Setting Up UCE Meetings & Events

Virtual Gatherings

Many of our UCE groups are meeting virtually. UCE ministers and staff are here to help you set up a digital meeting or event. Check out the virtual meeting resource page to find out ways to host a digital meeting. All UCE virtual events can be added to the UCE calendar. If you are interested in having your virtual events featured on the calendar, please contact the office at 847-864-1330 or email admin@ucevanston.org.

Plan a Virtual Meeting!

In-person & Multi-platform Gatherings

The UCE building is host to many types of gatherings throughout the year. If you would like to hold a group meeting or event on UCE grounds, please refer to the UCE’s building use guidelines before contacting the office. In order to help these events go smoothly, please be in contact with UCE staff and follow the tips below.

If you are a representative of an outside group that would like to rent UCE’s space or a UCE member that would like to plan a personal event at UCE, please refer to the Rental Information.

One of the first steps is to submit a Room and Publicity Request Form. The form provides UCE staff with lots of necessary information, including set up/clean up times, set up and AV needs, childcare needs, and publicity requests. Once this form is submitted and confirmed by staff, your event will be viewable on UCE’s calendar.

Feel free to contact the office for any questions about using a UCE space at 847-864-1330 or by emailing the Office Administrator at admin@ucevanston.org.

Submit a Room and Publicity Request Form

Learn more about the Room and Publicity Request Form

Any reservations made over the phone will not be official until a form has been received. Reservations requested over email will be added to the calendar, but the requester will be asked to submit a form as well. If there are any issues with room reservations, contact the Communications Coordinator at admin@ucevanston.org.

Reservations must be made at least 3 days prior to your meeting date to ensure that your group has a room on the desired date. We request that reservations are made at least 2 weeks in advance for special set-up or childcare needs. We will try and accommodate requests made with less than 3 days notice, but we cannot promise space will be available. Set up requests received on the day of are not guaranteed.

Childcare takes some time to arrange, so please plan accordingly. At least two providers (at least one 18+ years old) must be present for childcare. If you have any questions about childcare for UCE sponsored events, contact the Congregational Life Assistant at agough@ucevanston.org.

Any meetings or events on the calendar without a completed form on file will not receive any special set up requests. The rooms will have a standard set up or the arrangement from the previous meeting.

Building Use Guidelines

UCE is open Monday through Friday from 10:00am-4:00pm, and on Sundays from 8:30am-1:00pm. The office may close to accommodate staff attendance at evening or weekend events. It is therefore advisable to call ahead to make sure the office is open when you arrive.

Arrangements can be made to have the building be open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings for meetings and events, as well as some Friday evenings and Saturdays for special meetings and events. Times vary. Please check the online calendar to verify when the building is open. If you wish to have an in-person or multi-platform meeting at UCE, fill out the Room and Publicity Request Form.

The building is not available to congregants for personal use. During rentals and private events, or when lobby staff is not present, remaining in the lobby or other areas of the building cannot be accommodated. Members and friends may be politely asked to leave during these times.

For safety, congregants are not to be in the building without staff present, unless prior arrangements have been made with the office. Staff are also discouraged from being in the building alone.

AV Capabilities

UCE has an array of AV resources to help enhance your event and help you be heard.

Sanctuary

Projector: Please bring media on a flash drive or in an online format so it can be displayed using the Sanctuary computer.
Full sound system, capable of running concerts, receptions, dances. Technician required.
Up to 2 wireless handheld microphones.
Up to 5 wired microphones.
Availability of stage monitors situational.
Can connect mobile phone or computer via 3.5mm Aux cable (standard headphone jack).
Computer capable of running PowerPoint, DVDs, videos, or music.
Livestreaming equipment is available for streaming your event to Youtube or Zoom or for recording video. Technician required.

Room 2

No A/V equipment. You can bring in the equipment cart from Room 3 & use the TV monitor on the cart if it is available. Or, to project onto the wall, you will need to request a projector from Adam Gough.

Room 3 (Zoom capable) (all purpose room in which food may be served)

Has a desktop computer with wireless mouse & keyboard; TV; Projector & screen; and NEAT Bar & Sound Bar with Mic and Camera.
Personal computers do not plug into the Room 3 system. Media for presentations should be brought in an online format or on a flash drive, or you may connect your personal computer wirelessly through the NEAT Bar.
Overhead speaker, connects via XLR or 3.5mm Aux cable (standard headphone jack).
Up to 2 wired microphones.
1 wireless handheld microphone available.
Piano.
Computer capable of running PowerPoint, DVDs, videos, or music.

Room 5 (Art Room)

No AV equipment

Room 6 (Zoom Capable) (library and adult faith formation room)

Has laptop; Projector & screen; TV; and NEAT Bar & Sound Bar with Mic and Camera.
Personal computers do not plug into the Room 6 system. Media for presentations should be brought in an online format or on a flash drive, or you may connect your personal computer wirelessly through the NEAT Bar.
Laptop capable of running PowerPoint, videos, or music.
DVD Player for playing DVDs.

Room 7

Has a wall-mounted TV with HDMI cable.

Room 8 (presentation capable) (junior high classroom)

Has a TV capable of using Chromecast for displaying media wirelessly. Request Chromecast plug in device from David Carling. Will need to use your personal laptop or request a laptop from Adam Gough.

Room 9 (pre-K child care room)

No A/V equipment.

Room 10 (children’s classroom)

Has a wall-mounted TV with HDMI cable.

Room 11 (nursery)

No A/V equipment.

Room 12 (presentation capable) (adult faith formation classroom)

Has a TV capable of using Chromecast for displaying media wirelessly. Request Chromecast plug in device from David Carling. Will need to use your personal laptop or request a laptop from Adam Gough.

Room 13 (presentation-capable) (youth group room)

Projector screen, projector can be set up upon request. Will need to use your personal laptop or request a laptop from Adam Gough.

Other

For events on the lawn or not in a Room with AV microphone support, there is a rolling PA available.
100 hours battery life
Compatible with 1 wireless or 1 wired handheld microphone
3.5 mm aux jack (standard headphone jack) to connect device for music.
1/4″ audio jack for one audio device (mic-level input).

For more information, check out the Communications Guidelines or contact Tori Foreman, Office Administrator, by email at admin@ucevanston.org.

Publicity

How to get your message to the UCE Community

Online options:

UCE Newsletter (members+ as our newsletter is sent to more individuals than just our members)
REALM email (members only)
UCE Member-to-Member Facebook page (members only)
UCE Congregational Facebook page & UCE Social Justice Facebook page (public)
UCE Instagram (public)
Sunday Morning/Lobby Slideshow (public)
UCE Website (public; needs to be approved by one of the ministers)
Press Release (public; needs to be approved by senior minister)

In-person options, please work with the Office Adminstrator to coordinate these:

Program Table during Kinship Time (11:30am-12:30pm) on Sunday morning. Process is to email admin@ucevanston.org. We will confirm there are tables available and then your team will staff the table. If there is space, we will confirm with you. There are 2 tables available (2 team/group per table) each Sunday.
Flyers/Posters (maximum size 8.5”x14”). There are 3 bulletin boards at UCE where you may post information about an event or program. Please take flyers/posters down after the event.
Community Events bulletin board in the wing by room 3;
Bulletin board downstairs between rooms 5 & 6; and
Bulletin board downstairs facing the tunnel door.
Easels with large posters in the lobby are not available for most events. They are reserved for congregation wide information, so large posters need to be approved by the Executive Team.
If approved, the office printer is available to print posters the size of 13″x19″ and we have poster board to which we can affix these print outs.
Brochure to live in the vestibule or on the side of the Welcome Center in the lobby. Process is to send Rev. Susan Frances at sfrances@ucevanston.org with the brochure and she’ll assist you with finding a location for your brochure. Brochures are for UCE and UU organizations only. Multi-platform option, please email information to Rev. Eileen Wiviott at ewiviott@ucevanston.org:
Sunday morning announcement (public). The announcement must be sent to Rev. Eileen by 9:00 pm on the Friday before the Sunday announcement is requested to be made.

Newsletter Articles

With the current software UCE is using, we are able to tell how many people open the newsletter and how many people click into the “read more” buttons in the articles. Most people read what is in the preview part of the newsletter than click into the “read more” buttons. With this information, we have a few tips for teams putting information into the newsletter.

Have an image to go with your article. Plain text articles do not get as much read time.
Have a title. In the title for the article, put the applicable date(s).
In the body of the article, put the who, what, when, and where within the first 150 words. Meaning, put what you want them to do (attend an event, submit feedback, donate something) and the deadline date upfront. Put the explanation of the why and how after that as it will likely end up being in the “read more” part of the article.
If you list a contact person, please list how to contact them. Since the newsletter is posted to the UCE website and becomes publicly searchable, we recommend that you put the following contact information: Contact [insert name] through REALM or at admin@ucevanston.org.
The submission deadline is Wednesday at noon for articles for the Friday newsletter.

For more information, check out the Communications Guidelines or contact Tori Foreman, Office Administrator, by email at admin@ucevanston.org.