Ohio State’s Wooster campus venues offers “new normal” virtual services

Writer(s): 
Wedding in the OSU Wooster amphitheater.

WOOSTER—Have you ever attended a virtual wedding? If not, you may soon receive an invitation as part of the “new normal” world that we now live in.

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated changes to in-person gatherings ranging from employee meetings and trainings to annual conferences and yes, even weddings. Event venues on The Ohio State University’s Wooster campus are offering additional services to make virtual events easy to hold.

Nine campus venues, all part of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), are available throughout the year for a variety of Ohio events and meetings.

“We are pleased to announce that, in addition to our offerings of in-person gatherings, we also have the technologies to provide virtual gatherings,” said Matthew Benko-Scruggs, general manager of the Wooster Campus Conference Center and event venues. “For example, we can offer two-way communication and interaction with up to 500 guests via video conferencing. We can also provide on-set studio recording capability and webinar presentation capability to 3,000 guests.”

All options will be available after the pandemic is over as well. So, as wedding season fast approaches, let the virtual weddings begin.

Benko-Scruggs emphasized that the well-being of guests and associates is of paramount importance. “Daily, we are monitoring the situation to ensure that we meet the latest guidance on hygiene and cleaning,” he said. “Our health and safety measures are designed to address a broad spectrum of viruses, including COVID-19, and include everything from hand-washing hygiene and cleaning product specifications to our meeting rooms and common area cleaning procedures.”

In addition, venue staff constantly monitor the Wayne County Health Department, Ohio Department of Health, ServSafe–National Restaurant Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and World Health Organization to follow guidelines and statements regarding novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.

Available venues include an outdoor amphitheater; a 1,000-person auditorium with a theatrical stage; 10,000-plus feet of flexible exhibit and conference space; the Secrest Welcome and Education Center with two classrooms and exhibit space; a conference center with 10 meeting rooms; an executive conference room; a 5,000-square-foot ballroom; two historic homes perfect for smaller events such as showers, parties, and work gatherings; and two pavilions (one glass-enclosed and one open-air) located in the center of the 85-acre Secrest Arboretum, a research arboretum visited by more than 7,000 people each year.

In response to changing marketplace conditions, the Wooster Campus Conference Center and event venues is committed to ensuring that customers experience flexibility during these challenging times. “Groups will be provided flexibility to reschedule booked events for a future date or cancel as conditions warrant,” said Debbie Shaffer, director of sales and operations.

To learn more about the Wooster campus venues or to book a facility, visit woostervenues.osu.edu.

Writer(s): 
Sherrie R. Whaley
614-292-2137
For more information, contact: 

Matthew Benko-Scruggs
scruggs.1@osu.edu
330-263-5502

Debbie Shaffer
shaffer.271@osu.edu
330-263-5500