How to SUBMIT A ROOM BOOKING REQUEST

Require on campus space for your Club and Societies’ activity? 

As an ICU affiliated Club and Society, you are empowered by the Imperial student/staff community to book selected spaces for your student-led activity.

ICU offers its Club and Society Committee members the opportunity to make three different request types: ad-hoc, repeat weekly & consecutive.

An ad-hoc room booking is a one-off booking for a single room. We offer ad-hoc room bookings, so you have the space to hold in-person activities and events that fall outside of your regular activity.

A repeat weekly booking is regularly scheduled over multiple weeks (the same space, at the same time slot). We offer repeat weekly room bookings to support regular activity that sits at the core of your Club and Society’s operations.

A consecutive booking is regularly scheduled over multiple and consecutive days (the same space, at the same time slot). We offer consecutive bookings to support multiple day events.

Hosting a fundraiser, a conference, or a show? Planning a meeting, a lecture, or an exhibition? Imperial College Union has lots of different spaces across the Union Building and the College Spaces to help facilitate your Clubs & Societies’ in-person activity or event.

Before you submit a booking request

1. Make sure your activity is approved

Before booking a room, check whether your activity is already covered by your club or society’s core risk assessment.

• If it is covered, you can move on to the booking process.
• If it is not covered, you must complete an Activity Proposal Form first.

This is important because the Union needs a record of your activity and must make sure it has been risk assessed appropriately.

2. Choose a suitable room

Identify the type of space you need before submitting your request.

Think about:

• Expected attendance
• Room layout
• Accessibility needs
• Equipment or facilities required
• Whether the activity is suitable for the space

3. Check availability

You should check the CELCAT live calendar to see whether your chosen room is available.

When checking:

• Search for the room in the calendar
• Confirm the date and time are free
• Make sure there is no existing College or club and society booking in that slot

If the room is already booked, you will need to choose a different room or time.

How to submit a room booking request

Step 1: Confirm the right request type

Decide whether your booking is:

• Ad-hoc
• Repeat weekly
• Consecutive

Choosing the right request type helps the Activities Team process your booking correctly and more efficiently.

Step 2: Complete the booking form

Submit your request through the Committee Admin Request Form.

Make sure you include:

• Your club or society name
• The room you want to book
• The date and time
• The correct booking type
• Any relevant details about your activity

Step 3: Wait for confirmation

Once submitted, the Activities Team will review your request.

• The team aims to process requests within 5 working days
• If approved, you will receive a confirmation email
• If rejected, you will receive an email explaining why

Your confirmation email is your booking record, so keep it for reference.

IMPORTANT

• Ad-hoc booking requests must be submitted at least 5 working days in advance.
• Availability shown on CELCAT is only accurate at the point you check it. Another group may submit a request before you do.
• Do not assume a room is booked until you receive confirmation.
• Club and society bookings must be made through the Union process. You should not arrange bookings separately through departments on behalf of your group.

Booking limits and review

To help manage space fairly, the Activities Team may review high volumes of requests.

For example:

• If your group submits a large number of ad-hoc requests, the team may contact you to clarify your space needs
• If your group submits multiple repeat weekly requests, the team may ask for more information before approving further bookings

This helps make sure available space is being used appropriately across student groups.

Using the space responsibly

When you book a room, your club or society is responsible for how that space is used during the booking period.

You are expected to:

• Leave the room clean and tidy
• Return furniture to its original layout
• Follow any room-specific guidance
• Use the space only for the approved activity
• Respect the Room Booking Terms and Conditions

This matters because the Union’s access to many spaces depends on student groups using them responsibly. Poor room use can affect future access for everyone.

IMPORTANT

If your group repeatedly breaches room booking expectations or terms, your booking privileges may be reviewed or removed.

Cancelling a booking

If you no longer need your room, submit a ticket to the Activities Team as soon as possible.

Cancelling promptly helps:

• Free up space for other groups
• Keep booking records accurate
• Avoid confusion about room use and responsibility

NOTE

A cancelled booking may not disappear from the live calendar immediately, but you should still tell the Activities Team before the booking start time.

Swapping bookings with another group

If two clubs or societies agree to swap room bookings, you should keep written evidence of that agreement between committee members.

You may be asked to provide this to the Activities Team.

This is important because responsibility for the room stays with the group that holds the booking unless there is clear written evidence of a swap.

If you need a space that is not on the usual bookable list

If you want to use a space that is not part of the usual club and society bookable spaces, submit a ticket to the Activities Team.

The team can then check whether that space can be made available and advise on any different booking process.

Need extra support?

Contact the Activities Team if:

• You are not sure which booking type to use
• You cannot find a suitable room
• You need to cancel a confirmed booking
• You need help with a space that is not normally bookable
• You are unsure whether your activity needs additional approval

Next steps

Before submitting your request, make sure you:

• Confirm your activity is approved
• Choose the right booking type
• Check room availability
• Submit the Committee Admin Request Form with the correct details
• Wait for confirmation before advertising or relying on the space

Still have Questions? Check out the rest of our knowledge base articles or submit a ticket to the Activities Team.