Site Visits: Arrange Site Visit Logistics

Audio/Visual (A/V) Planning

• Initial Walkthrough: Schedule a walkthrough with IT services to define A/V requirements. Be aware that these may evolve during rehearsal.
• Dedicated Support: Book IT personnel to assist throughout the event, from setup to breakdown, to manage potential troubleshooting or emergencies.

Contingency Planning

Develop proactive backup plans to address potential disruptions such as room changes, technology failures, catering issues, or speaker absences.

• Preparation: Maintain redundant presentation files (in multiple formats/locations) and backup hardware (laptops, adapters).
  • Make sure to use naming conventions that facilitate file version control across the team.
• Support: Keep contact information for facilities and IT support readily available.
• On-Site Strategy: Designate team members responsible for troubleshooting and rapid decision-making on the day of the visit.

Planning Checklist

• Estimate Headcount: Determine the total number of attendees, including the staff team and all participants.
• Dietary Needs: Collect specific dietary requirements, including Vegan, Vegetarian, Kosher, Gluten-free, and specific food allergies.
• Schedule & Logistics: Define the visit duration, daily start/end times, and verify if the venue requires specific catering services (e.g., Columbia Catering).

Ordering Guidelines

• Timeline: Finalize orders at least one week in advance. Confirm the cut-off time for last-minute changes with your vendor. Individual orders, including celiac-friendly ones, may need to be purchased and delivered the day prior.
• Cost Management: Use group platters to minimize costs.
• Policy Compliance: Federal Agencies restrict per diems for participants; ensure you can provide detailed receipts for reimbursement and that you stay within the per diem rates for each meal.
• Portion Control: Catering services often overestimate quantities. Ordering 20 portions when expecting 30 attendees is often sufficient. However, you should use your discretion to ensure adequate coverage. If there is extra food, students will guarantee it is not wasted. 

Suggested Menu

• Breakfast: Coffee, tea, bagels and pastries, fruit, eggs or yogurt, and water.
• Lunch: Family-style platters (e.g., sandwiches), sides, sodas, and seltzers.
• Snacks: Fruit, cookies, coffee, and tea. Protein-rich snacks options include cheese cubes, yogurts, granola/protein bars and mixed nuts. 

The SVT and federal agency typically request that Columbia provide a hotel room block, and that they book the rooms themselves. The room block will need to adhere to federal per diem guidelines, making it critical to check about hotel blackout dates when confirming site visit dates. If any stakeholders are traveling for the site visit and require reimbursement, have them book their own travel and collect all receipts for reimbursement through Concur. Some recommended hotels:

(Link to HR Visitors' site: visit.columbia.edu/content/accommodations-0)

• The Arthouse — 2178 Broadway, New York, NY 10024; Distance from Morningside Campus: 13 minutes by public transportation
• Hotel Belleclaire — 2175 Broadway, New York, NY 10024/Contact: Drew Pontillo ([email protected]); Distance from Morningside Campus: 15 minutes by public transportation
• The Lucerne — 201 W 79th Street, New York, NY 10024/Contact: Anne Marie Wilson ([email protected]); Distance from Morningside Campus: 12 minutes by public transportation
• The George at Columbia — 412 W 126th St, Harlem, NY 10027/Contact: Folashade Holder-Butts ([email protected]); Lourdes Moreta ([email protected]); Distance from Morningside Campus: 13 minute walk
• Aloft Harlem — 2296 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY 10027/Contact: Malika Franklin ([email protected]), Aymen Smouni ([email protected]); Distance from Morningside Campus: 13 minute walk 

Note: To avoid any potential conflict of interest, it is advisable to make room blocks for the SVT and proposing team members at different hotels.

Assemble a dedicated support team for the site visit. Consider including extra ‘floaters’ to handle issues and unexpected requests.

Key Roles:

• Site Visit Operations Lead: Oversee all site visit logistics and support personnel. Assign and confirm responsibilities, maintain the master schedule and contact list, verify that rooms, technology, catering, transportation, materials, and speakers are ready, and serve as the central point of coordination for emerging issues. Ensure that all operational roles are staffed, informed, and working together throughout the visit.
• Liaison: Escort SVT to campus (Tip: Graduate students are ideal for this role). Where appropriate, coordinate airport or hotel transportation, parking arrangements, building access, and arrival and departure logistics for the Site Visit Team.
• VIP Liaison: Ensure members of campus leadership (e.g., President, Provost, visiting Deans) have what they need and are ready to speak when required.
• Greeter: Welcome incoming guests and participants. Prepare, organize, and distribute agendas, name tags, presentation materials, signage, and other site visit documents. Maintain extra copies and supplies on site.
• Room Lead: Serve as the primary logistical contact for an assigned meeting room. Confirm that speakers, materials, technology, seating, water, and signage are ready before each session. (Tip: Set up the night before Day 1).
• Wrangler: Locate and prep speakers before their presentation. Ensure they are mic’d.
• Crowd Assist: Direct attendees to seats and provide general guidance (Tip: Graduate students are ideal for this role).
• Mic Assist: Manage microphones for speakers and charge them during breaks.
• Timekeeper: Track presentation time and provide speakers with timing cues; confirm in advance that all required hardware and software areavailable and functioning.
• Catering and Facilities Liaison: Coordinate meal and refreshment delivery, confirm dietary restrictions, oversee food set-up and clean-up, and ensure refreshments remain stocked throughout the visit. Coordinate room access, temperature, lighting, furniture, custodial support, deliveries, and any building-related issues that arise during the visit.
• AV/Technology Lead: Test and manage all audiovisual equipment, presentations, virtual meeting platforms, microphones, and internet connections. Remain available to troubleshoot technical issues during sessions.
• Floater: Provide general support as needed (Tip: Student volunteers make excellent runners/floaters).

Some of these roles are required for the duration of the site visit (e.g., Site Visit Operations Lead, AV/Technology Lead), whereas others are only required for a designated portion of the site visit (e.g., VIP Liaison). 

Leading up to the site visit, set expectations by providing information in advance. Ensure all communications include relevant administrative staff. You may use repurposed materials for both the funding agency and the participant team. Send reminders one week and one day prior to the visit.

Access email templates here: Email Templates Folder

Information for the SVT

• Logistics: Share day-of travel and pickup procedures.
  • Note: Ensure the team has what they need upon arrival. Consider confirming check-in status at their hotel or leaving printed materials with your contact information at the hotel front desk. In the past, we have coordinated transportation for the SVT to get to campus. Recently, the federal agencies have not allowed us to coordinate transportation. Instead, we have sent a liaison to the hotel to escort the SVT to campus. 
• Materials: Confirm if they require printed copies of slides or other documents at the site visit.
• Accommodations: Ask if they have any specific accommodation needs.
• Support: Provide emergency and primary points of contact.
• Attachments: Include the final agenda and presentation slides.

Information for the PI Team

• Site Visit Expectations: Outline the agenda and objectives for the site visit.
• Logistics: Confirm call times and venue check-in procedures.
• Dress Code: Specify the expected attire (e.g., business casual).
• Accommodations: Ask if they have any specific accommodation needs.
• Support: Provide emergency and primary points of contact.
• Attachments: Include the final agenda and presentation slides.

One week prior to the site visit, finalize details and reconfirm protocols with your team. Ensure the following actions are completed:

• Documentation & Materials: Distribute slides and requested documents to the Site Visit Team. Print all necessary items, including agendas, run sheets, briefing booklets, name tents, and university commitments.
• Logistics & Space: Confirm catering, space setup with event managers, and vendor arrangements (e.g., transportation, technology).
• Access & Facilities: Verify building access for all necessary personnel. Consult with facilities regarding potential disruptions like fire drills or construction that may affect your room or route.
• Communication: Send reminder emails with attachments one week out and again the day before.
• Contingency Planning: Develop backup plans for potential issues such as technology failures, last-minute cancellations, or schedule changes. Maintain backup presenters and staff in case of illness.
• Supply Management: Deliver necessary supplies to the site if permitted.

The Run Sheet serves as the master operational document for the site visit. Unlike the attendee agenda, it provides a detailed, minute-by-minute account of the visit, including presentation logistics, staff assignments, technical requirements, and cues. hink of it as the “Julia Child” version of the agenda: every step is documented so that those coordinating and executing can anticipate what should happen, when it should happen, and who is responsible.. The Run Sheet may include:

• Start and end times 
• Duration
• Session or presentation title
• Session objective or activity
• Presenter(s) and participant(s)
• Staff assignments and responsibilities
• Room or location
• AV and technology requirements
• Materials or supplies needed
• Speaker preparation and microphone requirements
• Timing, transition, and presentation cues
• Catering or refreshment details
• Transportation or movement between locations
• Contingency notes and special instructions
•  

Link to template: Template Site Visit Planning Worksheet (xlsx)

Utilize formatting such as colors and fonts to differentiate information and make it easier to follow.

Pre-Check List

• List all to-dos before the start of the site visit.
• Include items regarding set-up and sound check.

Day-of Staffing

• Assemble an admin/staff team that is large enough to handle unexpected challenges. 
• Extra hands are helpful for forgotten items (e.g., scissors), escorting the SVT, or printing extra documents.

Note: the above describes a physical site visit. Virtual or hybrid site visits require alterations.