Submitting Events

Event guidelines
How to submit an event
Approval process and criteria
Event listing best practices
Event photo guidelines
Where your event will be displayed

Event guidelines

What qualifies as an event?
Not everything qualifies as an “event” — after all, we don’t want a weekly staff meeting showing up right next to a Visions and Voices concert. Here’s a quick guide to what does (and doesn’t) belong on the USC Event Calendar.

  • Physical component
    An event must include a face-to-face, real-time component. Otherwise, use a shareable calendar like Outlook or Google Calendar.
    Not allowed: religious holidays, project milestones, deadlines, and pre-taped webinars (live webinars are allowed).
  • Access
    Events must be open to at least a subset of the USC community. Both free and ticketed events are allowed.
  • Location
    Events should take place on or near one of USC’s campuses. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  • Student club/activity events
    Student clubs and organizations can submit event announcements to the bulletin board service in MyUSC and advertise in Engage SC. For select marquee events (such as a gala or large-scale event), students may submit via the public event form. These events will be evaluated and published on a case-by-case basis.

How to submit an event

Before you start: Is your event venue properly booked?
The USC Event Calendar is not a venue reservation system. Before submitting your event Before submitting your event, confirm that your venue is reserved through the appropriate administrative unit responsible for the facility (where applicable). All events and gatherings must also apply for and receive a USC event permit before submitting an event with a venue. For details, visit the Events and Activities page on the We Are SC website.

Anyone with a USC email address (your USC NetID) can submit events for publication approval to the main calendar calendar.usc.edu.

  1. Fill out the public event submission form, following best practices to ensure your event details are clear and accurate.
  2. Wait for approval and publication.
SUBMIT AN EVENT

Approval process and criteria

Approval process

  • If you specify a department, the event admin for that department will review and approve your submission.
  • If no department is specified, the events calendar editor will review your submission.

Approval criteria

  • The event must be sponsored by a USC department, organization, or student group.
  • The event date must be at least two business days in the future.

Note to department admins: These instructions are for users who wish to submit events publicly without logging in as Event Admins. If you are an Event Admin responsible for a particular department calendar, please see instructions on how to Post an Event and skip the approval queue.

Event listing best practices

Here are five tips that will get your event approved quickly:

  1. Submit early
    Submit your event as far in advance as possible—aim for 3–5 weeks ahead, with a minimum of 72 hours.
  2. Make sure it’s complete
    Fill in all required fields, especially date, time, and location. Selecting the event type helps people find your event. Detailed instructions are available for each field if you need help.
  3. Choose a good photo
    Use a simple, clear photo with a close crop. A person’s face or headshot works well. Avoid scanned flyers. Check out more event listing photo tips.
  4. Write a short, clear title
    Many people will view your event on small screens, and titles may be cut off. Front-load important information and remove filler words.
  5. Keep your description short
    Keep descriptions under 200 words. The goal is to entice attendance, so treat it as a teaser, not a full transcript.
  6. Tags
    Tags route and filter events—they are not hashtags for Instagram or Twitter. If you want attendees to use a hashtag, include it in the event description.

Event listing photo guidelines

Minimum upload size: 250x250px
You may upload rectangular or vertical images, but they will display in a square or round frame.

Choose photos that are:

  • Eye-catching: bright, clear images stand out on event listing pages.
  • Bright: simple, vibrant color palettes work best.
  • Simple: a single focal point that is recognizable at both small and large sizes. Avoid busy backgrounds.
  • Relevant: use an image that represents the event, not a generic campus shot.
  • Closely cropped: focus on the main subject to remove distractions.

Avoid photos that are:

  • Images with text: small display sizes make text unreadable, especially on mobile. This includes scans of flyers, presentation slides, or documents.
  • Generic images: photos of buildings, campus, or unrelated subjects can confuse viewers. Use only if the building itself is the focus of the event (e.g., an architectural tour).

Where your event will be displayed

Once approved, your event will appear in three main places:

  • The department or tag feed landing page that you designated on the event
  • The All Events page, organized by date
  • Any feed where matching filters assigned to the event are used