Dear faculty and staff colleagues,
For the first time since the pandemic began, we are again hosting conferences on campus this summer! Since it has been so long since we have hosted these activities, I write to remind you of what to expect.
You will be seeing groups of adults and youth around campus through the first week of August, as we host 25 conference events this summer. We house conference attendees in residence halls, feed them in the Diner and in catered spaces, and provide indoor and outdoor gathering spaces for their meetings and events.
Director of Events and Catering Phillip Wells, Scheduling and Events Manager Sabrina Shepherd, and an able cohort of ten student staff members within our Event and Catering team are managing our summer conference events. The Info Center in Wheelock Student Center is open and staffed by the conference support team every day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you should encounter a guest who is lost or has a question, please direct them to the Info Center for assistance.
Summer conference events bring value to Puget Sound in many ways, including the following:
- The Diner and Diversions Café are open to the campus community throughout the summer; without conference activity, it would not be cost effective to keep them open.
- Conference events provide additional earnings opportunities for our wonderful Dining staff who are interested in working beyond the academic year.
- Hundreds of youth get exposure to the university, which helps build awareness of Puget Sound and what is has to offer.
- Auxiliary revenue is generated through the use of residence halls, gathering spaces, and dining facilities that would otherwise be underutilized during summer months.
We appreciate and look forward to seeing all of you in the Diner and Diversions Café this summer, and we offer the information below to help you avoid crowds at lunch in the Diner. The following chart lists the number of conference attendees scheduled to have lunch in the Diner each day throughout the conference season. On the days when we have 500 or more for lunch, we recommend you dine with us before 11:30 a.m. or after 1:00 p.m.
Thank you for your support of our conference program and please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Terry
Terry Halvorson | Director of Auxiliary and Business Services