Venues · Sound and setup

FIU Graham Center: AV coordination and event setup

At Graham Center, booking a room and hiring an audiovisual system need to be coordinated. Before committing to an LED wall, sound, lighting or cameras, define what FIU supplies, what your vendor may supply and who will operate each system.

Campus, room and responsibilities

Graham University Center (GC) is on Florida International University’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus, at 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199. FIU’s campus plan places MMC in unincorporated Miami-Dade. A Miami mailing address does not place it within the City of Miami.

Graham Center manages university and private events, including conferences, fairs, performances and celebrations. Identify the ballrooms and bays being booked, or the specific room. General Student Centers conditions also cover Wolfe Center, but capacities and services do not carry over between campuses.

Campus, room and responsibilities
Requirement type	Responsibility to clarify
Institution and venue	The Event Planning Office confirms the space, use, schedule and terms. Identify the actual customer; a booking cannot disguise another entity’s use of the space.
Authority and permits	FIU Building Code Administration and EH&S are involved as applicable to the setup. Confirm other authorities and permits; a room booking does not replace those approvals.
Contract and in-house service	GC A/V Media operates its own equipment. Agree separately on outside systems and connection points.
Organizer	Defines the activity, attendance and vendors and follows event requirements. Renting the venue does not make FIU the promoter.
Technical recommendation	Prepare a combined plan of audience, stage, equipment, routes and operator positions before choosing quantities.

References and documented scope: Student Centers · Terms and Conditions (PDF) · FIU Calendar · Graham University Center · FIU Campus Master Plan · Inventory and Analysis · External Customers · Terms and Conditions, 05/13/2021 (PDF) ·

In-house equipment, outside vendors and sound

Request AV services when booking the space and separate room rental from equipment and labor costs. For outside customers, the GC page states that AV equipment, personnel and other services may cost extra. Setup and breakdown also count toward billable weekend technician hours.

For a combined system, agree who supplies audio and video feeds, who adjusts the house system, who operates outside equipment and when testing takes place. These sources do not publish connection protocols, available models or general permission to take control of the installed system.

Sound must not interfere with offices, services or other events; Student Centers may require reduced volume or an end to amplification. Indoor promotional tables have a separate rule: amplified sound is prohibited. A table reservation is not a substitute for a room booking. No configuration-specific decibel limit is published here.

References and documented scope: Graham Center · Host Your Event · Student Centers · Terms and Conditions (PDF) ·

LED, structures, stages and power

The rental sources do not publish a rigging-point schedule, point-load ratings, concentrated floor-load limits or available power by room. A ground-supported screen, truss, stage or lighting fixture needs review as a complete setup: weight, support, power demand, loading route and position relative to the audience.

Student Centers rules require stage guardrails and prohibit attaching decorations to ceiling tiles, grids, painted surfaces, acoustic panels, screens or furniture. This restriction does not identify approved technical hanging points. Keep exits and accessible routes clear; the layout changes room capacity.

LED, structures, stages and power
System	What to submit and what to confirm
LED, truss, lighting or signage	Dimensions, complete weights, supports, ballast and proposed setup. Obtain venue approval and verified capacities before hanging or placing loads.
Temporary power	Power-demand list, voltage, phases, connectors and cable routes. Confirm available circuits, protection, distribution and who connects, inspects and disconnects.
Temporary structure	Layout, accessibility, egress and applicable structural/electrical documents. Ask FIU Building Code Administration whether a permit is required and which document version it accepts.

The temporary-structures form linked by FIU cites FBC 2020, 7th Edition. It requests drawings, licenses, insurance and structural inspection where applicable. Use it to identify documents to discuss, not to establish the current code edition or an automatic exemption for a small setup.

References and documented scope: Student Centers · Terms and Conditions (PDF) · FIU · Temporary Structures, FBC 2020 form (PDF) · FIU Central Reservations · Setups and Layouts ·

Haze, lasers and pyrotechnics need different reviews

FIU EH&S requires Fire Prevention approval and a permit for fireworks or pyrotechnics. External-customer terms also call for coordination with FIU Police and a local fire department permit. Ask FIU to identify the applicable authority and process for the project; a room booking does not establish approval.

Candles require a specific permit. That process does not authorize haze, theatrical smoke or pyrotechnics. For haze or smoke, submit the machine, fluid, location and cue sequence; request venue and EH&S review of detection, tests, staffing and conditions. These sources provide no Graham Center-specific process or fire-watch rate.

FIU’s Laser Safety program is written for academic, research and clinical uses. It identifies EH&S and the Laser Safety Officer but does not establish that a laser show is allowed at GC. Ask how the proposed equipment and use will be handled; laboratory approval does not extend to a show.

References and documented scope: External Customers · Terms and Conditions, 05/13/2021 (PDF) · FIU EH&S · Fire Guidelines and Permits · FIU EH&S · Laser Safety ·

Access, schedules and attendees

Graham Center’s offer for external customers specifies Saturdays and Sundays, with Sunday events ending no later than 22:00. Confirm access, testing, rehearsal, event and load-out hours in writing. The AV department’s usual hours are not a booking or a guarantee of technician availability.

The GC coordinator arranges the loading/unloading permit. The page allows an identified catering vehicle to remain at the dock; do not extend that exception to an AV truck. Specify where each vehicle unloads, waits and parks. Dock, door and route dimensions are not published in these sources.

For events with minors, Central Reservations asks organizers to declare this in EMS to trigger the relevant form; bookings outside EMS follow a separate registration path. Hiring AV does not fulfill this requirement. Declare alcohol when booking: GC requires approval and FIU Police presence during service, with staffing determined by the university.

When adding recording or streaming, agree on image use and necessary releases. External terms restrict filming students, faculty and staff without written releases and regulate FIU branding. Being able to connect a camera does not settle those permissions.

References and documented scope: Graham Center · Host Your Event · External Customers · Terms and Conditions, 05/13/2021 (PDF) · FIU Central Reservations · Regulations and Policies ·

What to confirm before booking vendors and changing the plan

Documents linked by FIU differ. Keep the terms attached to your confirmation and ask the coordinator to clarify the following points in writing before paying or finalizing vendors.

What to confirm before booking vendors and changing the plan
Item	Published difference or condition	Action
Initial deposit	The GC page requires 1/3 within 7 business days; external terms dated 05/13/2021 specify 30% within 5 business days of the estimate.	Confirm the percentage, deadline, amount and governing document. Do not treat 1/3 and 30% as equivalent.
Insurance	External terms specify USD 500 000 for damage to rented premises; the sample certificate shows USD 300 000 in that field.	Request current requirements, endorsements, additional insureds and coverage for customer and vendors. The sample is neither a policy nor evidence of acceptance.
Balance and cancellation	The GC page requires the balance 90 days ahead. External terms require full payment at booking when fewer than 90 days remain and distinguish room and service refunds.	Obtain the applicable payment schedule and cancellation terms; do not combine deadlines from different documents.

For change control, resubmit the plan and scope if the room, attendance, structures, power, effects, schedule or vendors change. Identify the revision and its costs. External terms call for written amendments executed by the parties; sending a message does not establish acceptance.

The downloadable worksheet collects decisions and open items. It is not an FIU reservation, permit or form. Keep the confirmation, accepted plans, insurance, assigned responsibilities and replies before setup; arrange load-out and restoration of the space.

References and documented scope: Graham Center · Host Your Event · External Customers · Terms and Conditions, 05/13/2021 (PDF) · FIU · Renter Certificate of Insurance Sample (PDF) ·

Frequently asked questions

Can my technician operate FIU’s console or equipment?

GC A/V Media equipment is operated only by that department. To combine systems, agree on feeds, connections, tests and responsibilities; bringing your own equipment does not authorize control of the house system.

Can I hang a screen or lighting from the ceiling?

The rental sources publish no authorized points or load ratings. Submit the complete setup and request technical confirmation. Ceiling grids and decorative elements are not approved hanging points by default.

Does a table reservation allow speakers?

Student Centers rules prohibit amplification at indoor tables. A room event has different sound and coexistence conditions and must be booked and approved accordingly.

Are the sample insurance certificate and website deposit enough to book?

Not without clarifying the differences. FIU publishes different figures for the deposit and damage to rented premises. Request the terms applicable to your confirmation and acceptance of your documents.

Official documentation

The external-customer terms are dated 05/13/2021, and the structures form cites FBC 2020. Confirm the versions accepted for your event. General requirements do not replace the room terms or setup approval.