New Burge Union set to open April 2

LAWRENCE — Opening next week, the Frank R. Burge Student Union, part of KU’s new Central District, will serve as a flexible venue with all the amenities needed to host academic conferences, meetings and other events.

“We’re excited about the opportunities the new Burge Union presents for KU-hosted conferences,” said Stacy Cordell, KU Professional & Continuing Education director of professional programs, including Conference Management. “Faculty are often heavily involved in organizations with local to national and even international impact. Our staff is well-versed in academic and professional conferences, and we are here to partner with faculty to bring their organizations’ gatherings to KU.” 

For faculty needing a conference venue able to host up to 900 colleagues, the new union has a space to match. The innovative Forum design provides flexible space configurations for events of all sizes. KU Conference Management is available for occasions taking place at the Burge Union starting on April 2, and online reservations are now being accepted.

“The opening of the Burge Union will provide the campus community with a wonderful new facility dedicated to the service ethos of its namesake,” said David Mucci, director of the KU Memorial Union. “We look forward to serving the campus community with this vibrant operation.” 

For nearly 80 years, the KU Conference Management team has helped KU faculty plan events, large and small, in-person and online. The conference planning team provides “affordable, customized conference and event planning, logistics and implementation services,” said Cordell. “We want to do all the event-related work so the KU faculty hosts can enjoy the event and time with colleagues.”

Whether faculty members are planning an event at the new Burge or in Berlin, the KUPCE team will work with them to plan and execute the details. In 2017, the staff managed 13 conferences involving more than 4,400 participants.

“The organizational prowess of KU Professional & Continuing Education has been amazing,” said Michael Roberts, dean of KU graduate studies and professor of clinical child psychology. “The staff has supported several of our conferences over multiple years. We have truly appreciated the comprehensive coverage of all aspects of conference planning from budgeting projections, to hotel and catering contracts, to caring for and meeting our attendees’ needs (and quirks), to evaluation and feedback, to the final settlement on the budget. All have been handled with professionalism and careful attention."