Reservation Guidelines

The guidelines and procedures outlined below are intended to streamline the event reservation and planning process, create consistent event experiences, maximize space usage, maintain the integrity of the facilities and to provide support for users of our spaces.

S.A. chartered organizations, University-recognized Greek groups, department recognized student groups, faculty and staff are permitted to make room reservations through the B There website. Users are able to login with their PODS username and password. Students that wish to make requests on behalf of their student group should submit the B There Account Request Form to have their account changed (limit one account per group). All faculty and staff are automatically permitted reservation access.

The Union only processes requests for the following locations: Union indoor spaces, the Korean Center, Peace Quad, Spine and Campus Perimeter and a select section of Library rooms. All other requests are processed by other offices.

Reservations are granted on a first come, first served basis. The following rules apply:

Rooms reserved by groups should be used for their official group purposes and not personal use (individual birthday parties, study sessions, etc). A select group of rooms in the Classroom Wing can be reserved for study space.
Student organizations can designate one person from their group for requestor access to the B There reservation system.
Reservation requests require up to three business days for processing. Requests are processed Monday through Friday.
The Union operating hours are as follows:
- Monday – Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.
  Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.
  Saturday: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.
  Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.
- Any requests for events in The Union on weekends before the standard operating hours must be submitted six weeks in advance and are subject to approval by The Union Office.

Outdoor Tabling

- Spine A and Spine B have been split into 3 locations each and can be reserved for outdoor events.
- Groups must bring their own tables and chairs. An overhead view of the locations can be seen below with each Spine location being separated by color:

Reservation Confirmations, Switches and Cancellations

Once a reservation is confirmed, a confirmation email will be sent to the requestor specifying the request title, date, time and location. The requestor should make sure it is correct and be sure to read through the confirmation for any additional information.
Groups may contact other groups to request a room switch. An email that includes both parties involved in the switch must be sent to Catherine Faughnan, assistant director for The Union, at cfaughn@binghamton.edu. Groups should not contact faculty to propose switches or cancellations of academic classes.
Cancellations can be done through the Bthere website in the "My Bookings" section in the top left. If you are unable to cancel a request through the site, please email Catherine Faughnan to ask for a cancellation.

Other Rules Regarding Reservations and Events

Moving of any furniture items into the hallways, another room or to another building is not permitted. Items in hallways blocks general access and may create fire safety issues. Classrooms in the Union will have stickers on the floor to indicate where chairs should be placed. The chairs should be placed at those spots once your event is completed.
No outside food or beverages are permitted in reserved facilities unless a Off Campus Vendor Request Form is approved by Binghamton University Dining Services. A Waiver of Liability Form is required for any events where food is prepared for a small group such as a group potluck.
If any food is planned for a reservation submitted online, requestor must specify details in the "description" area on the reservation form. If a group is found serving food without obtaining the necessary permission, a warning will be issued, followed by loss of reservation privileges for a second offense.
Each group is responsible for any damage and the repair costs associated with it in reserved facilities. Groups must clean up after themselves (removal of food, excessive garbage, cleaning of spills) otherwise they may be subject to an excessive cleaning charge.
The Spine, Peace Quad, and Campus Perimeter are available to be reserved for outdoor events. Groups and individuals are permitted to freely associate in these locations without a reservation. A request must be submitted through the B There Reservation system if the event requires physical equipment, such as tables and chairs, or if the requesting group wishes to reserve a specific location to avoid being supplanted by a separate B There reservation.
- An event logistics meeting with Catherine Faughnan, assistant director for The Union, is required at least two business days prior to the event to confirm details concerning necessary equipment for the event, sound needs, food, the exact location of the outdoor event and any potential conflicts with regular academic classes or other scheduled events.
- Outdoor events that require additional support or services from other campus departments (electrical needs, food service approval, tables, chairs, UPD, etc) should be submitted at least five business days ahead of the event to accommodate for additional processing time.
- Reservation requests are not required in advance for spontaneous expressive activities.
- If a particular expressive activity is intended as a counter-demonstration such that it is occasioned in response to another event being held simultaneously on campus, a direct event request can be made to the main Union email address — union@binghamton.edu. The Union will attempt to accommodate the request within 24 hours. The required logistics meeting may be waived and support or services from the campus departments may not be guaranteed for these events due to time constraints.
Lit candles are NOT permitted in any University facility without consent of the University.
The Union staff is responsible for the coordination of room set-ups in the The Union only. If a group or office needs a specific set up in any building other than the UU, please contact Facilities Management at 607-777-2226.
When promoting events, groups are not permitted to hang flyers on walls, windows or scatter across tables or benches. There are designated event bulletin boards throughout The Union and on all floors that are available for event promotion.
Groups and individuals are expected to follow the guidelines listed, directives given by Union staff, as well as other applicable campus policies. Failure to adhere to these rules will result in loss of reservation privileges and cancellation of future events.

Tabling Guidelines

S.A. chartered organizations, University recognized student & Greek groups, faculty, and staff are permitted to make tabling reservations. External organizations must be sponsored by a University recognized department or student organization and may be subject to a $75 vendor fee. Tabling requests can be submitted by visiting the B There website.

Tabling Reservations and Guidelines

Tables may be reserved in the Tillman Lobby of The Union. Tabling slots can only be held from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is no tabling outside those hours or any tabling on the weekends. Only one table is permitted per day.
Reservation requests must begin at 12:00 p.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. otherwise the BThere system will state that the space cannot be reserved.
Groups can have up to 3 active reservations for tabling in the system with a max of 2 tabling events per week.
Tabling sessions must be properly identified in the "Title" section of the request, using one of these descriptive terms:

1. Information Tabling
2. Bake Sale Tabling
3. Item Sale Tabling
4. Ticket Sale Tabling

Failure to specify this information may result in a denied request and groups that misrepresent their tabling event (by reserving an information table and attempting to sell something during the session) will be given a warning with a second violation resulting in a loss of tabling privileges.

For each day in the Tillman Lobby, there may only be one bake sale table, one item sale table and one ticket sale table per time block.
Item Pre-Sales or Pre-Orders must be listed as item sales. When requesting for the second tabling session to distribute the pre-sales, groups must wait until the date of the pre-sale has passed, and have the request labeled as a bake sale if the group is selling more food items at the table.
Acceptable items for bake sales include low-risk foods such as granola bars, brownies, cookies, cakes, breads, fruit pies, etc. Donut sales are not permitted in The Union unless through a direct partnership with the Dunkin Donuts in The Union. Food cannot be given away for free from any table while there is a bake sale in the same location. Groups must abide by the campus Food Policy found at this link. Groups who fail to follow the policy may be asked to leave or dispose of their food sale items.
Item sales can include things like hats, mugs, water bottles, key chains, etc. Ticket sales are for student events only. When filling in the request, you must clearly state in the event description box what you are selling.

Food and Beverage Policy

Binghamton University has a Food Policy that must be followed by all groups for tabling and other events. Binghamton University Dining Services have exclusivity on food and beverages on all campus property except for those events under $200.00 and in the case where authentic ethnic foods and support of local establishments is in the best interest of the University.
For proper food safety handling:
- Gloves must be worn when handling food including distributing items at bake sales.
- Food must be wrapped and/or covered until consumed or distributed.
- Food that must be temperature controlled and not kept cold or hot must be discarded if not consumed within two hours.
Generally, all food and beverages served/catered in The Union must be obtained from University Dining Services or their affiliates. Exceptions include "tabling events" for the purposes of fund raising by student organizations.
- Acceptable items for bake sales include "home-made" items such as granola bars, brownies, cookies, cakes, breads, fruit pies, etc. Any food items to be sold or distributed must be approved by The Union Office.
- All food must be in complete compliance with local and state health department codes and adhere to safety and sanitation regulations.
Arrangements for catered food and beverages can be made through Dining Services Catering by calling 607-777-2925 or ordering online.
In instances where Dining Services is unable to provide the catering, Dining Services may make an exception to allow an outside caterer come on to campus — particularly where authentic ethnic foods and support of local establishments is in the best interest of the University. Any exceptions must be approved by Dining Services and The Union office or their designee. Forms can be found online at our Dining Services catering website.
Dining Services requires at least two weeks' notice prior to the event so catering arrangements and food orders can be met. Additional notice is preferred. Room confirmations do not guarantee catering services; sponsoring organizations must make their arrangements for catering by calling the catering office at 607-777-2925.