USC Dornsife
Event & Catering Quick Reference Guide
A practical checklist for event and catering requests.
Required Event Information (5 W’s)
- Who: Department/host and attendees. Include the total number of attendees; if 10 attendees or fewer, include first and last names of all attendees
- What: Meeting, seminar, receptions, etc.
- Where: Location
- When: Date and time
- Why: Clear business or academic purpose
Before You Buy
Obtain Dornsife Expenditure Approval before any event or catering purchase, unless funded by a sponsored project (GR account).
Payment Methods
| Payment method | Use for | Do not use for |
| Procurement Card | Food delivery to campus; Costco, Ralphs, Instacart; small event purchases | Hotels, off-campus venues, catering over $4,500 |
| Travel Card | Hotels, conference centers, off-campus catered events, bundled venue/catering | Non-travel/non-event retail purchases |
| Internal Service Delivery (ISD) | USC Hospitality vendors (Catering 2Go, Coffee Bean, The Lab, etc.) | External suppliers |
| Purchase Order (PO) | Approved USC suppliers and catering exceeding $4,500 | Non-USC suppliers |
Approved Caterers
Whenever possible, use a USC-approved caterer: events.usc.edu/permit/vendors
Do’s
- Include all 5 W’s
- Clearly explain the business or academic purpose
- Use the correct payment method
- Save invoices, receipts, and supporting documentation
- Route contracts and agreements to Central Procurement or your Dornsife Procurement Specialist for review and signature
Don’ts
- Don’t make purchases without going through the pre-approval process
- Don’t submit incomplete event requests
- Don’t purchase alcohol with grant funds
- Don’t sign contracts or agreements
- Don’t guess – ask first
Key Contacts
| Contact | Purpose |
| Department Deputy Director | For budget availability and funding questions |
| USC Procurement Services | For general procurement questions |
| USC Procurement – Catered Events | For review and signature of catering agreements and contracts, including restaurant catering agreements, catered reception agreements, and event service agreements |
| USC Travel Manager | For review and signature of hotel agreements and contracts, including group lodging agreements, room block reservation agreements, and hotel catering event agreements |
| Dornsife Procurement Specialists | For invoice payments, purchasing questions, procurement guidance, contract routing assistance, and payment method questions |
| Academic Service Hubs (ASH) | For invoice payments, reimbursements, travel arrangements, honorarium payments, and travel card settlement questions |