McMaster Student Clubs

McMaster Conference & Event Services (CES) and The Office of the Registrar are delighted to introduce a new self-serve room booking portal for our Campus Student Groups!

Moving to an online portal will enhance the student group experience by offering a seamless and user-friendly interface with live availability to instantly find available rooms that best suit your meeting or event.

Simply log in with your club admin MacID for ratified student groups, or MacID for student groups that are not ratified (Note: you must be on the McMaster network, or be using the McMaster VPN to access the portal).

Term	2025/2026 Reservation Range	Portal Access Date
Term 1	September 11 – December 4, 2025	September 11, 2025
Term 1 Exams	December 6 – December 16, 2025	October 31, 2025
Term 2	January 14 – April 7, 2026	January 14, 2026
Term 2 Exams	April 9 – April 30, 2026	Bookings Closed
Term 3	May 1 – September 1, 2026	Mid-March/April, 2026

December Exam Season Booking Update

The exam schedule has been finalized, and bookings are now open for December 4 to 23, 2025.

Please note that the self-service option is unavailable during this period. All bookings must be submitted as requests. We appreciate your patience, as approvals may take up to 3 business days.

While the booking portal remains open during the exam season, events that may be noisy or disruptive to the exam environment will be declined or relocated to an alternate space.

University Policies

All events must comply with University policies, specifically the Policy on the Use of University Facilities for Non-Academic Purposes (PUFNAP) and the Policy on Student Groups, which mandate a Certificate of Insurance is secured for external groups and may involve space rental fees based on the type of event.

PUFNAP governs the utilization of university facilities for non-academic activities. It outlines the procedures, responsibilities, and criteria for requesting and approving such use, ensuring that activities align with the university’s mission and values while prioritizing academic needs. The policy also addresses fees, insurance requirements, safety protocols, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations, fostering a transparent and fair process for accessing university facilities for non-academic purposes.

Ratified Student Clubs

Club admins can reserve up to 2 bookings per week, or 5 hours a week through this convenient system. A group can hold a maximum of 2 simultaneous bookings at one time, and all events require an approved event code to reserve a space.

To request an event code please log into the Student Event Portal site.

Non-Ratified Clubs

Non-ratified student group admins can request spaces based on availability outside of Ratified Club reservations, with requests reviewed before approval.

Non-ratified student groups, clubs, or societies are classified as ‘external’ groups and must adhere to the same requirements as other external groups, including rental fees, contract terms and conditions, and Certificate of Insurance requirements. To request a Certificate of Insurance please visit the Enterprise Risk Management website. 

Planning Notes 

• Classroom A/V: It is the responsibility of the event planner to source in-room AV codes by contacting Campus Classroom Technologies (CCT) by email at cct@mcmaster.ca, or Ext 22761, Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Fall and Winter term hours). 
• Set-Up & Furniture: All spaces provided include the existing in-room setup and furniture only. Same-day and weekend reservations confirmed after Thursday of the same week will be made available in current condition, and may require some tidying by the group.  
• Rentals: if you require additional tables, linens, or chairs, these items can be rented for an additional fee. To ensure availability please submit your rental order at least 14 business days before your event.  
• Visit the Complete Rent-Alls Website to explore options and pricing and contact rentals@mcmaster.ca to place your order through McMaster Conference & Event Services (CES). All rentals are an additional cost. 
• Guest Speakers & Vendors: if your club or group will be inviting a guest speaker, employer, vendor, or external party they must provide a Certificate of Insurance for their activity or event to ensure coverage. The Certificate of Insurance should be forwarded to meet@mcmaster.ca prior to your event. For assistance please connect with the Enterprise Risk Management office. They can be contacted at entrisk@mcmaster.ca. 
• Admission Fees: As per PUFNAP, fees are applied when there is an event fee collected that is unrelated to fundraising purposes.
• Chartfield and Billing Information: A Chartfield number and/or billing information are required for payment. Any costs associated with damages to the space or equipment are the responsibility of the user. 

Note: you must be on the McMaster network, or be using the McMaster VPN to access the portal below.

Food & Beverage

Do you intend to have food at your event? Please review the Student Group Food & Beverage Guidelines and the McMaster Food & Beverage Policy. 

Permission for external food (food trucks, handing out pre-packaged, shelf stable snacks, etc.) must be received in writing from McMaster Catering Services prior to your event. Please submit a detailed request to studenteventscatering@mcmaster.ca for review.  

If you will be placing an order for catering through McMaster Hospitality Services please ensure you place your order a minimum of 10 business days prior to your event. Please visit the Hospitality Services website to review menus and place your order via e-mail to catering@mcmaster.ca.  

Lobbies and Hallways

These spaces are not available for booking and must remain clear at all times to prevent pedestrian traffic congestion and to comply with fire safety regulations. This policy is outlined on Page 6 of the Use of University Facilities for Non-Academic Purposes guidelines. Non-academic bookings include any classroom/lecture theatre reservation not booked by the Office of the Registrar for the academic schedule.  

To ensure the safety of everyone on campus, we kindly encourage organizers to plan for events to remain inside classrooms and lecture theatres. 

Field Requests

Green space on campus may be reserved by student groups May until the end of November, based on field conditions. A rental fee of $226/day will apply for any event charging an admission fee. If your event is free to attend, or all funds raised are donated to a charity or a non-MSU-affiliated group, we’re happy to waive the rental fee.

Tabling

Requests for specific tabling events (bake sales, information booth, etc.) can be directed through the McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC) which has designated tables and procedures for these types of events. Please visit their website for more information: https://muscmcmaster.ca/reservations/