Events Policy

All Cambridge-specific event bookings or requests, whether in person or virtual, must be made using the relevant request form on our website. Once the booking is agreed, the event can then be advertised via Handshake. Where a bespoke event is agreed, it is not confirmed until written confirmation is sent and, where appropriate, payment made. Submission of a booking request does not guarantee an event will be hosted or a space at our events. We seek to offer the most appropriate range of organisations for each event and therefore reserve the right to decline a booking request.

We reserve the right to allocate organisations to whichever stand position or location is deemed appropriate by us.

At in-person careers fairs, due to space restrictions, we will only allow two single pull-up banners or one double-standard width pull up banner and will refuse the erection of stands or installations larger than this.

No more than three representatives may attend the fair. 

Access to electrical points is not available.

Organisations are responsible for any equipment and/or promotional material brought onto campus, including any associated costs.

All equipment, promotional materials, packaging, boxes, and personal items must fit underneath the table provided (maximum dimensions: L 180cm × W 80cm × H 71cm).

Materials must not:

• Be placed beside or in front of the table
• Be stored in aisles, walkways, or shared spaces

Deliveries and transport of materials

Organisations wishing to send or bring materials and/or equipment must adhere to the following:

Fairs:
Deliveries may only be made during the times specified in the joining instructions. All materials must be delivered in person and be accompanied by a representative of the exhibiting organisation. 

Other events:
All materials must be brought to and removed from the venue by organisation representatives on the day of the event. We cannot accept courier deliveries or store materials before or after the event.

All deliveries and removals remain the sole responsibility of the exhibiting organisation.

Liability

Neither Cambridge Careers Service nor the University of Cambridge accepts liability for any loss, damage, costs, or expenses relating to equipment or materials brought onto campus, sent to events, used on University premises or IT platforms, or left after the event.

Removal of materials

All equipment and promotional materials must be removed immediately at the end of the event.

For some events held in the Student Services Centre (SSC), and only where explicitly agreed in advance, materials may be collected no later than 12:00 noon the following working day. Please refer to individual event terms when registering.

All careers fairs, presentation and networking events, skills sessions and other on-campus events are open to Cambridge students and recent alumni only. Events are ticketed and students must register to attend in order to gain access.

Events held on-campus are open to Cambridge students only. If you are listing your attendance on your website or through other channels, please ensure that this is made clear to avoid disappointment

Employers wishing to advertise events elsewhere must ensure that registration instructions are correct and, where relevant, direct Cambridge students and alumni to Handshake to book.

Student attendance cannot be guaranteed.
 

Where a fee is levied for hosting or attending an event, payment must be made either through the University of Cambridge online payment system or by invoice, where online payment is not possible.

All fees must be paid in full in advance of the event. Attendance is not permitted until payment has been received.

E-payment: 

Careers Fairs

Payment is required in advance of the event taking place. 
Booking requests will not be approved until payment has been received in full.

If your booking request is declined by Cambridge Careers Service, any payment will be refunded in full.

Presentations in the Student Services Centre

Following confirmation of your event date and room hire, e-payment must be completed within 2 working days.

Bookings will not be approved until payment has been received.
Cambridge Careers Service reserves the right to cancel any event where payment has not been received within this timeframe.

Invoicing

Where e-payment is not possible, invoicing may be arranged and is subject to a 10% administration fee. 

Payment terms are 30 days from the invoice date or before the event, whichever is sooner. 

An event is provisionally approved once a completed invoice request form has been received. Invoices will be issued once the event has been approved. 

Final confirmation is contingent on receipt of full payment.

Invoices may be paid by BACS transfer or cheque. 
Cambridge Careers Service reserves the right to cancel any event for which payment has not been received in advance of the event.

Notification of cancellation for events hosted by us must be provided in writing to employers@careers.cam.ac.uk.

Careers Fairs

Organisations cancelling their place at a Careers Fair must provide more than one calendar month’s notice (except in the case of the Graduate Jobs Fair where the minimum is two weeks’ notice). 

Where cancellation is received with less than the required notice period, the organisation remains liable for 100% of the total fee payable for the fair.
Non-attendance on the day will be treated as a late cancellation and charged in full.

Other charged event

Organisations cancelling their place at a Networking Event, Pop-up event, Employer 1:1 booking, or room hire in the Student Services Centre must provide a minimum of two weeks' notice. 

Where less than the required notice is given, or where the organisation does not attend, the organisation remains liable for 100% of the total fee payable.  

Free events

Where no charge applies for a careers fair, event, or workshop, a £100 + VAT fee will be charged for:

• cancellation with less than two weeks’ notice, or.
• non-attendance on the day.

Third-party room hire

Organisations cancelling their room hire with Meet Cambridge, Cambridge University departments, societies and other services are subject to the terms and conditions of the individual booking agents.

Cancellation by Cambridge Careers Service

Where Cambridge Careers Service cancels an event for reasons within its control or significantly amends the event format from the originally advertised terms, organisations will be entitled to a full refund for any fees levied directly by Cambridge Careesr Service.

Force majeure and limitation of liability

Cambridge Careers Service shall not be responsible for any loss or damage as a result of substitution, alteration, cancellation or postponement of an event. 

The University of Cambridge will not be liable for any compensation whatsoever where an event be cancelled, rescheduled, postponed or altered due to actions due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control, but not limited to industrial strike action, transportation distruption, adverse weather, fire, flood, natural disasters, pandemics, acts of war or terrorism, civil disorder, court or police orders, or third-party failure or non-performance.

Protest and anticipated protest
The presence of protest, or the anticipation of protest, does not constitute grounds for fee waiver, late cancellation without charge, or non-attendance.

Where an organisation chooses not to attend an event for any reason, including concerns relating to protest, standard cancellation and non-attendance charges will apply unless the event is formally cancelled by Cambridge Careers Service in writing.

We reserve the right to take photographs and video at events held on our premises. Photographs taken at these events may be used for marketing purposes by Cambridge Careers Service. By submitting a booking request/ attending an event on our premises organisations and their representatives are granting us permission to undertake photography and filming and use these images/videos in our marketing. Marketing materials may be used in both print and digital form and available to internal and external audiences. If you would like a photograph or video to be removed for any reason, please email employers@careers.cam.ac.uk and it will be removed within 15 working days of receiving your request.

Organisations wishing to film, record or photograph an event on our premises must request permission not less than 10 working days in advance to employers@careers.cam.ac.uk. Permission is granted at the discretion of the Employer & Alumni Engagement Manager. Organisations should also seek audience permission for any filming or photography and outline what audience members need to do if they wish to be excluded.

Direct recruiters will be given priority for all engagement with the Cambridge Careers Service.

Recruitment firms acting on behalf of a direct employer must request access from the relevant employer to be added as contacts to the employer’s Handshake account. This allows recruitment firms to post vacancies, events, or skills sessions on behalf of the direct employer only.

In line with our vacancy policy, any events or activities managed by recruitment agencies must be clear and transparent about the identity of the employer(s) they are recruiting for.

Recruitment agencies and other third-party recruiters are not permitted to attend Careers Fairs or to host on-campus events in their own right.

Where organisations utilise outsourcing companies to manage aspects of their recruitment activity, we require that all representatives in attendance are from the direct employer. Written confirmation from the direct employer may be requested in advance.

We welcome events run in collaboration with student societies that are registered with the Proctors or the Sports Department.

Student societies and sports clubs can post up to 5 events per term on Handshake provided they comply with this events policy.

For further information see How Societies and the Careers Service can work together.

Cambridge Careers Service will not include games and competitions as events on Handshake. If you would like to advertise a game or competition to Cambridge students and alumni, please email enquiries@careers.cam.ac.uk with a summary of the activity of no more than 200 words for consideration for inclusion on our “Scholarships and Competitions” blog page.

The Careers Service will continue to allow peaceful protest at its events in line with the University’s policy on free speech. At in-person events, peaceful protest will be allowed, provided it does not prevent students from accessing the fair and/or specific stands. Our team and University security will be available to ensure the safety of all attendees. For virtual fairs, we have created a number of early warning processes that should help us identify and mitigate potential disruption. We provide guidance for employers on how to minimise unwelcome interruptions in group sessions in our fair joining instructions. 

If an employer anticipates that their presence may attract protest, we ask them to inform us either in advance of booking or no later than 72 hours before the event takes place.

Notification of anticipated protest does not affect the cancellation or payment terms. Any decision to cancel or amend an event rests with Cambridge Careers Service and will be confirmed in writing where applicable.

No food or drink is to be sold or given away due to contractual restrictions on site.
Use of loud hailers, excessive noise or disturbance on site is prohibited.
No leaflets should be fly-posted on site or attached to cycles/vehicles.
No parking is available on site.
There is no access to power points at the Sidgwick site.
A risk assessment must be provided a minimum of 7 days in advance.