Services

All services of the event service at a glance

Here members of the Humboldt University of Berlin can find further information on the implementation of events. Please contact us at any time for a non-binding offer. If you would like advice on planning your event, you can also arrange a personal consultation appointment via our appointment calendar.

FAQ | E-Projects

General Questions

Do I have to work with HI for my conference?

1. Yes, if you want to collect participation fees or sponsorship money. 
2. Yes, if you are cooperating with an association and they are the organizer.

Which services does HI provide for me?

1. We manage your external funds in trust on behalf of HU.
2. We support you in organizing your event. 

Does HI also manage other funds within the scope of my conference?

No. If you wish to contribute budgetary resources, you must submit these invoices directly to HU to be paid from your PSP-Element. The management of third-party funds is organized by SZF. However, these funds must be listed for information purposes in the financing plan.

Is my event internal or external to HU?

This is a question of separate accounting, HU department VIII will handle these matters. The following questions are important for the classification:

1. Who is the organizer?
   (Generally, it can be assumed that the person who is responsible for the content and organization of the event, or who commissions this, and who also bears financial and legal responsibility, should be designated as the organizer. However, it is also crucial that the organizer is clearly identifiable in external communications.)

   1a. Is HU responsible for the content of the event?

   1b. Is HU responsible for the organizational planning and administrative handling of the event?

2. What kind of event is it?
   (Title of the event, type of event: scientific/cultural/educational/student-oriented, etc.)
    
3. Who is the event intended for?
   (Which participants is the event aimed at? The decisive factor here is whether and to what extent the participants are also members of HU, i.e. primarily students and employees: employees / students / scientists / the general public / ...)
    
4. What type of funds are available?
   (Budget funds (PSP-Element)/ public third-party funds (DFG, BMBF) / other (participation fees, sponsorship, etc.))
    
5. How will the event be financed?
   (Internally at HU, i.e. via an OKZ or a HU project, or externally via another institution, an association, an event service provider, or in another way)

6. Will a supporting program be part of the conference?
   (e.g. catering, conference dinner, boat trip, etc.)

   Please inform HI of the classification. 
    

How far in advance I give notice of my event?

This depends on the scope of the event and can be addressed anywhere from a few months to several years in advance. If you inform us of the conference less than three months before the start, it is usually no longer possible to implement the registration site for this event in time.

Can I waive the hospitality and procurement guidelines by collaborating with HI?

1. When working with HI, you are still bound by the hospitality guidelines and state budget regulations. 
2. The hospitality and procurement regulations apply to costs covered by participation fees or sponsorship income. You must obtain three comparative quotes; a tender is not necessary, including for costs exceeding €10.000.  

What is the allowance within the hospitality guidelines?

1. €11 per person per day for refreshments during breaks.
2. €32 per person per day for lunch or dinner if the event lasts longer than 5 hours on that day and the meal does not take place at the beginning or end of the day and, for organizational reasons, no break of more than 60 minutes can be granted for self-catering. 
3. The costs can be accumulated: €43 for a full day.

My costs exceed the hospitality guidelines and I would like to offer a conference dinner. 

The conference dinner and the portion exceeding the hospitality guidelines are included in the VAT-liable supporting program. 

Who approves my financing plan and what is required for this?

The financing plan is reviewed and approved by Department VIII. This requires a surplus of at least 10% as a buffer for unexpected expenses.

Who is required to sign the contracts?

1. Contracts between HI and HU are signed by you as project manager and additionally by the management of your faculty. 
2. You can sign contracts with service providers once it has been clarified that the costs will be covered by the event budget. Please submit the offers to us for review and filing.   

 I am cooperating with an association / society. Can they participate in surpluses or deficits?

This does not comply with the standard. Individual additional contracts would have to be drawn up for this purpose. Please contact us in good time, as the preparation of such a contract can take several months and will delay further planning accordingly.

Financing Plan

I don't understand the financing plan template. Can I send you the figures in a different format?

We will help you use the financing plan, also via Zoom call if you wish. If you send us income/expense lists in a different format, these will have to be transferred to the template. This can take some time, as these lists are usually insufficient from a tax perspective.

Why is an overhead charge calculated?

The overhead charge covers certain event-related services HI offers. Although HI is a wholly owned subsidiary of HU, it is legally a limited liability company (GmbH) that must be financially independent.

What services are covered by the overhead charge?

• Financial planning and support regarding budget, tax, and subsidy law.
Please note: we cannot provide comprehensive legal or tax advice!
•    Preparation of calculations (financing plan) and ongoing budget controlling
•    Opening of a project account
•    Posting of all income and expenses up to the amount of funds received
•    Management in accordance with university regulations
•    Settlement of income and expenses and balances with the university
•    Preparation of receipts, including for tax purposes

How high is the overhead on funds received?

The overhead is currently 15%. This is well below the level that the institutes would charge if they were able to collect the funds. 

Our budget is limited. Can the overhead be reduced?

No, the overhead is a contractually fixed rate. For small events (total revenue under €10,000), the co-financing fund can provide support.

Are scientific expenses exempt from VAT?

1. Invoices for all services must always be paid plus VAT. Please enter the gross costs in the financing plan. 
2. The sales tax exemption applies to the income side. 

How do I benefit from the sales tax exemption for the scientific part?

Tickets for participants in the scientific part of the event are exempt from sales tax. This means that you can offer your tickets at a lower price because a lower taxable portion leaves you with more money to cover your costs. Please note that for incoming invoices with VAT, the gross amount is paid. The sales tax exemption applies to the participation fees used to cover costs.

Who obtains quotes from service providers for my event?

You are welcome to do this yourself, as you know your needs best. If you leave it to HI to obtain quotes, we will calculate a margin of 15% on the invoiced sum.

Does the margin also apply if we only submit the invoices to you for payment?

If you take care of the arrangements with the service providers and submit the invoices to HI for payment from your event budget, this margin does not apply.

Registration of Participants

Am I free to choose the tool for participation registration?

No, we work with Converia. Other registration tools cannot be used.

Can I also use Converia to submit abstracts?

Yes, this is possible.

How much does it cost to use the tool and what other services does it offer?

Click here to download

I am not familiar with Converia. How do I use the tool?

The Converia team will take care of the basic setup. You will then receive backend access that you can use to work with the tool. If you have any questions, you can first consult the Converia manual and then ask us or our project manager at Converia for help.   

Can the registration tool be used immediately?

No, the process first requires the drafting and HU approval of a financing plan, as well as the conclusion of a contract, before the tool can be set up.

How long does it take before registration can begin?

That depends on the scope of your event and your input in creating your financing plan. Once the plan has been approved, it takes an average of about two weeks before participants can register.

How do I calculate the participation fees?

1. Have there been previous iterations of this event, then you can use the costs incurred there as a guide. Consider both the venue of previous events and inflation-related price increases. 
2. If you have a maximum price range, enter these and plan your costs accordingly. This may lead to you foregoing costly extras and help you to focus on the essential aspects.
3. If you have a clear picture of your event, start planning from the expenses and set the participation fees accordingly. 

Can I apply a tiered pricing system?

1. It makes sense to offer a reduced price for students in addition to the regular participation fee. If you cooperate with an association, you can apply a fee for members. These participants can upload verification documents.
2. In addition, you can set early bird and late periods; the later the registration, the higher the cost, this may help encourage early registration and thus increase planning security. 

What do I need to consider regarding payment methods and cancellation deadlines?

1. Bank transfer, credit card payment (no American Express), and Google Pay / Apple Pay are available. It is recommended to close bank transfers two weeks before the event, otherwise the payment deadline will be after the event.
2. Refunds or rebookings are always subject to a fee of €30. You should therefore always estimate cancellation fees of at least €30.

Sponsoring

I would like to acquire sponsorships. What do I need to do?

1. You search for and contact potential sponsors. It is a good idea to put together tiered packages that you can offer.
2. Once you have found sponsorship partners, send us their contact details (billing and contract addresses, representative on behalf of the sponsor) and the agreed services and considerations. We will have the case reviewed for tax purposes and take care of drawing up the contract and invoicing.

What can a sponsor contribute?

1. Financial sponsorship: The sponsor commits to a sum of money, which we invoice.
2. Sponsorship in kind: The sponsor sends you items. The contract requires the equivalent value of the items provided!

What is the difference between active and passive sponsorship?

Passive sponsorship is exempt from sales tax, active sponsorship is subject to sales tax; the consideration provided by HU is relevant. Please keep this in mind when determining the sponsorship amounts.

i. Passive: non-prominent mention of the sponsor, no link on the website, no flyers

ii. Active: active promotion of the sponsor, information stands/booths possible

I would like to provide stands for my sponsors / I would like publishers to exhibit at the   conference.

1. A stand rental fee is payable to HU for each stand; this can be paid by the stand operator/sponsor or from the event budget.
2. The amount varies depending on the location and size of the booth.
   i.    Campus Mitte: €85 per day and booth up to 10 square meters 
   ii.    Campus Nord: €80 per day and booth up to 10 square meters
   iii.    Campus Adlershof: €75 per day and booth up to 10 square meters

Are publishers allowed to sell books at their stands? 

Yes, provided that HU is not involved in the advertising and sales activities and does not refer to them in any way. 

Staff

I need support with organizing the event. Is it possible to hire Helping hands through HI?

1. Yes, we can hire student assistants for you, but we cannot advertise the positions for you. Once you have found people, we can hire them for you. 
2. If you would like to hire several people, we need the relevant information well in advance. 

How does the hiring process work?

You tell us how many people you want to hire and for how long, so that the costs can be included in the financing plan. We notify the HR department of the upcoming hires, after which you can send in the completed and signed personnel forms.

Billing

How can costs be paid from the event budget?

1. You submit the invoices to HI and we pay them from the funds in your project account. If services must be paid for before funds have been received, we can make an advance payment.
2. Have you incurred private expenses for the event and would like to be reimbursed? To do so, we need the corresponding invoice and the completed and signed reimbursement request (with complete personal and account details; we cannot use your HU personnel number). Please note that the original invoices must be addressed to HU. If you do not have invoices, but only receipts, the costs may not exceed the amount of €250 gross.
3. Deposits are not refundable and must be deducted from the reimbursement amount.

To whom should the invoices be addressed?

Please have the HU billing address indicated on all invoices. 
Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
Unter den Linden 6
10099 Berlin 
b.    Alternatively, you can use the billing address of your institute. 
c.    Do not use the HI billing address!

I placed orders internally at HU and paid the costs via a PSP element. Can I have these costs reimbursed from the project account?

No, it is not possible to reimburse the money to the corresponding PSP element.

What happens to any surpluses or deficits?

1. Surpluses are transferred to your S1 or S5 PSP element.
2. If there is a deficit after all budgets have been used up, this will be charged to your S1 or S5 PSP element.

Can I use another account for my surpluses?

No, this is not possible. The funds can only be transferred to S1 or S5 PSP elements.

Can I use another account to cover the deficit? 

1. You cannot cover your deficit from another account, as the funds are earmarked for a specific purpose that cannot be fulfilled because the total deficit may be made up of costs from various areas. 
2. If you want to contribute budget funds to your event that you were initially unable to allocate to a specific expense, i.e., you did not settle the costs directly via HU, we can issue an invoice for payment from the account. However, you must ensure that the funds are available for the specific purpose.

When will the surplus generated be available for me to spend?

In the summer of the following year, the balances will be transferred from HI to HU. You will receive your money at the beginning of the year after, giving you a whole year to spend it. The funds may be distributed in several tranches.