Event compliance

The nature of some events means the organiser and/or the University will have some legal or regulatory responsibilities. This page gives you the essential information you’ll need to run an event, including guidance on things to consider and direction to support services should you need them.

All non-teaching activities and events held on campus must be both appropriate and compliant. These terms are defined in the Event Management Policy and explain the requirement, amongst other things, that all events must not present a reputational risk to the University and must adhere to all relevant legislation / licensing / regulatory obligations plus University policy and guideline requirements.

It is highly recommended you review the Event Management Policy below to ensure your intended event is appropriate to be held on campus.

It’s great to hold events on campus, and successful events require suitable planning. You’ll need to consider things like risk assessments, health and safety and whether your event will include the provision of food or alcohol. The good news is there are tools and support available for you.

The Event Management Policy (above) contains useful links to the Event Management Procedures and Event Management Guidelines, which provide some great information to help you plan and organise your event.

To ensure your event is compliant, you’ll need to complete an Event Notification Form. It’s a quick but essential step, to help capture some summary information about your event, so that relevant advice can be given to you, where necessary.

To help you plan a safe event, the University has also developed an Event Health & Safety Checklist and Risk Banding Methodology for applying pragmatic health and safety risk management to events. See links below: 

The University has a team to help you plan a compliant event. The Event Co-ordination Group (ECG) is a cross-functional team of University stakeholders, who are tasked to support event organisers to ensure their event is compliant with legislation, regulations and University policy.

The ECG meets every fortnight to review submitted Event Notification Forms. The ECG discusses each proposed event and will liaise with the event organiser to provide guidance, or seek additional information as required. 

If you are a staff member and are looking to book a caterer, please check the Catering and Hospitality page on the staff intranet for information on approved and preferred suppliers.

If you are looking to organise a BBQ, book a Food Truck, order Pizza, hold a bakesale or other catering options, please visit the Food compliance and safety page for further guidance.

The University of Auckland is not a licensed premise. Alcohol may only be served at University events in accordance with legal requirements and University policy.

All alcohol service must be managed by approved or preferred caterers holding a valid liquor licence, and only inconjunction with the provision of food. This ensures compliance with the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 and University guidelines.

Staff, students and clubs must obtain written approval from the Registrar or a nominated representative for any event where alcohol will be served. Consent is granted on a per-event basis. Alcohol guidelines can be found in the Events Management Policy.

If you require to book a Venue Duty Manager or an ECO for your event, please read the document below.

Wine supplier

The University’s preferred supplier for wine is Goldie Estate, the University’s own vineyard. Goldie Estate wine is recommended for all University events where wine is served. Using the preferred supplier ensures consistent quality and alignment with University sustainability and sourcing standards.Staff, students and clubs are encouraged to discuss event wine requirements with caterers and confirm quantities in advance.