When holding an event at the University of Southern Maine, you may need some technology support. The university's Media Services department is available to help you.
Services Offered
Many spaces at the University of Southern Maine come equipped with technology that is readily available for anyone to use. However, sometimes you may require more than what the space provides or you may want a technician present to make sure the equipment is running properly. As such, there is a variety of equipment and services that you can request as part of event support.
If there is a service not listed here that you feel is important for your event, please contact the Media Services department with any questions or concerns. See below.
Meet & Greet
You may always make a request to meet with a technician prior to your event. While it is common to have a technician arrive 15-30 minutes prior to the start of an event, you may also request to meet earlier in the day, or even at an earlier date to go over your concerns. During a Meet & Greet, technicians are available to:
- Troubleshoot and resolve any technical issues prior to the event.
- Demonstrate how to operate the room's equipment.
- Set up necessary equipment.
- Provide support for the first few minutes of the event.
- Answer questions or concerns.
Streaming & Webinars
If your event is a webinar or involves any sort of streaming or live video service, such as Zoom, there are a few different services that the Media Services team can provide.
- You may submit a request for a technician to help get you connected and troubleshoot any problems prior to the event (See Meet & Greet above).
- If an event space already has web conferencing equipment installed, a technician can walk you through how to use the in-room equipment.
- If an event space does not have web conferencing equipment installed, a technician may also set up conferencing equipment prior to the event.
- If the event is a webinar or livestream, the Media Services department may help to host or co-host the event.
Full Technical Support
Some events may require a technician to be present throughout its run time, whether it is to operate the equipment or act as technical support. When making a request for full technical support, you may want to include any information that the technician will need to be aware of for your event, such as start and end times, as well as equipment needs. If you are unsure of what information may or may not be important, or if there is a lot of information to go over, you might also want to consider requesting a meeting with a technician to go over details prior to the event.
Equipment Loan
The Media Services department loans out many different kinds of equipment on a first-come-first-serve basis. Common pieces of equipment include, but are not limited to:
- Microphones
- Speakers
- Projectors
- Screens
If your event needs are limited to equipment access, and you don't require technical assistance to set it up, you do not need to submit a formal request. You may choose to visit your nearest Media Service Office, located at each of the University of Southern Maine campuses, and can check out or reserve the equipment directly with a member of the Media Services team.
Submitting a Request
Important: If you are part of a external group that is not covered by the university's Account Lifecycle Policy, you will need to submit an event request through USM's Conference Services Department.
To submit a request, go to the ITMS homepage and fill out the service request form, or submit a ticket by emailing help@maine.edu.
Possible Fees
By default, when arranging for event support with the Media Services department, the service is entirely free. However, there are some circumstances in which this will not be the case.
You may incur a fee if:
- You are requesting assistance for an event that takes place outside of normal office hours. The office hours for Media Services are from 8 AM to 8 PM, Monday through Friday.
- You are requesting assistance for an event that takes place on an administrative holiday.
- You require a technician to be present to help run the event (see Full Technical Support above). This is not the same as setting up for an event or helping to test equipment before the event.
If your request touches on one or more of these circumstances, there will be a charge of $35 per hour worked by the technician. Please be aware that in the case that you incur a fee, there is always a minimum charge of at least two hours worth of service ($70).
Questions & Concerns
If there is a service that you are looking for that is not listed here, or have a question related to event support, feel free to contact USM's Media Services department directly.
Email: usm-mediaservices-group@maine.edu
Phone:
- Portland: (207) 780-4280
- Gorham: (207) 780-5196
- Lewiston/Auburn: (207) 780-4280
Environment
- University of Southern Maine - Portland Campus
- University of Southern Maine - Gorham Campus
- University of Southern Maine - Lewiston/Auburn Campus
- Classrooms
- Event Spaces
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