2 microphones
    • Theater lighting
    • Sound mixing and volume control during the rehearsal or event
    • Stage coordination requiring theater Stage Manager to work with student org on set changes during rehearsal/events
    • Video production with a screen that is not part of the stage podium unit,
    • Rigging of equipment/curtains

    Examples of Production Events:

    • Large dance events
    • Dance competitions
    • Variety shows
    • Fashion shows
    • Ballets
    • Musicals
    • Prominent Speakers (with production needs)
    • A Cappella groups (with or without their equipment that would need production lighting or other technical needs)
    • Concert
 5 weeks
  • Performance Spaces – Basic Events
    • 2 or fewer microphones (usually 1 lapel and 1 handheld microphone/no voice adjustments during the event – speak directly into the microphone to project voice)
    • Projector/screen and computer,
    • House sound system, and/or,
    • 1-4 tables and/or chairs
    • Podium

    Examples of Basic Events:

    • Speakers
    • Information/Recruitment events
    • Reveals
    • A Cappella groups (with their own equipment and no special sound or lighting needs)
    • Small events that do not require any production or technical needs.
 3 weeks
  • Event with Minors (no guardians/parents in attendance),
  • Event with Minors (no guardians/parents), Overnight events
  • Main Quad
 6 weeks

For advising on any planned activities, please contact our SODA Team (Student Org Development & Admin) at (217) 300-8757 or via email at getinvolved@illinois.edu.

Gambling & Raffles

Charitable Games Licenses (pdf) – Title 86, Part 435 Section 435.120

Gambling activities, events, and gaming equipment in which participants will pay a participation fee and/or have the chance to win prizes – including charitable/fundraiser activities that incorporate casino/poker nights and gambling-type activities – are not permitted on University Premises without the requisite Charitable Games License issued by the Department of Revenue.

Guidelines prohibiting these events from occurring on campus:

  • The host facility/premises must be licensed by the State of Illinois to be a “Provider of Premises” for such gambling/gaming events. (The University of Illinois is not licensed to be the provided of premises for these activities.)
  • All gaming equipment, including chips, must be registered with the State of Illinois.
  • The event sponsor must be licensed by the State of Illinois to conduct such charitable games (see below for a few of the requirements to be issued a sponsor’s license).

For an organization to receive a Charitable Games License, the sponsor must, among other criteria:

  1. Be 501 (C) (3, 4, or 5) licensed entity;
  2. Submit Organization Bylaws to the Department of Revenue;
  3. Have a copy of meeting minutes on file with the Department of Revenue (at least one copy of meeting minutes per year, starting in 2003).

Organizations may sponsor card playing events (to include Texas Hold ‘Em style tournaments) under the following conditions:

  1. No participation/entry fee or donations are collected from participants;
  2. No prizes are awarded for participating/winning;
  3. “Anything of value” cannot be awarded for participating/winning
  4. Event is held in the “normal place of operation” of the sponsoring organization.
  5. No individual under the age of 18 is permitted to participate in any gaming/gambling activities.

Illinois Department of Revenue

Illinois Department of Revenue, Title 86: Revenue, Part 435 - Charitable Games Act

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