At the time that you inquire about the Alexandria Convention Center, our Sales team will provide you with a written proposal for the event, accompanied by a Proposed Cost Outline providing you with rough estimate of the event charges. Once you have decided to hold your event with us, you will be sent the Event Contract to confirm and hold your event. The Event Contract must be signed & returned, along with a deposit, ASAP to the sales manager .Once you have returned the signed Event Contract & have paid the deposit, the convention center space will be reserved for your event.
Banquet Event Order:
Our Sales team will meet with you thirty (30) days prior to the event date and discuss all the details for your event from room set-up & floor plan to the menu & service times. After all the details have been carefully planned, we will provide you with a Banquet Event Order (BEO) to confirm your acceptance of the details, acknowledged by your signature, and returned within three (3) business days. Once we receive the signed BEO, your event details will be distributed to all the departments involved with your event for proper execution.
Event Changes:
Once the Banquet Event Order has been signed & returned, the Alexandria Convention Center requests that any changes made to the Banquet Event Order (including room set-up, audio-visual equipment, guests count, etc.) must be reported no later than seven (14) days prior to the event. Any food & beverage changes must be reported no later than fourteen (14) days prior to the event to ensure timely delivery. Any changes made after these periods will be charged a $150.00 change fee.
Guest Count Guarantee:
A final count of the number of guaranteed guests is due fourteen (14) days prior to the event. Once we receive the guaranteed count, that count will be the final number of guests for which you will be billed, unless the actual number of guests on the day of the event is greater. Even if the guests count falls below the guaranteed count, you will still be billed for the final guaranteed count provided prior to the event. If a guaranteed count is not provided fourteen (14) days prior to the event, the number of guests indicated on the BEO will be the final guarantee number.
Deposit & Payment:
A deposit that is equal to 50% of the total meeting room rental amount is due at the time the Event Contract is signed and returned to the Sales Department. The deposit is non-refundable and will go towards the total event balance. We do accept all major credit cards, cash or money orders. Personal checks will not be accepted.
The remaining balance is due no later than fourteen (14) days prior to the event date. If the remaining balance is not paid fourteen (14) days prior to the event, the event may be canceled, and you will lose any deposits paid towards the event. Between the time the original deposit is paid and the date the remaining balance is due, you are welcome to make payments to go towards the full balance.
A valid credit card must be on file via a Credit Card Authorization Form and will be authorized for $500 the day prior to the event, to cover any additional charges that may be accrued during the event, including additional cleaning and/or property damages if deemed necessary. If there are no additional charges and the Convention Center is left in a clean and acceptable condition, the authorized amount will be released back to your bank.
Banquet Check & Final Payments:
On the day of the event, a final Banquet Check will be presented to you at the conclusion of the event outlining all the event charges and deposit payments made toward the event. If there are any charges that are not covered by the deposit payments, the unpaid balance must be paid at that time or the balance will be charged to the credit card on file for the event.
Room Rental Fee & Assignments:
The Alexandria Convention Center will assign your event to a specific convention center room/section. The room rental fees are calculated as a "per day" rate, equivalent to eight (8) hours.
The Alexandria Convention Center reserves the right to re-assign the convention center space to best accommodate your event based on the overall needs of the event, the final guaranteed number of guests, and/or the ability for the Alexandria Convention Center to host or prepare for an additional event within the same time frame as your function. If for any reason your event is re-assigned within the convention center, the Sales Department will notify you in writing.
Room Set-Up & Decorations:
All room set-ups are additional from the room rental fee and are set by our Convention Center Staff. The Alexandria Convention Center will supply the tables, chairs & standard-length white table clothes for the event. The room set-up & floor plan details will be discussed during the Banquet Event Order phase of the planning process. Any other decorations are up to your discretion and responsibility. Please see the Set-Up & Decorating Guidelines for full details. The minimum setup fee is $120 per event. If a larger event needs more set-up staffing, it will be charged $30 per hour for the setup and take down combined hours.
Food & Beverage Catering Services:
The Alexandria Convention Center is proud to provide on-site catering for all our events. Our Sales Department will provide you with the catering menus for you to review our various meals & break options. If you are interested in something special that is not listed in our menus, let us know and we can give you a cost per person. With our own in-house catering service, everything you need for your event is in one convenient location!
Based upon the approximate number of guests and the food & beverage needs for the event, a food & beverage minimum will be established that must be spent on food & non-alcoholic beverages only. This minimum does not include convention center room rental charges, audio/visual charges, alcohol/bar charges, service charges, and applicable taxes. If the minimum established in the Event Contract is not met, you will be responsible for the difference in the total which will be charged on the final Banquet Check for the event.
Outside Catering Services:
We have our best catering menu to meet your food requirement. Therefore, we do not allow outside catering.
If our menu does not meet your requirement and If the management allows the outside food, the outside catering company must adhere to our Outside Catering Agreement.
The vendor must provide us with a copy of their Department of Health & Hospital Permit to operate, Alexandria Occupational License, and Certificate of Insurance that shows the minimum coverage of Worker's Compensation, General Liability (including products liability coverage), and hold a minimum coverage limit of $1,000,000.00. The outside catering company must file a valid credit card with the Sales Department at the time they sign the Outside Catering Agreement, to be authorized for $5000 the day prior to the event, to act as a security deposit to cover any additional cleaning and/or property damage. Although Grandma may make the best pot roast, we can only allow outside food from a professionally licensed catering service only. If you choose an outside catering company, the Alexandria Convention Center will not provide nor rent glasses, dishes, utensils, serving dishes, etc. All food service dish & glassware is the responsibility of the outside catering company. See the outside Catering Guidelines for more information.
Audio/Visual Services:
The Alexandria Convention Center is pleased to rent audio/visual equipment for use during the event at an additional fee. The use of any audio/visual equipment must be discussed at the time the details of the event are reviewed & confirmed on the Banquet Event Order. Please see the Audio/Visual Equipment & Rental Fees Guide for a list of available equipment.
- Staging: We are pleased to offer a portable stage that is made up of 6-foot by 8-foot sections and stands 2-feet tall, that can be set in any configuration to accommodate presentations/ceremonies, concerts, runway shows, or head tables from 2 to 20 guests. Various sizes are available and can be customized for your event.
- Dance Floor: We are pleased to offer a wooden dance floor that is made up of 3-foot by 3-foot sections that combine to create a small 12-foot x 12-foot dance floor for a small intimate party to a large 1,323 square-foot dance floor for a large social affair. Various sizes are available and can be customized for your event. We figure the size of the dance floor for each event by calculating the number of dancing guests (estimating 30% to 50% of the total guests depending on the type of event & guests) multiplied by nine (9) square feet per couple.
Event Staff:
The Alexandria Convention Center will supply staffing for each event that utilizes our in-house catering services to ensure a high quality of guest service. The cost to staff the event is calculated based upon the type of catering ordered (reception, buffet, plated and alcohol service), the number of guests guaranteed and the amount of time the staff is needed for each event, with a four-hour minimum, at $30.00 per hour per staff member. The total cost of staffing will be applied to the final Banquet Check.
To properly staff for each event, the Alexandria Convention Center follows the following industry-standard guidelines to allow for proper service:
- Two (2) Servers per 25 guests for a reception or buffet dinner.
- One (1) Server per 10 guests for a plated dinner.
- One (1) Busser per 3 Servers.
- Two (2) Restroom Attendants are required for any event with 150 guests or more.
- If Coat Check is requested for any event, two (2) Attendant is required for any event that has less than 300 guests, and one (1) Attendants are required for each additional 100 guests.
- See Alcohol Service for information on Bartender staffing.
- See Security Detail for information on Security staffing.
Alcohol Service: The Alexandria Convention Center is pleased to offer the option of selling & serving alcohol at any event. All alcohol needs must be supplied, and pre-ordered, by the Alexandria Convention Center which operates under the State of Louisiana Alcohol & Tobacco Control Law when it comes to the sale of beer, liquor, and wine. Outside liquor cannot be brought into the Convention Center.
For guest safety, firearms are not permitted within the Convention Center while alcohol is being served. A Bar Set-Up Fee of $300.00 per bar is required for all events with alcohol service and includes two (2) Bartenders.
One (1) bar per 100 guests is recommended.
During alcohol service, a security detail must be present and is to consist of a minimum of two security officers for up to 200 guests. An additional security officer is required at guest 201 and then one additional officer for every additional 150 guests. Alcohol service cannot begin until the security detail is present. The Alexandria Convention Center utilizes the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Department for all security detail.
The fee for the security detail is a minimum of $200.00 per security officer ($50.00 per hour with a minimum of four hours per security officer). The total cost for the security detail will be determined by the number of hours the bar is operating and the number of guests attending the event and will be applied to the event total charges as outlined on the final Banquet Check. (For any event that does not have alcohol, a security detail may be requested utilizing the above guidelines.)
Alcohol Minimum:
A minimum of $1500.00 per 100 guests must be met for all events that have alcohol service with a cash bar and are established in the Event Contract. This minimum does not include the Bar Set-Up Fee or charges associated with a security detail. If the minimum established in the Event Contract is not met, you will be responsible for the difference in the total which will be charged on the final bill of the event. If an open/host bar is desired, the charge will be $30 per person multiplied by 90% of the guaranteed number of guests.
Sales Tax & Service Charges:
All charges for an event are subject to the state & local required sales tax of 11.5%, and 18% service charge. The Service Charge is a fee for services rendered during an event by the Alexandria Convention Center staff.
Cancellations:
If an event needs to be canceled for any reason, the cancellation must be made in writing and a percentage of the total lost revenue may be collected, including the forfeiture of all paid deposits, based upon the timeframe from the event date the cancellation is received.
Contracted Services:
Outside service providers such as decorators, event/wedding planners, DJ services, sound & lighting services, entertainment, photographers, etc., must be coordinated with the Sales Department at the time the Banquet Event Order is created and schedules will need to be confirmed seven (7) days prior to the event date to ensure proper access to the Convention Center for set-up & teardown. An Outside Service Providers Contact Form, listing all contracted services & the appropriate contact, will need to be submitted with the Banquet Event Order.
Event Points of Contact:
We understand that each event has numerous people working together to properly execute a function. To ensure that we go through the right people for all aspects of the event, a Points of Contact Form will need to be submitted, with the Event Contract, so we can know who is authorized to discuss event details & charges prior to and during your event.
If you have any questions regarding our Event Procedures & Policies, feel free to talk to our Sales team! We look forward to hosting your special occasion!!
