Resource Guide
Paying Guest Speakers
As a gesture of appreciation, faculty may pay honoraria to guest speakers as part of their participation in a scheduled event. In some cases, the University will allow reimbursement for the honoree’s out-of-pocket expenses as long as they are in accordance with university policy and tax laws. Faculty are encouraged to check with the Events team prior to agreeing on reimbursement terms with guests. Please note, honorarium payments are tax reportable if the total paid by the University exceeds $600 in a calendar year.
To assist in processing an honorarium payment for a guest speaker, faculty will need to provide a document stating the amount to be paid and the purpose of payment. This is commonly provided in the form of a Letter of Invitation that the faculty will sign and email to the guests with cc to asevents@pitt.edu for processing.
Other pertinent documents, like W-8 or W-9, will be collected securely by processing team members through approved systems and should not be collected and/or provided by faculty via email.
Paying Musicians and/or Entertainers
Entertainment providers are viewed differently than guest speakers. It is imperative that payment is not agreed upon without first seeking and fully executing a Services Agreement with the entertainment provider. Please contact your designated Event Coordinator to assist in processing this agreement in PantherExpress and to ensure that all necessary documentation is collected prior to the performance date.
Promotion/Advertising
Faculty are strongly encouraged to work with the Arts & Sciences Events Management Team to ensure that all advertising and promotional materials used as part of their event marketing is in compliance with university policy and branding.
The creation of flyers, programs, and/or any other event branded materials should not be outsourced or self-made unless approved and reviewed for use by Communication Services.
A/V and Photography
The University's Center for Teaching and Learning offers a number of services to help with special events, including large screen projection, microphone rental and set up, customized PowerPoint presentations, and more. In addition, the Center's photographers and videographers are available to document your event for newsletters, Web sites, and archival purposes.
Tracking Attendance
An important metric for determining the overall value and success of your event comes in the form of attendance. To best be able to determine which events engage your target audience and therefore should be replicated in the future, you should do your best to keep track of attendance for your events. Some great ways to track attendance are:
Registration – Setting up an RSVP for your event can help you determine if your chosen room and catering size are adequate for your event. It can also reveal to you the type of people who are interested in your event. Are they predominately students? Faculty? Community members?
A Qualtrics form is a great way to collect RSVPs for your events and track any demographic information you might want to know about your event attendees.
Sign-in Sheets – a less formal, but equally relevant way of tracking attendance is by having a sign-in sheet at your event. This is a great way to collect names and email address from your event attendees and connect with attendees that may not be part of your normal network. It is also a great starting point for creating an event email marketing list.
It is strongly encouraged to employ some form of attendance tracking when executing an event.
Student Led Events
All student organizations--including school-based student organizations--sponsoring events should refer to the Student Event Planning Resources to assist in coordinating their event in accordance with policies/guidelines/procedures for planning events in the Student Unions.
The Arts & Sciences Events Management Team is not designated for coordinating student led events. Students hosting events should work directly with Student Affairs to coordinate their events.
Virtual or Hybrid Events
A virtual event is a web-based event that replicates many aspects of a traditional on-location event. It may take place on a standalone basis or in conjunction with an on-location based event (i.e. a “hybrid” event). The university has several contracted suppliers available to assist with producing virtual and hybrid events:
Zoom - to be used for virtual/hybrid lectures, workshops, presentations, and forums
Accelevents - to be used for virtual/hybrid conferences and large events (100+) for which attendance is free
Encore Group - to be used for virtual/hybrid conferences and large events (100+)
If unsure which platform you should use for your upcoming virtual/hybrid event, please reach out to the Arts & Sciences Events Management Team for recommendation.