These guides help walk you through some of the most frequently challenging aspects of event logistics. Below you can find helpful tips for handling parking and directions for attendees, selecting vendors and venues, making your events more accessible, mastering the PAR process, and navigating event-related tech.
Parking and directions guide
Nothing sours an event faster than an attendee circling a parking garage ten minutes before it starts. Use this page to give attendees clear parking and arrival instructions for PHHP’s most-used venues.
Note: to reserve parking for your next event, visit the UF TAPS Event Parking Reservations page.
Health Professions, Nursing, Pharmacy Building (HPNP)
Coordinator note: UF parking restrictions are primarily limited to Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If your event occurs on a weekend or outside of typical business hours, adhering to these restrictions may be unnecessary.
- Address: 1225 Center Drive Gainesville, FL 32611 – Click here for Google Maps instructions to the building
- Visitor parking: If you don’t have a valid UF parking permit, you’ll need to pay for parking. Nearby parking garages serve HPNP, each with its own balance of cost and walking distance:
- UF Parking Garage 2 — $20, 5 minute walk to HPNP
- UF Welcome Center Parking Garage — $8, 9 minute walk to HPNP
- UF Parking Garage 13 — $8, 10 minute walk to HPNP
- UF Parking Garage 5 — $8, 11 minute walk to HPNP
- Pay by License Plate: If you’re paying to park, look for a spot marked “Pay by License Plate.”
- Accessible parking: the following accessible parking options for HPNP are listed by proximity to the building. View directions to each parking option via Google Maps by clicking the links below.
- Parking lot east of HPNP — 6 spaces available, 0 minute walk to HPNP
- Center Drive Circle — 1 space available, 0 minute walk to building
- Shepard Broad Building North Parking Lot — 6 spaces available, 4 minute walk to HPNP
- Shepard Broad Building South Parking Lot — 2 spaces available, 4 minute walk to HPNP
- College of Dentistry Surface Lot — 45 spaces available, 7 minute walk to HPNP
UF Clinical and Translational Research Building (CTRB)
- Address: 2004 Mowry Road Gainesville, FL 32603 – Click here for Google Maps instructions to the building
- Visitor parking: If you don’t have a valid UF parking permit, you’ll need to pay for parking. Three nearby garages serve CTRB, each with its own balance of cost and walking distance:
- UF Parking Garage 13 — $8, 0 minute walk to CTRB
- UF Parking Garage 3 — $20, 5 minute walk to CTRB
- UF Parking Garage 5 — $8, 6 minute walk to CTRB
- UF Welcome Center Parking Garage — $8, 11 minute walk to CTRB
- Pay by License Plate: If you’re paying to park, look for a spot marked “Pay by License Plate.”
- Accessible parking: the following accessible parking options for CTRB are listed by proximity to the building. View directions to each parking option via Google Maps by clicking the links below.
- CTRB Driveway Loop – 4 spaces available, 0 minute walk to CTRB
- UF Parking Garage 13 — [TBD] spaces available, 0 minute walk to CTRB
- Physics Building Surface Lot — 4 spaces available, 5 minute talk to CTRB
Requesting parking details from a venue
Coordinator note: Planning an event somewhere not listed above? Send the venue contact this short request to gather everything your attendees need. Before sending: please review each question to ensure the requested info is relevant to your event.
Subject: Parking and arrival details for our event at [Venue Name]
[Insert appropriate greeting],
We’re planning [Event Name] at [Venue Name] on [Day, Month Date], and we’d like to give our guests clear, accurate parking and arrival instructions ahead of time. When you have a moment, could you help us with a few details?
- Where should guests park — a lot, garage, street or designated area?
- Is there a cost to park? If so, how much and how do guests pay (meter, app, attendant or validation)?
- Do guests need a permit, pass or validation? If so, how do they get one?
- Where is accessible parking located, and which entrance is the accessible one?
- What are the best walking directions from the parking area to the event entrance?
- Is there a drop-off or loading area, and anything to know about after-hours access?
- Could you share a map link or the exact address we can pass along to guests?
If you could send these over by [Date], we’ll have time to fold them into our guest communications. Thank you so much — we appreciate your help making the day run smoothly.
[Insert your salutation or identifying information for your department/program/lab/center]
Vendors and venues guide
A working list of vendors and venues other PHHP coordinators have used, organized by type with rough cost tiers so you can budget before you call. It’s a starting point, not an endorsement. Always confirm current pricing and follow UF purchasing rules. For signed contracts or anything over the spending threshold, see the Purchasing and PAR Guide.
Cost tiers are a rough guide, not a quote: $ budget-friendly | $$ mid-range | $$$ premium.
Catering
Click here for a full list of UF-approved Caterers. The following are a list of recommended catering options with which our college has had prior positive experiences.
Full-service caterers
Palm and Pine Catering – $$$
- Type: UF’s own catering operation. Full service, buffet, stationed and plated. Alcohol licensed.
- Good for: Any event where you want the fewest moving parts. Required for certain venues on campus including the Reitz Union Ballrooms.
- Phone: 352-392-3463
- Email: gatorcatering@compass-usa.com
Zen Creative Catering – $$$
- Type: Full-service event catering. Alcohol licensed.
- Good for: Receptions, donor events and evening programs where presentation matters. Downtown location.
- Phone: 321-438-9261
- Email: zencreativecatering@gmail.com
Boxed lunches, platters, bowls and drop-off
Bolay – $$
- Type: Fast-casual build-your-own bowls. Drop-off and pick-up catering.
- Good for: Working lunches and seminars where dietary restrictions are a real constraint.
- Phone: 352-648-5960
- Email: 226@bolay.com
Mi Apa Latin Cafe – $
- Type: Cuban and Latin catering. Also operates a food truck.
- Good for: Student engagement events and outdoor gatherings.
- Phone: 352-376-7020
- Email: manager@miapalatincafe.com
Publix – $
- Type: Deli platters, subs, fruit and vegetable trays, cakes.
- Good for: Small, low-budget gatherings and refreshment tables. Often the cheapest compliant option.
- Phone: 1-833-PCATERS (1-833-722-8377),
- Email: Catering.1312@publix.com
Harvest Thyme Xpress – $$
- Type: Boxed lunches, sandwich and wrap platters, salads and dessert trays. Drop-off and delivery across Alachua County.
- Good for: All-day seminars, trainings and working meetings where you need everyone fed quickly and back in their seats.
- Phone: 386-588-3188
- Email: harvestthymecatering@yahoo.com
Venues – On campus
Emerson Alumni Hall – $
Available only to approved UF colleges, departments and student groups. Rates include event furniture, in-house AV, stage decks and an on-site venue coordinator.
- Reserve: uff.ufl.edu/about/facilities/reservations
- Address: 1938 W. University Avenue, Gainesville
- Phone: 352-392-1691
- View Rental Rates
Harn Museum of Art – $$
Rented by the hour. Gallery access is included when the museum is open to the public.
- Email: rentals@harn.ufl.edu (preferred)
- Phone: 352-294-7079
- Learn More
Reitz Union – $
The most flexible option on campus. More than 50,000 square feet across meeting rooms, ballrooms and outdoor spaces.
- Email: reitzunion@ufsa.ufl.edu
- Reserve: ufl.emscloudservice.com/web (University groups)
- Phone: 352-392-1649
- View Rental Rates
Straughn IFAS Extension Professional Development Center – $
Available to UF and IFAS sponsored events. One large ballroom divisible into three spaces, plus a lobby, outdoor pavilion and a warming kitchen for caterers.
- Email: straughn@ifas.ufl.edu
- Address: 2142 Shealy Drive, Gainesville
- Phone: 352-294-2917
- View Rental Rates
Venues – Off campus
Depot Park – $
City park with rentable pavilions, downtown.
- Capacity: each pavilion holds fewer than 25 people. Rent both for a larger group.
- Address: 874 SE 4th Street, Gainesville (visitor center at 100 SE 10th Avenue)
- Email: depotpark@cityofgainesville.org
- Rates: Pavilion A or B, per pavilion per time block (8 a.m.–noon or 1–5 p.m.): $46.20 Monday–Thursday, $75.34 Friday–Sunday. A 20% non-refundable reservation fee holds the date.
- Booking window: at least 7 days ahead for pavilions; 60 days ahead for special events. Allow 72 hours for a response.
The Historic Depot Building is privately managed and separate from the park. For that space, see thedepotstation.com or contact thetopsecretevents@gmail.com.
Hilton University of Florida Conference Center – $$$
Hotel conference center located on the southwest corner of campus across from the Cultural Plaza. The main draw is that meeting space, catering, AV and sleeping rooms all come from one contract with one contact.
- Address: 1714 SW 34th Street, Gainesville, FL 32607
- Phone: 352-371-3600
- Event inquiries: hilton.com/en/hotels/gvncchf-hilton-university-of-florida-conference-center-gainesville/events
- Rates Available On Request
The Historic Thomas Center – $$
City-owned cultural center in the Duckpond neighborhood. Mediterranean Revival building with the Spanish Court, Long Gallery, period rooms, two small conference rooms for groups under 20, and outdoor gardens.
- Capacity: approximately 175
- Address: 302 NE 6th Avenue, Gainesville
- Phone: 352-393-8539
- Email:tcevents@cityofgainesville.org
- View Rental Rates
Accessibility guide
Accessibility isn’t a box you check at the end — it’s a set of small decisions you make from the moment you pick a venue. Get them right and every attendee can fully take part. Get them wrong and you’ve quietly excluded people, often without realizing it. This guide walks through what to consider before, during and after a PHHP event, plus the standard accommodation language to put in your communications.
Before your event
Venue and physical access
- Confirm step-free access to the room — entrance and the path from parking and restrooms.
- Confirm accessible parking is nearby and note its location in your communications — see Parking and Directions.
- Check that doorways, aisles and any stage or podium are wheelchair accessible.
- Confirm accessible restrooms are on the same floor or clearly signed.
- If seating is fixed, reserve accessible seating with companion seats and don’t fill it until needed.
Materials and communications
- Use a minimum 12-point font — larger for printed signage and slides.
- Use high color contrast — dark text on light backgrounds, never light gray on white.
- Write in plain language and spell out acronyms on first use.
- Add alt text to images in digital materials and avoid conveying information by color alone.
- Include the accommodation request line in every invitation — see the standard language in the detail block below.
Standard accommodation language
- Put this in invitations and registration forms: “If you require an accommodation to participate, please contact [Name] at [email/phone] by [date]. Requests received by this date help us meet your needs.”
- Set the request deadline far enough ahead that you can actually arrange interpreters, captioning or materials — five to seven business days at minimum; more if you are booking interpreters.
During your event
In the room
- Keep aisles and accessible seating clear of bags, cords and clutter.
- Use a microphone even in small rooms — assume someone present needs it.
- Ask presenters to describe key visuals aloud rather than saying “as you can see here.”
- If you committed to captioning or interpretation, confirm it’s working before doors open.
- Microsoft Powerpoint offers a free built-in live captioning feature. Learn more about enabling this feature.
Virtual and hybrid
- Turn on Zoom or Microsoft Teams live captioning for every virtual and hybrid session — it’s built in and requires minimal setup.
- For hybrid events, make sure captions are visible to in-room attendees on a screen or their own device.
- Repeat in-room questions aloud before answering so remote attendees can hear them.
- Share slides or materials in advance so people can follow on their own device.
After your event
Follow-up and improvement
- When you share recordings, confirm captions are accurate — auto-captions may require a quick cleanup.
- Note any access gaps you hit this time and fix them in your next planning cycle.
Purchasing and PAR guide
The purchasing process can be the single greatest source of frustration in event planning. But with a little legwork early on — and a few easy “hacks” — you can minimize the bottlenecks and unexpected headaches, make sure vendors get paid and avoid creating more work than necessary for the fine people in our fiscal department. If you want simple, step-by-step PAR instructions, you’ll find them all at this link: PHHP PAR Instructions. But if you want tips for getting your ducks in a row and avoiding the snags that most commonly trip up events, keep reading.
Get your ducks in a row
Your pre-PAR checklist
- Start early. Even a small purchase needs about a week — two to three business days to approve, two to three to process. Build that in before any vendor or catering deadline.
- Quotes don’t always come quickly. Between requesting a quote, submitting the PAR and receiving approval or a purchase order, securing a service vendor can take three weeks or more — so give anything that needs a quote a real head start.
- Need a contract signed? You should never sign a venue or hotel contract yourself. Those route through UF Procurement for review and signature. This process can take up to 2 weeks, so initiate it as early as you can.
- Gather the details first. Funding source, vendor, item description, quantity, estimated price per unit and a link to the item. Missing information is the top reason a PAR gets kicked back.
- Have your backup ready. Quotes, invoices and receipts can go in up front. You can attach them anytime, but having them ready speeds approval.
- Know your business purpose — Administration, Clinical, Instruction or Research — before you start.
- Flag tech early. Computing devices, software and cloud services route through PHHP IT and may need a risk assessment, so give those a head start.
- Check your access. You need the VPN or a campus-network computer plus GatorLink to reach the PAR. Allow pop-ups, and close the browser fully after you submit or the form locks.
Common headaches
“My guest count keeps changing. How do I PAR catering without a final number?”
Estimate on the high side for the PAR, then confirm your final headcount with the caterer by their deadline. Adjusting an approved amount down is far easier than going over your approved amount.
“Even buying drinks from Publix feels like it takes forever.”
Small purchases run through the same approval path as big ones, so the timing is similar no matter the cost. Plan a week of lead time even for the little stuff, batch small buys into one request where you can, and lean on the Buy Again feature for anything you order regularly.
“Can I just buy it myself and get reimbursed?”
Treat this as a last resort. Reimbursement is slow, not guaranteed and strongly discouraged by PHHP’s fiscal department.
Three rules to live by
Stick to these and most problems will be avoided
- Approve first, buy second. The PAR always comes before the order.
- Never sign a vendor contract yourself. Make sure than all venue and hotel contracts go through UF Procurement.
- A PCard isn’t a shortcut. Always seek approval before using your PCard.
Event tech guide
Good event tech disappears into the background, but when something goes wrong, that’s all anyone talks about. This guide walks through the three tools you’ll use most as a PHHP event coordinator: getting your event listed on the calendar and digital displays to build awareness, then managing the actual event if it’s virtual or hybrid through Zoom. Nothing here is rocket science, but a little planning goes a long way.
Posting to the PHHP event calendar
If you do not have access to post events to the PHHP event calendar or any departmental sub-calendars. Contact a member of your department with appropriate access listed below to submit your event:
PHHP faculty/staff with calendar access
- Alexander Coffman | Physical Therapy; Rehabilitation Science programs
- Amanda Ellington | Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- Andre McFadden II | Epidemiology; Healthstreet
- Andrea Smith | Biostatistics; Clinical and Health Psychology; Department of Health Services Research, Management & Policy; Environmental and Global Health; Epidemiology; Health Science programs; Health Services Research, Management and Policy; Healthstreet; Institute for Driving, Activity, Participation, & Technology (I-DAPT); Master of Public Health; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; Rehabilitation Science programs; Social and Behavioral Science programs; Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- April Oneal | Biostatistics; Clinical and Health Psychology; Department of Health Services Research, Management & Policy; Environmental and Global Health; Epidemiology; Health Science programs; Health Services Research, Management and Policy; Healthstreet; Institute for Driving, Activity, Participation, & Technology (I-DAPT); Master of Public Health; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; Rehabilitation Science programs; Social and Behavioral Science programs; Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- Avery Bollinger | Master of Public Health
- Brenda Krames | Clinical and Health Psychology; Environmental and Global Health
- Brittany Crown | Department of Health Services Research, Management & Policy
- Brittany Gibson | Master of Public Health
- Chris Beatty | Biostatistics; Clinical and Health Psychology; Department of Health Services Research, Management & Policy; Environmental and Global Health; Epidemiology; Health Science programs; Health Services Research, Management and Policy; Healthstreet; Institute for Driving, Activity, Participation, & Technology (I-DAPT); Master of Public Health; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; Rehabilitation Science programs; Social and Behavioral Science programs; Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- Delonda Henderson | Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- Emma McSwain | Biostatistics; Clinical and Health Psychology; Department of Health Services Research, Management & Policy; Environmental and Global Health; Epidemiology; Health Science programs; Health Services Research, Management and Policy; Healthstreet; Institute for Driving, Activity, Participation, & Technology (I-DAPT); Master of Public Health; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; Rehabilitation Science programs; Social and Behavioral Science programs; Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- Erin Ferguson | Environmental and Global Health
- Evan Nipper | Biostatistics; Clinical and Health Psychology; Department of Health Services Research, Management & Policy; Environmental and Global Health; Epidemiology; Health Science programs; Health Services Research, Management and Policy; Healthstreet; Institute for Driving, Activity, Participation, & Technology (I-DAPT); Master of Public Health; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; Rehabilitation Science programs; Social and Behavioral Science programs; Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- Evelyn Segredo | Environmental and Global Health
- Herbert Brooks | Healthstreet
- Jason Rogers | Institute for Driving, Activity, Participation, & Technology (I-DAPT); Occupational Therapy
- Jennifer Moses | Healthstreet
- Jill Pease | Biostatistics; Clinical and Health Psychology; Department of Health Services Research, Management & Policy; Environmental and Global Health; Epidemiology; Health Science programs; Health Services Research, Management and Policy; Healthstreet; Institute for Driving, Activity, Participation, & Technology (I-DAPT); Master of Public Health; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; Rehabilitation Science programs; Social and Behavioral Science programs; Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- Joanna Lawson | Biostatistics; Clinical and Health Psychology; Department of Health Services Research, Management & Policy; Environmental and Global Health; Epidemiology; Health Science programs; Health Services Research, Management and Policy; Healthstreet; Institute for Driving, Activity, Participation, & Technology (I-DAPT); Master of Public Health; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; Rehabilitation Science programs; Social and Behavioral Science programs; Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- Laura Quintana | Rehabilitation Science programs
- Lisa McNeil | Master of Public Health
- Malaysia King | Biostatistics
- Mariah Beard | Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- Mariana Miranda | Biostatistics
- Margaret Odom Renner | Institute for Driving, Activity, Participation, & Technology (I-DAPT); Occupational Therapy
- Melanie Sanders | Biostatistics
- Meredith Hoyt | Environmental and Global Health
- Morgan Marvin | Biostatistics; Clinical and Health Psychology; Department of Health Services Research, Management & Policy; Environmental and Global Health; Epidemiology; Health Science programs; Health Services Research, Management and Policy; Healthstreet; Institute for Driving, Activity, Participation, & Technology (I-DAPT); Master of Public Health; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; Rehabilitation Science programs; Social and Behavioral Science programs; Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- Olivia Ardizzone | Biostatistics; Clinical and Health Psychology; Department of Health Services Research, Management & Policy; Environmental and Global Health; Epidemiology; Health Science programs; Health Services Research, Management and Policy; Healthstreet; Institute for Driving, Activity, Participation, & Technology (I-DAPT); Master of Public Health; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; Rehabilitation Science programs; Social and Behavioral Science programs; Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- Pamela Hess | Institute for Driving, Activity, Participation, & Technology (I-DAPT); Occupational Therapy
- Rebecca Piazza | Institute for Driving, Activity, Participation, & Technology (I-DAPT); Occupational Therapy
- Sam McKee | Biostatistics; Clinical and Health Psychology; Department of Health Services Research, Management & Policy; Environmental and Global Health; Epidemiology; Health Science programs; Health Services Research, Management and Policy; Healthstreet; Institute for Driving, Activity, Participation, & Technology (I-DAPT); Master of Public Health; Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; Rehabilitation Science programs; Social and Behavioral Science programs; Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- Sara Mayo | Department of Health Services Research, Management & Policy
- Sara Russ | Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- Savannah Selph | Clinical and Health Psychology
- Shaneka Goldsmith | Epidemiology; Healthstreet
- Stephanie Warren | Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
- Venice Walker | Epidemiology; Healthstreet
- Victoria Houghton | Environmental and Global Health
Posting to HPNP digital signage
Submit your request using the HPNP Digital Signage request form.
Virtual and hybrid event tech
Review the Webinars and Hybrid Events page for helpful steps to ensure a successful virtual or hybrid event.
Last Reviewed: 7/14/26 | Submit a Revision