Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center

The Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center and Theatre facilities offer a variety of spaces for hourly rental.  For more information about our facilities, please visit our Facilities page.

To reserve a space at the Ethnic Cultural Center or Theatre, please familiarize yourself with our reservations process and policies and when you are prepared to reserve a space, please check our Reservations Calendar for date availability, then use our Reservation Request Form to submit your request for a space.

For questions or concerns, please contact the Reservations Office at eccres@uw.edu or by phone at 206.221.3241.

Reservations Process

Reservations Process

  1. Read the ECC Reservations Policies section below.
  2. Check our Reservations Calendar for date availability.
  3. Submit a Reservation Request Form with the details of your event.
  4. Please do not resubmit your request if you need to make a change to your request.  Instead, please contact the Reservations Office.
  5. The ECC Reservations Office will respond to your request via email within 7-10 business days.  If you do not receive a response after 5 business days, please contact the Reservations Office to check on your request.  If you do not receive a response, your request has not been processed or approved.  Please check your email for messages from the ECC Reservations Office.
  6. When your request is processed, you will receive either a tentative email approval for your event or an email requesting clarification or notifying you that the dates and/or times you requested were not available.  Please follow-up with the Reservations Office via email.
  7. Once your request is tentatively approved, submit all required forms, payment or other details by the provided due-dates.
  8. For Credit/Debit payments, please pay online referencing amount and reservations number on your booking details sheet: https://bit.ly/eccstore 
  9. When the ECC Reservations Office has received all required items, you will receive a final confirmation for your event.  Please do not advertise your event until you have received a final confirmation!  If all required items are not submitted, your event may be canceled!

Reservations Policies

Reservations Policies

  1. A minimum of two-weeks advance notice is required for all reservations for the Ethnic Cultural Center.
  2. A minimum of three-weeks advance notice is required for all reservations for the Ethnic Cultural Theatre, no exceptions.
  3. Reservations for the Center and Theatre can be made a maximum of six months in advance.  For dates greater than six months in advance, please contact the reservations office or submit a request for the space to be placed as a “hold”.  Holds are not confirmations and held dates may be unavailable.
  4. Students or Registered Student Organizations wishing to request a space with less than 2-weeks advance notice must wait until the day of the event and drop-in to the ECC office to request a space as a short-notice “Write-In” request.   Walk-in Requests are subject to availability and special policies.  Food service, events which are open to the public and fundraising are prohibited for walk-in requests.  Short notice requests for the Theatre are not accepted.
  5. Events can not be booked outside of regular Center operating hours due to staffing.
  6. Events are not approved and should not be advertised until the group receives a final confirmation from the Reservations office. All paperwork, payment and other requirements must be fulfilled before an event is finalized and confirmed. Tentative approval or holds are NOT final confirmations. Being on the schedule is not a confirmation.
  7. For Theatre Reservations, a minimum of 1 hour between events is required.
  8. Use of the Ethnic Cultural Center must comply with all University of Washington and Washington Administrative Code (WAC 478-136-030) regulations.
  9. Use of the kitchens for events is subject to approval, and use of the kitchens for food preparation for any event besides personal use or RSO meetings is generally prohibited due to the nature and classification of the kitchens, per the University of Washington Environmental Health and Safety division.
  10. Those making a reservation for an event assumes responsibility for their group and guests, and they shall assume any financial responsibility for excess cleaning and/or repairs resulting from damages should they occur in the facilities during the reserved time.
  11. For weekly Affiliated RSO meetings: (failure to follow these will incur warnings and/or consequences to your RSO’s affiliation status with the Kelly ECC)
    1. You are expected to reset the meeting space to default setup (see event staff for help if you do not know this setup)
    2. You are expected to clean up any mess from your meeting (see front desk if you need garbage bags)
    3. If you are planning to not meet for your scheduled meeting, please call the front desk (206.543.4635) and let them know you plan not to meet with a 24 hours notice.
    4. You are expected to be finished with your meeting and have the room reset and cleaned by the end of your reserved time, late exit will incur penalties.

RSO Free Weekly Meeting Spaces Policies

RSO Free Weekly Meeting Spaces Policies

    1. ECC Affiliated RSOs can receive up to 2 hours of free weekly meeting space in the following rooms: Native, Chicano, Asian, Black, and Pacific Islander Room (no A/V)
      • Other spaces are available for usage for weekly meeting spaces with charges: Unity Rooms, Unity Suite, Performing Arts Studio, Theatre, and Native/Chicano Suite
      • Non-affiliated ECC RSOs may request weekly meeting spaces based on availability, and charges may apply
    2. RSOs can only utilize the space during their reservation time. Access to the meeting space will begin at the time of reservation. ECC staff cannot guarantee early access to the space, as other clients may be using it, or it is still being set up by ECC staff.
      • RSOs must check in at the front desk to confirm attendance for room reservations. Failure to do so may result in documentation warnings
    3. RSOs will receive the default room setup for weekly meeting space. You may move ECC furniture around the room; however, no ECC furniture is permitted outside the space. Special setups and/or additional accommodations can be arranged and will incur additional charges
    4. You are expected to finish your meeting and have the room reset and cleaned by the end of your reserved time; late exit will incur penalties. There are photocopies of how the room should be set back, and you can ask ECC student staff at the front desk if you are unsure how to put the room back
    5. If you plan to serve food at your weekly meeting, follow Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) guidelines and receive an approved permit (if applicable) before your scheduled meeting.
      • If you are expecting a large amount of trash, do not overflow the trashcans located in public spaces in the building. Please ask the front desk staff for garbage bags and assistance on where to dispose of your trash properly
  • If you are planning not to meet for your scheduled meeting, please call the front desk (206.543.4635) and let them know you plan not to meet at least 24 hours in advance.
  1. Non-affiliated University of Washington guests are not permitted to attend weekly meeting spaces unless a Use of University Facilities Request (UUF) form has been approved and received from the Student Activities Office. If non-affiliated University of Washington guest(s) are leading/speaking, a UUF form is not needed.
  2. Charging fees for entry to your RSO weekly meeting space or any other fundraiser during your RSO weekly meeting is prohibited unless a fundraising permit from the Student Activities Office has been approved and received before your room reservation.
  3. If your weekly meeting requires additional permits (e.g., UUF, Fundraising, and EH&S) and you fail to complete and provide the approved documents, your RSO will be subjected to a cancellation of your reservation, documented warnings, and additional fees may be applied.
  4. RSOs may check out equipment and items from the leadership lab at the front desk. Items, based on availability, include a microphone, speaker, vacuum, extension cords, HDMI/Adapter, and Clicker. All items can only be checked out if used in the ECC.

Reservation FAQ

Common RSO FAQ for ECC Reservation spaces event usage

  • Can the ECC hang up my posters/flyers/signs for my event to help me advertise?
    • Yes, please bring printed copies of your flyers/posters/signs to the front desk. ECC staff will place them on our community bulletin boards in the lobby. Any signage not approved by ECC staff will be taken down.
  • Can I put up any signs/posters for my event?
    • Yes, you can only use painter’s tape to hang on walls or place on floors. For bulletin boards, you can use thumbtacks. Nails, screws, tacks, staples, or any other form of tape outside of painter’s tape, unless previously stated or pre-approved by ECC staff, are not permitted on any building surfaces. You will be subjected to additional charges if there is damage after your event.
    • Signs/posters must not block or limit access to doors, fire extinguishers, emergency signage, or fire alarm manual pull stations
  • How do I pay for my room reservation?
  • Can I table or host a food/clothing/supply donation drive in the ECC?
    • Yes, RSOs may table in the atrium/lobby area of the ECC building or host a donation drive. Email eccres@uw.edu to inquire at least 2 weeks in advance. RSOs are responsible for providing their own supplies. ECC will only provide 1 table and 2 chairs for tabling. Please note that charges may be included if you need additional supplies. Be sure to include the following information in your email: 
      • Dates/times of when you’d like to table or host a donation drive
      • For tabling: 
        • Information about what you’re sharing during tabling
        • Where in the lobby/atrium area you’d like to table
        • Spaces are limited to 2 tabling events at a time
      • For hosting a donation drive:
        • List of items you’re hoping for people to donate
        • How often members of your RSO will check in on the supply donation box/bin
  • Do I need to check in with the front desk to my room?
    • Yes, failure to do so will verify that the room is not being in use, which will result in documented warnings
  • Can I utilize the kitchen for my event?
    • The kitchen is available for priority use only for a Unity Suite event. It is a prep kitchen, and usage must be provided with an approved Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) permit.
  • How do I get disability accommodations for my event?
    • For specific disability accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office to make arrangements and coordinate efforts with the ECC
  • Where can my guests park for my event?
    • The closest parking lots for the ECC building and Theatre space are W12 and W10. All parking inquiries must be directed to Transporation Services
  • Can I store food and/or supplies for my ECC event?
    • Typically, the ECC does not store any food or supply items before or after your event. Priority is given based on reservations utilizing the kitchen.

If you still have questions, please reach out to our reservations team via email at eccres@uw.edu.