Event Manager Guidelines

• All events on University property involving the use of alcohol with underage guests must have an event manager who is trained in the U.Va. Alcohol Risk Management Program.
• The Alcohol Risk Management course is free and available online through Collab. Email case@virginia.edu to be added to the Collab site. Once approved, you will receive an email from Collab with a link to the site. Although most requests are completed within 24 hours, please allow up to 48 hours to be added to the course.
• The Gordie Center for Substance Abuse and Prevention maintains a list of trained individuals who are willing to serve as event managers. The sponsoring organizations must make arrangements with individuals to serve as an event manager. Suggested payment for event managers is $10/hour.
• The event manager's primary duty is to check event guests' identification for proof of legal age and clearly identify individuals who are of legal age by a wristband, hand stamp or other type of highly visible identification as specified in the approved Request for Alcoholic Beverages on University Property form.
• The event manager's secondary duty is to assist the event host in following University policy regarding the service of alcohol. The event manager should alert the event host to any observed policy violations (i.e., entry or exit of persons with beverage containers, lack of non-alcoholic beverages and/or food items, kegs, pony kegs or beer balls in University-owned residence facilities). It is the event host's responsibility to correct any policy violations.
• The event manager is not to drink prior to or while serving as an event manager.
• The host should make her/himself known to the event manager at the begining of the event in order to handle any problems that may arise.

Guidelines for Hosting a Safe Event

• As the event host, you are responsible for taking reasonable steps to enforce and comply with local, Virginia and federal laws and U.Va. regulations governing the use of alcohol.
• Be a good role model for others by modeling the behavior you expect of your guests. Model legal, safe and appropriate behaviors.

If there will be guests under the legal drinking age of 21 present at your event:

• Clearly identify individuals who are of legal age and who possess and/or consume alcohol by a wristband, hand stamp or other type of highly visible identification.
• For a large eent, have an area designated as an alcoholic beverage service and consumption area. Have some type of physcial barrier at which all access and egress is controlled. This may include a partition, a roped area, a separate room, etc. Only individuals of legal age should enter this area, and no alcohol should leave this area. Appropriate signage should be in place.

Beverages

• Serve all drinks to guests rather than having an open bar, especially for liquor. This allows you to monitor guests who may be intoxicated. Remind bartenders that it is illegal to serve anyone who appears intoxicated. Bartenders must be 21 years of age.
• Appoint a beverage manager to be responsible for the supervision of individuals serving beverages and ensuring that beverage servers are in compliance with all laws and University policies.
• Make non-alcoholic beverages available and as accessible as alcoholic beverages. Be imaginative; serve a non-alcoholic drink that goes with the theme of the event.
• If you are serving alcohol, serve lower-alcohol beverages (i.e., beer or wine).

Food

• Make substantial food (i.e., pizza, cheese, meats, bagels, etc.) available and accessible throughout the duration of the event. Always have good when alcohol is served, as it slows the absorption of alcohol.
• Serve foods high in protein (i.e., cheese or meats), which slow the absorption of alcohol.
• Avoid salty foods when possible since it will increase thirst and encourage people to drink more.

Event Management

• Identify at least one person as the event manager to check identification for proof of legal age. See Event Manager Guidelines for more information on the event manager role.
• Create an environment that allows your guests to feel comfortable making low-risk drinking choices, including choosing not to drink.
• The host of an event may have a civil liability if a guest injures her/himself or others as a result of alcohol impairment. Appoint non-drinking drivers if your guests may need a ride home.
• Stop serving alcohol about one hour before you want the event to end. This will help ensure your guests' safety on the way home.
• Do not allow guests to engage in drinking games or to chug drinks. Drunk guests are the primary source of problems.
• If a guest is drinking too much, start a conversation to slow down consumption and offer a non-alcoholic drink or food.
• If someone becomes highly intoxicated, or arrives highly intoxicated, stay with the person and monitor breathing. If you have any concerns about the person's safety, call 911 immediately.

Estimating Alcohol Quantities

As a general rule to promote moderate drinking, provide no more than one drink per person per hour. This is the expectation for University events.

For beer (5% alcohol), the approximate number of standard drinks in:

• Pony keg (7.75 gallons, 12 ounce cups) = 82
• U.S. keg/half barrel (15.5 gallons, 12 ounce cups) = 165

For table wine (12% alcohol), the approximate number of standard drinks in:

• a standard 750-mL (25-oz.) bottle = 5
• a magnum (64 ounces) = 13

For 80-proof spirits, or "hard liquor," the approximate number of standard drinks in:

• a mixed drink = 1 or more*
• a pint (16 oz.) = 11
• a fifth (25 oz.) = 17
• a handle (1.75 L or 59 oz.) = 39

For 100-proof spirits, or "hard liquor," the approximate number of standard drinks in:

• a mixed drink = 1 or more*
• a pint (16 oz.) = 16
• a fifth (25 oz.) = 25
• a handle (1.75 L or 59 oz.) = 49

Note: "It can be difficult to estimate the number of standard drinks in a single mixed drink made with hard liquor. Depending on factors such as the type of spirits and the recipe, a mixed drink can contain from one to three or more standard drinks."
Primary Sources: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Tips/tips.htm and http://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/ToolsResources/DrinkSizeCalculator.asp.

Wristband Procedures

• The Gordie Center for Substance Abuse Prevention provides disposable plastic wristbands to U.Va. student organizations and University departments for the purpose of identifying event patrons who are of legal age to consume alcohol.
• Wristbands are not provided for events where alcohol is not served or events where only individuals who are of the legal age to drink are admitted. The wristbands are not to be used to identify patrons who have paid admission to an event.
• Each U.Va. student organization or University department may request up to 500 free wristbands per academic year (June 1 - May 31).
• When a U.Va. student organization or University department exceeds the annual 500 wristband limit, the group may choose to purchase wristbands at a recovery charge of $0.13 per wristband. Purchases must be made in groups of ten wristbands. To request wristbands and schedule a time for pickup, please contact the Gordie Center at 924-5276 or gordiecenter@virginia.edu.

University of Virginia Policy

• University of Virginia Policy: Use of Alcoholic Beverages and Prohibition of Other Drugs

Event Manager List, 2013-2014