'I think it's just bizarre': Student organizations discuss on-campus event pricing

Prices for student organizations to rent the Auditorium and the Great Hall in the Student Union have been impacted by a tiered pricing system that was implemented in 2023, used in response to growing demands for space reservations.

The Carolina Union website states that the system bases rental rates on factors including the number of attendees and the duration of the reservation. The Union also offers discounted prices to University departments and student groups.

UNC Media Relations wrote in a statement to The Daily Tar Heel that the shift aims to accommodate demand, simplify budgeting and make event planning easier for students and external organizations. 

Robert Le, a junior and the president of UNC’s Vietnamese Student Association, said he has been working with the Union for three years. He said that VSA rents out the Great Hall for larger events, such as its annual charity gala and Viet Nite, the association's annual cultural event. 

Hosting an event at the Union costs between $950 to $1,550 for student groups to rent for a full day. However, Le said the cost of organizing events at the Union consists of more than renting the space.

“Including the cost for tables and the cloth and the rooms and cleaning, it adds up to $2,000, and I think it's just bizarre,” he said. 

Media Relations wrote that the price for reserving a venue has included staffing fees since 2023, with the Union's website saying that rentals for cocktail tables, table cloths, stage lighting and extra equipment add to the tally of additional costs. Other additional fees include after-hours rental for event setup and teardown. Event hours last from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and holding an event outside these hours incurs an additional charge determined by the Union. 

Le said that rental rates have caused some student groups to face funding challenges, so organizations like VSA seek more sponsorships. VSA partners with the Carolina Asia Center to help pay for venues, he said.

The Union's pricing system also includes the option to rent spaces out for half a day. While Le said it is nice to see the Union try to reduce costs by having a part-time rental option, some groups need to reserve the venue for an entire day at a lower rate. 

“Typically for us, we want the whole day for the time to set up, time for the performers to practice, and then the other half is the actual event,” he said.

Despite the prices, many student organizations still earn profits from events held at the Union. Le said that VSA makes about $2,000 from Viet Nite and about $1,000 annually from their charity galas. 

Cadence, the University's femme-presenting a cappella group, reserves the Auditorium for their bi-annual concert every semester. Kate Dyson, Cadence's business manager, said that the spring 2024 concert hosted over 200 attendees.

“The space was a perfect area for us to be performing in. It was a space that we wanted to perform in,” Dyson said. 

Dyson, a junior at UNC, estimated that Cadence spends around $700 a semester, not including other event costs, to perform in the Auditorium for half a day. Their concerts are among the many student-led performances held at the Student Union; other events include the Tarpeggios' fall concert, Sangam's UNC Garba and Zeta Tau Alpha's Big Man on Campus philanthropy show. 

The Student Union is still home to a number of smaller rooms and rehearsal spaces that are free to students. The University's Undergraduate Senate continues to work with student organizations to help fund their events.

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