Hosting an event at the Lab involves lots of planning and sometimes a touch of panic on the part of the host, but the professional services provided by Conference Services can lessen the worry and result in a smooth running event.

Conference Services has developed new tools to clarify conference planning by defining roles and responsibilities. “We wanted to provide more transparency to our customers by removing any ambiguity of tasks between Conference Services and the host,” said Travel and Conference Services Manager Elijah Walker, III.  “We now have a task checklist that makes planning and execution easier. We also contacted local catering companies and venues to find those who could most easily work with the Lab’s unique requirements and added them to the website.”

In addition to resources in the community, the website now highlights Lab resources that support events, including links to audio-visual support, site access management, work requests, and special shuttle services.

“We used the special shuttle service for industry day recently at the Lab,” said Project and Infrastructure Modernization senior administrator Lucio Ortiz. “We had over 100 potential construction vendors coming to tour the Lab, so we secured off-site parking at at a downtown Berkeley parking lot, and then used the special shuttles to bring them to the auditorium and tour them around the Lab.”

“Each of these internal partners plays a big role in ensuring a smooth Lab event,” said Walker. “By working together, we have created a package that will allow planners and hosts to relax, knowing they can depend on us to provide professional services.”

Lab Partnerships Make Conference Planning Easier

• The IT AV Services team provides audio-visual support for onsite, virtual, and hybrid events. Bringing in the professionals in AV early during the planning stage allows the event, whether on site or hybrid, to run smoothly and provide the best experience for attendees. AV services include support for planning and scheduling, practice sessions and testing, and technical support before and during the start of events.
• Facilities can provide special services for events. Special services can include transportation of conference support materials before and after the event, additional custodial services including providing waste and recycling collection bins, and furniture movement within a room or between buildings.  
• Shuttle Services can provide special shuttles for events. Shuttles can arrange transportation from hotels and parking in the community to the Lab and move attendees between gathering spots at the Lab. For example, conference sessions may be in the auditorium, but an outdoor patio may be the site for the post-session social. A special shuttle from the auditorium can quickly ferry guests to the outdoor patio for a social event. 
• Guest House can house your attendees so they are close to the event. The Guest House has 57 guest rooms that provide easy access for attendees at conferences and social events, including free on-site parking at the Guest House. Rates start at $169 per night. In addition, the Guest House is the exclusive seller of Lab logo items, perfect for souvenir shopping. The Guest House also has grab-and-go food items in the lobby, and guests can easily order food delivery services. It is the official rideshare pick-up location at the Lab for guests who need a ride off the hill.
• Outdoor dining areas can feed and entertain attendees in comfort. The Lab has earmarked seven sites perfect for tents, if needed, and provides amenities such as accessibility, views, wi-fi, tables and chairs, and easy delivery of food and other items. To make it even more convenient, most/all of these sites allow serving alcohol, with proper approvals, following the Lab’s alcohol policy. If you need assistance reserving an outdoor space, contact a Conference Services planner. 
• Site Security can provide special site access services for events. In past events, staff from Site Access have checked in attendees at the conference hotel, meaning attendees can hop on the special shuttle without security needing to check IDs at Blackberry Gate. Other times, the shuttle of attendees has gone directly to the auditorium, with guests being processed as they exit the shuttle. They also work with Conference Services to take information from the registration system and build user profiles to upload into the security system. Site Security will work with event planners to make site access easy. 

For all your conference needs, contact a Conference Services planner.