EVENTS - Atrium of the SPOT

It's possible to organize events in the SPOT atrium but the MAKE team is asking to follow this procedure.

1. Who can organize events in the atrium? Only recognized EPFL interdisciplinary projects.
2. Is there a cost for using the space? No we don't charge student project, their budget is already tight enough.
3. How many times a project can rent the space? Only once every academic year (from September to September) per project.
4. Is there exceptions made for other type of projects? No, only MAKE interdisciplinary projects are allowed to privatize the atrium

Write an email at spot@epfl.ch asking to book the atrium of the SPOT as early as possible. The rule is first come first serve, if the date you have in mind is confilicting with another reservation, you won't be able to organize your event in the atrium of the SPOT. Note: the atrium of the SPOT can only be booked by MAKE interdisciplinary projects. Every MAKE project can book the atrium to organize big events only once a year and not once a semester (academic year from September to September)

If the SPOT is free for your event and the SPOT team booked the atrium, you then must announce the event to mediacom-event. It is a mandatory step for your event to be official. If not announced to medicaom event, your event can be cancelled.

• Link to announce your event : Announce your event form
• Important information related to organizing events at EPFL : Organize an event on the campus

Mediacom event is responsible to follow everything related to your event, including (but not restricted to) the following:

• When you announce your event, a ticket (service desk) will be open and will be able to exchange with mediacom event via this ticket. You will need to provide them details such as
  • the number of guests,
  • the schedule,
  • a plan of the events (where will you have the chairs, stands, scene, tables etc..)
  • to create the plan you can check plan epfl. See also the powerpoint template at the end of this procedure.
• Mediacom will provide you a contact of the safety team which will be the person checking everything is all right before the event in terms of safety

For the following you need to ask mediacom event proactively, they can provide you with (if you ask)

• furnitures such as chairs. Note that at SPOT only 25 chairs are available, usually this not enough for big events, you are responsible to check with mediacom events to get additional chairs and to bring them at SPOT (and bring them back after the event) You have the opportunity to avoid to pay ISS service for taking extra chairs. For that, you need to inform Mediacom and contact Mike Steffen to take extra chairs by your team.
• elements to build a scene, same as chairs, where to get them and where to bring them back?
• specific aperitif table, same as chairs
• support for audiovisual requests by putting you in relation with the audiovisual service SAVE. This includes testing the big screen in the atrium and the different microphones for example
• cleaning at the end of your event: It is important to clean the floor before setting up the atrium. For that, you can contact Jean-Charles Del Colle and ask if you can have equipment for cleaning the floor.
• Security during the event. Note that usually a security visit will be done before your event. They will check the electric cables on the floor and request that a 1.2m free way is always free of any obstacles in front of the emergency exits and corridors.
• A contact of ISS, a private company that can help you to set up your event like
  • bring furniture before the event
  • clean the atrium after the event including bringing back the furniture.
  • CAREFUL - this service is quite expensive (around 1500CHF.- per event)

Because the SPOT is a makerspace, it is important to manage prototyping activities (priority of the space) and event related activities. The SPOT team is available to help you with two main things: - How to stop prototyping activities and transform the atrium for your event (while disturbing as less as possible the users of the makerspace): - How to display videos/pictures on the small screens of the SPOT like:

1. the screen at the entrance in front of the info point
2. the vertical screens - the totems
3. for the big screen you need to check with the SAVE (see above) but the MAKE team can provide advices as well (not as detailes as the SAVE)

Here is a typical timeline of what you can check with the SPOT team:

1. Organize a meeting with Julien Delisle and/or Samuel Cotture one week before the event to discuss final details
2. The day of the event
   1. Max 6 hours before the event you can already install the scene in front of the big screen and test the big screen and the microphones with the audiovisual service. Please do not move around workbenches dedicated to prototyping activities at this point. You can already display on the smaller screens what you want and make tests. During test, use the computer and cables (USB-C, HDMI,…) that will be used during your event!
   2. Max 4 hours before the event you can bring the furniture you will need and store it at the entrance of the SPOT. Ask at the info point where to store the furniture (chairs, tables etc..). Keep the emergency exit and corridor clear at any time still do not stop prototyping activities at this point
   3. 90min before the event and with the OK of Julien Delisle/Samuel Cotture or Simon Lütolf (atrium manager), you can stop prototyping activities, move away the workbenches and put in place the chairs, stands an other furniture according to the plan provided to mediacom event
   4. After the event, put back the atrium following the organisational plan displayed on the walls of the atrium. Bring back the borrowed furniture accroding to the info provided by mediacom event. The next morning, prototyping activities should start as the day before

1. Make a retroplanning of your event
2. Make a list of material you will need and proactively ask mediacom to have access to it. If you do not ask for it proactively, you might run into issues
3. If you want, here a powerpoint template that can help you build the plan of your event