Campus Filled With Summer Events, Meetings, Camps

By Warren Smith, University of Denver News and Public Affairs

School may be out for the summer, but campus is still abuzz with activity. DU shifts gears each June, with conferences, summer camps and weddings in the driver's seat.

"We have over 30 groups on campus this summer, from highly academic programs such as Making of an Engineer to informal events such as square dancing for senior citizens," says Melanie Fahrenbruch, director of conferencing and events. "Evans Chapel is very busy each summer-between June and September we have about 35 weddings scheduled."

In addition to five full-time, year-round event managers, the 35-person Conference, Meeting and Event Services summer staff includes live-in residence hall managers who supervise events, conference assistants who staff front desks 24/7 and an operations crew for set-ups.

"We'll have computer camps, football camps, volleyball camps, and cheerleading camps," Fahrenbruch says. Seventy-five participating cheerleaders stayed on campus. "Youth groups prefer Centennial Towers and Halls because they're less expensive and more conducive to adult supervision," Fahrenbruch observes. "Nelson Hall is popular for adult groups that might normally stay in a hotel but want an academic setting."

This summer, DU will host approximately 5,000 people for overnight stays. By the season's end, Fahrenbruch expects to record 15,000 "bed nights" (one person using one bed for one night). Because the conference industry is rebounding nationally, Fahrenbruch expects a 20 percent increase in bed nights this summer.

Many conferences welcome public participation. The International Trumpet Guild, held June 15-19, attracted 1,000 musicians from all over the world to the Newman Center. The Colorado Renewable Energy Conference, held June 25-27 at the College of Law, featured a free, public exhibition of energy-saving products and strategies.

"About half of our summer conferences are created by faculty," Fahrenbruch notes. One hundred of the world's foremost quantum theorists will attend the International Quantum Structures Association conference, hosted by the mathematics department in July. The Graduate School of International Studies will host the Sondermann Summer Seminar on Globalization & Security in early August.

"To help manage events, we've implemented a software program called the Event Business Management System, which measures campus loading and parking volume," Fahrenbruch says. "This year, for the first time, we can look at one computer screen and determine the campus load so we can plan ahead and manage events more effectively."