[HSF] Rice University as a possible venue
Hello to all,
I indicated that I would check on Rice as a venue for HSF - the info
is below - I cannot stress enough that our facilities fill up quickly
as you can see by the # of dates that are available today. I'm not
going to look into nitty gritty details unless this group makes the
decision to host the event at Rice, but the general guidelines /
prices are below.
I've chaired RiceFest 2 years running which is an event that consumes
Grand Hall, Farnsworth and Kelley Lounge. It's a nice venue - easy
walk throughs from place to place, accessibility is good, the
building is easy to find, etc...
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The Basics
Event Planning - Rice Student Center Home page
http://www.rice.edu/projects/lsc/WebPages/EventPlanning/index.htm
The Grand Hall + Sammy's - Lue indicated we could always get Sammy's
+ Grand Hall on the weekends, but NOT during the week
capable of housing up to 700 people - the room is open on one side
http://www.rice.edu/projects/lsc/WebPages/EventPlanning/Rooms/
GrandHallAndSammys.htm
Farnsworth Pavillion - Capacity: 80 dining/100 lecture - room can be
enclosed
http://www.rice.edu/projects/lsc/WebPages/EventPlanning/Rooms/
FarnsworthPavilion.htm
Kelley Lounge - Capacity: 100 maximum / completely open
http://www.rice.edu/projects/lsc/WebPages/EventPlanning/Rooms/
KelleyLounge.htm
Blair lounge - Capacity 16 / enclosed room
http://www.rice.edu/projects/lsc/WebPages/EventPlanning/Rooms/
BlairLounge.htm
Meyer lounge - Capacity 16 / enclosed room
http://www.rice.edu/projects/lsc/WebPages/EventPlanning/Rooms/
MeyerConferenceRoom.htm
Minor lounge - Capacity: 35 maximum, 25 seated - enclosed room
http://www.rice.edu/projects/lsc/WebPages/EventPlanning/Rooms/
MinerLounge.htm
There are other rooms on the 2nd floor as well if the extra enclosed
rooms aren't enough
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Dates available as of 9/16/05 in 2006
* March 11 & 12
* March 18 & 19 - major rooms (GH, Kelley, Farnsworth, Meyer
conference room is taken)
* April 2 only
* April 16 only
* May 6, 7
Note that graduation is May 13th, closed Memorial Day weekend - most
things are currently available after May 13th weekend, but
unavailable starting in late June / July totally booked for 3 week
conference.
Check availability online
http://scevents.rice.edu/vemspro/
To log in to the online reservation system a user id and password
must be obtained from Lue Vega at 713.348.3778. She's also a contact
person to book / plan the event venue.
If we want to post a banner for the event, look here
http://www.rice.edu/projects/lsc/WebPages/Forms/BannerRequest.htm
View the Glass Doors Painting Request Form to arrange to paint an
advertisement on the main glass doors of the Student Center.
http://www.rice.edu/projects/lsc/WebPages/Forms/PaintingRequest.htm
If you have other questions, please ask the Student Center
Reservationist by phone at 713.348.3778.
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Can we charge for registration?
BEFORE the event, but NOT onsite
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Payment
No advance payment / down payment is required
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Food
Sammy's Cafeteria is never open on the weekends. Food would need to
be catered from outside or Rice has catering services - I think their
food is great, but I've heard lots of people complain about their
reliability, however, I don't feel this would be at issue on a
weekend - during the week, their schedule is much more hectic.
Rice catering info / contact is here:
http://salt.rice.edu/catering/index.php?groupid=6
Catering Manager
Olivia Waldron
Ext. 4084
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Parking - bummer at Rice
We are allowed to charge registration for the event, but NOT onsite -
we would have to charge registration online or through some other
means. We cannot collect $ on the actual day(s) of the event.
Parking could be included in the registration rate.
$6.35 for all day / car - we might be able to get a break on this
price, but as I said, I'm not going to go into that level of detail
unless you decide this is where you plan to host the event.
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Audio Visual - available at a cost, we can also provide our own
http://www.rice.edu/projects/lsc/WebPages/EventPlanning/Documents/
Portable_Sound_System_Rental.pdf
http://www.rice.edu/projects/lsc/WebPages/Audiovisual/AVPricing.pdf
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Room rates
I've attached the price list - it should be somewhat self explanatory.
I like the idea of holding it at Rice, assuming it meets our physical
requirements and financial situation. I'd like to add some of my thinking if
you guys don't mind a few more paragraphs.
The neo-liberals currently hold the ideological high ground. Their worldview
is deeply imbedded in the brains of the average Westerner, at both the
conscious and unconscious levels. The masses pretty much just move through
life in accordance with the pattern that they have been programmed to
follow.
We are trying to make changes to society, but we don't yet have a unified
and coherent message that resonates with most people's predispositions. So
how can our message compete? Right now, trying to change peoples neo-liberal
world view to the progressive view seems comparable to trying to paint a
picture with dilute water colors on wax paper.
Part of the purpose of our event could be to illuminate and further develop
the intellectual grounding of our progressive and activist communities.
Forwarding the intellectual power and ideological consistency behind our
stance should be one of our goals because it is prerequisite to the winning
of the hearts and minds of the general public. I am hoping the Houston
Social Forum will contribute to this, and the atmosphere at Rice would
probably help to foster this.