Michigan Union Banner

Basic Description and Eligibility

An estimated 10,000 students, staff, faculty, and community members enter the Michigan Union every single day for lunch, dinner, meetings, or studying. Now you can advertise for your Michigan Union event on a large banner space in front of this popular campus building.

Availability

The Michigan Union banner is available for one week at a time. Student organizations and university departments can rent the Michigan Union banner space to advertise for their events in the Michigan Union; the space is not available to unaffiliated businesses or individuals. All SORC and U-M eligibility and content requirements apply. Click here to see a list of the current status for the semester.

Lottery

Because of the high demand for the Michigan Union banner space, a lottery is conducted at the start of the fall and winter semesters. Summer availability is open, by request.

If you are interested in reserving this space between May 2 and August 29, email SORC Managers for availability.
If you are interested in reserving this space during the school year, requests must be entered via lottery.
Click here to apply for the Michigan Union banner lottery.

Full details of the lottery are explained in a group email, which is sent several weeks before the lottery deadline. To get on SORC's mailing list, click here.

Winners of the lottery will be posted immediately on the day the drawing is completed. First and second place winners will be promptly contacted by e-mail. Winners must accept or decline the space no later than 2 weeks prior to the start date.

The banner is reserved for Michigan Union use for major campus programs a few weeks of the year:

Art Fair (mid-July)
Welcome Week (late Aug / early Sept)
Parents weekend (between late September and early November)
Commencement (late April)

Click here to see the current standings for the Michigan Union Banner.

Content Requirements

Content requirements are extensive, so winners are required to meet with the manager 2-3 weeks prior to their start date to purchase the blank banner and/or discuss content and construction requirements. You must have an event in the Michigan Union to use this banner space.

Construction Guidelines

Banners must be 24 feet long (wide) and 3 feet tall. They must be printed on extra-heavy duty banner material, which is available at SORC. The Union banner is held up by a cable with clips that attach to the banner along the top edge and on the four corners, so grommets must be spaced every two feet along the top as well as the four corners. There must also be a single grommet in the center of the banner on the bottom edge, where a clip is attached to prevent the banner from flipping over itself (you might be surprised how great an impact the wind has on the banners!). A fully-grommeted, blank, white Union banner costs $102.00. For vinyl banners, fifteen to twenty 1-foot crescent-shaped slits must be cut in banners to allow airflow. Some mesh banner products allow sufficient air flow without your having to cut slits. More below.

Making the Banner Yourself

Allow at least 16 hours for design, creation, preparation, and drying time (8 hours). Recruit help, and do not procrastinate.

Professional Sign Companies

SORC staff can recommend a local professional sign company that can produce a vinyl banner in a matter of days. Their banners are of very high quality and look spectacular, but you should expect to pay $400.00 or more. This is a worthwhile investment if you have an event that takes place every year in the Union and would like to re-use your banner.

A company named Mediaform USA makes a mesh banner that allows sufficient air flow without any cutting: http://www.mediaformusa.com/prod_LgFormat.php (you are leaving the SORC website if you click on that link).

The product is the “12 oz Ad Mesh” in the photo at the bottom of the page (as opposed to Blackout Vinyl and Speaker Scrim).

Space rental

Weekly space rental for student organizations.....$30.00

Weekly space rental for university departments.....$60.00

Placement fee for student organization.....$9.00

Placement fee for university departments.....$12.00

Deadline

Union banners go up and come down on Mondays unless weather conditions prohibit safe placement. Completed banners must be brought to SORC before 10.45 PM on the Sunday before they are scheduled to go up (hours vary in Summer and during semester breaks and holidays). Ventilation slits must be cut and the banner must be completely dry prior to submission.

Fifteen to twenty 1-foot crescent-shaped slits must be cut in banners to allow airflow. Failure to cut these slits will delay placement of your banner. Cut these air holes after you color the banner. This is how your Union should look when it is complete:

Click here to see the current standings for the Michigan Union Banner

Advertising Prices