Orientation/Frosh event planning guide

The Dean of Students Office works with student groups and associations to plan and book on-campus and off-campus events for Orientation/Frosh. This includes collaborating with various Concordia teams — such as Hospitality, Campus Safety and Prevention Services, and Facilities — to ensure events are safe and well-organized.

If you're planning a student-led event that is not part of Orientation/Frosh, the process is different. Here's some general information you need to know to plan a student-led event.

Eddie Jude Hareven and Shauna Rajesh Shanbhag will support you throughout the entire process. Feel free to reach out to them with any questions!

Submitting an activity request

To get the process started, you will submit the Orientation/Frosh Activity Request on MyEvents.

To submit an Activity Request, student groups and associations must be registered with the Dean of Students Office. Your student group's Booking Officer is the only person who can access MyEvents. If you're unsure who your booking officer is, contact David Baker.

Once the Activity Request is submitted:

The Dean of Students Office will review the request, and will forward it to the appropriate Designated Space Administrator who manages the venue, cc'ing your team.
The Designated Space Administrator will review the request, and may request more information. Other Concordia teams may provide recommendations.
When the event is confirmed, the Designated Space Administrator will send a Space Confirmation and any recommendations to your event team, as well as to the Dean of Students Office.

Choosing a venue

There are many spaces available to book on campus. Below are some of the most popular spaces for Orientation/Frosh events, organized by the Designated Space Administrator managing the venue:

Dean of Students Office

Spaces managed by the Dean of Students Office include:

Hall Building Mackay & De Maisonneuve Corner
Loyola Quadrangle
Loyola Guadagni Lounge (CC-408)
Hall Building Terrace (currently unavailable)

Concordia Student Union (CSU)

Hall Building 7th Floor Lounge

Reggie's

Reggie's is a student-run cooperative bar. For Orientation/Frosh events, you can book Reggie's through the Activity Request or contact Reggie’s directly. Reggie's does not include the terrace, which must be booked separately with the Dean of Students Office (note that the terrace is currently unavailable).

Hive Co-op Café (SGW & Loyola)

The Hive is a student-run cooperative café. For Orientation/Frosh events, you can book the Hive through the Activity Request. The Hive at SGW does not include the terrace, which must be booked separately with the Dean of Students Office (note that the terrace is currently unavailable).

Faculty of Arts and Science

Loyola Grove
SP & CJ Atriums

Faculty of Fine Arts

VAV Gallery
VA Courtyard
EV Marble Table (EV-1.490) and Courtyard

Hospitality

Many other campus spaces (e.g., atriums, amphitheaters, classrooms, etc.)

Floor plans for outdoor events

For any outdoor event on campus, you will need to submit and stick to a floor plan.

The Dean of Students Office and Campus Safety and Prevention Services have pre-approved floor plans you can add to your Activity Request. Contact Shauna Rajesh Shanbhag to get a copy of the pre-approved floor plans.

You may also upload your own floor plan to MyEvents for approval. When making your own floor plans, please keep in mind:

Music has to go where there are power outlets, so check where power is available for the venue you are using.
You cannot have any emergency exits or pathways blocked.
Food, drink and DJ tables/booths must always have a tent covering them.
Inflatables and games must be in a designated area to prevent injuries. Event requests must include a description of these activities and insurance may be required for certain inflatables or games.

Serving food

You have two options for serving food at on-campus events:

A university approved caterer

Choose from Concordia’s list of approved caterers (student groups receive a discount). This is by far the easiest option.

Tips:

Get quotes from multiple caterers to compare prices.
Ask if they'll sponsor your event. Even if it's just a few extra pizzas or sandwiches, it's worth the ask!
Don't see what you're looking for on a menu? Ask, they may customize it for you.

Self-cater your event

If you plan to self-cater your event, the process depends on the category of food you are serving:

Low-risk food: No food waiver is required.
High-risk food: Requires a food waiver which you will complete in the Orientation/Frosh Activity Request on MyEvents. Make sure to submit your Activity Request at least 25 business days before the event.

If you are selling high-risk food, you will also be required to submit a Demande de Permis Sans But Lucratif et Événements Spéciaux to receive a MAPAQ permit. You must submit this request at least 20 days before your event to the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation (MAPAQ).

For more information on catering, including what qualifies as low- or high-risk food, review the Concordia Hospitality food and catering page.

Serving alcohol

All on-campus events with alcohol must comply with the university's guidelines and regulations. For important information, waivers and permits, refer to the Concordia Hospitality Alcohol page.

It's important to review the alcohol waiver and understand the campus policies on alcohol. You will complete the alcohol waiver as part of the Orientation/Frosh Activity Request on MyEvents.

Some key points from the waiver include:

All alcohol servers must complete the Safe Serve Program (SSP).
Alcohol must be purchased through the SAQ, a convenience store, or a grocery store. Donations are not permitted.
The Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux (RACJ) permit must be posted at the event.
Event organizers must provide food, water and non-alcoholic beverages when alcohol is being served.
Make sure you review the Régie des alcools' policies on alcohol advertising. Advertising that emphasizes or promotes drinking will not be permitted (all you can drink, pub crawls, free alcohol, sponsored by an alcohol brand, etc).

Equipment and transportation

Equipment

The Dean of Students Office will submit work orders to Facilities and Distribution to supply equipment for Orientation/Frosh events. Charges may apply.

Basic event equipment provided:

Tables
Chairs
Small tents
Cleaning supplies
Waste-disposal bags
Storage units, available on Hall Terrace and Loyola Quad

This does not include:

Stages or stage set-up: Contact an external provided
AV equipment: Contact IITS (indoor events only)
DJ equipment: Contact CJLO or an external provider
Large tents: Contact an external provider

Your group is responsible for event set-up, take-down and clean-up. Ensure you have enough volunteers to avoid additional charges.

Bus chartering

If you're planning to take participants off campus, we encourage public transportation. If that’s not feasible, you’ll need to charter a bus.

Make a reservation through the Orientation/Frosh Off Campus Request form on the MyEvents portal. Make sure to submit the form a minimum of 20 business days before your event.

You can load buses:

In front of the Hall Building on De Maisonneuve Boulevard West
On Bishop Street between De Maisonneuve and Sherbrooke

Only one to two buses can load at a time, so you may need to stagger loading to avoid street blockages.

If you need a space to register participants before loading, you'll need to book an additional space. You can use the Hall Mezzanine for large loads, but gathering on the sidewalk outside the Hall Building is not allowed.

Tip: Bus loading can be stressful, so make sure you have enough team members and volunteers. If it’s your first time, we recommend you reach out to Eddie Jude Hareven for guidance.

Safety and risk reduction

Campus Safety and Prevention Services

Campus Safety and Prevention Services agents may be required at certain events to help ensure a safe environment. Most events without alcohol do not require agents, but you can request them.

Note there is a fee for reserving the agents.

What Campus Safety & Prevention Services can do for you:

Administer first aid
Call 911 and direct emergency responders
De-escalate and intervene in uncomfortable or dangerous situations
Provide 24/7 accompaniment service

Contact Campus Safety & Prevention Services at 514-848-3717 or csps@concordia.ca

Risk reduction training

The Dean of Students Office works closely with student groups to create a safer and inclusive Orientation/Frosh experience.

We offer a risk-reduction training for all student leaders, which focuses on how to recognize, prevent and mitigate harms related to alcohol, drugs, peer pressure and sexual violence.

We are available to offer this training to all of your Orientation/Frosh leaders, volunteers and froshees.

Contact Eddie Jude Hareven for more information.

Explore other workshops that might benefit your leadership team.

Student Hub