Conference & Event Services to begin taking space reservations for 2020-21 academic year on March 25

Ohio University’s Department of Conference and Event Services is gearing up for its annual Opening Day when the office will open its reservation books for the 2020-21 academic year.

Opening Day kicks off at 9 a.m. Wednesday, March 25, and allows OHIO student organizations, departments and external customers to make reservations for Aug. 9, 2020, through Aug. 8, 2021, at the following venues on the Athens Campus:

• Baker University Center
• Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium
• Walter Hall Rotunda
• Galbreath Chapel
• Nelson Main Reception Room and Private Dining Rooms 
• Outdoor spaces

To help Bobcats navigate the reservation system, Conference and Event Services is providing in-person, informational training sessions. These sessions will empower customers to have a more satisfactory experience reserving spaces by walking them through the event management system. 

There will be five training sessions between Feb. 18 and March 4. To see the full listing of times available, please sign up here. 

Online Reservations 

Ohio University employees and students may reserve spaces mentioned above on Opening Day by visiting OHIO’s Virtual Event Management System (Virtual EMS). Virtual EMS is not available to external customers. To access Virtual EMS, customers must request access prior to March 25 through the site using their OHIO ID and password. Once access has been requested, it can take up to 48 hours to receive access to Virtual EMS. 

For student organizations, the requestor must be on the student organization’s Event Services User Agreement form, which is located on Bobcat Connect and can be updated by the organization’s president. Once the form is updated, the contact list can take up to 48 hours to reflect the change. When that occurs, a new request for Virtual EMS access will need to be submitted on behalf of the requestor. If a student needs access to a University department account, professional staff in the Event Services office must receive approval from the student’s supervisor.

Walk-Up Reservations

Individuals wanting to make reservations in person may visit the Guest Services Desk on the fourth floor of Baker University Center. 

However, our preference is for customers to enter in their requests via the Virtual EMS. Reservations for the Baker University Center Ball Room and Theater, the Front Room, Galbreath Chapel, Walter Hall Rotunda and the Multicultural Center 219 must be requested via Virtual EMS. 

Phone Reservations

External customers wanting to reserve spaces on campus should call the Conference and Event Services office at 740-593-4021 and ask to speak with a professional staff member. 

Helpful Tips

Be sure to have all request information ready, such as the date, time, space, size and account information. Before requesting space, check to ensure your account is registered, approved and active. You may do this by calling 740-593-4021 to check your status, or by logging onto the EMS to ensure your account is active. Reserve all major event spaces through Virtual EMS online. 

For more information about Opening Day or hosting an event at Ohio University, call 740-593-4021 or visit the Conference and Event Services website, which includes information on the venues and spaces the office manages.