Room Usage Guidelines

• Classrooms at the Hickory Metropolitan Higher Education Center (HMHEC) are available for use by businesses and organizations for programs with an educational component or that are related to the educational and/or economic development mission of the Center.
• The person or group reserving the room is responsible for setting up their own meeting and putting the room back in order after the event concludes. A diagram of the room set-up will be posted in each room as a guide. The room must be left clean (with trash removed and the tables cleared) and ready for the next class. Groups or individuals holding meetings are also responsible for any damage to HMHEC equipment or facilities during their meeting and will be charged for such.
• When reserving a room, you must complete the “Request for Classroom Space and Equipment for Business Programs & Conferences/ Educational Programs” form.
• The HMHEC reserves the right to judge the appropriateness of the intended use of our facility. Functions or programs that fall outside of our mission will not be allowed.
• Reservations and guarantees cannot be made more than 90 days in advance. Degree program classes will have priority over any other event or program.
• If the event must be cancelled, notice of cancellation must occur at least 72 hours prior to the event or you will be invoiced for use of the room.
• The HMHEC does not have the ability to provide any food or beverage service. The person or group reserving the room is responsible for hiring their own caterer and for making sure the room is left clean following the event. A list of caterers is available here. No food or beverages are allowed in classrooms with computers or in the NC Information Highway room. No alcoholic beverages are allowed in the HMHEC.
• Special arrangements must be made for any meeting/event not held during regular business hours for the HMHEC. Additional charges may be incurred for security or staffing. Regular HMHEC business hours can be found here.
• The HMHEC is a tobacco-free facility.
• The HMHEC facilities are equipped with state of the art educational technology. Please let us know what equipment your function will need. The individual requesting the use of the facility is asked to make an appointment for an overview of the HMHEC and use of the technology requested at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Prior to your first meeting at HMHEC, at your request our IT staff can provide you with an overview session on the use of the technology in Smart classrooms and computer labs. Additionally, we also provide an online tutorial to aid in becoming familiar with the presentation technology.
• Computers with Internet access are available for use during meetings and educational programs. The HMHEC has one hard-wired computer lab and 3 mobile carts with laptops. All Smart Classrooms are equipped with wireless technology to allow them to also serve as computer training rooms.
• Signs, banners, or flyers may not be attached to any wall, ceiling, or piece of HMHEC property without permission from the HMHEC staff.
• Children are not allowed in classrooms. Unsupervised children are not allowed anywhere in the HMHEC.
• Please note that other classes may be in progress and must not be interrupted by excessive noise, etc.
• Audio/visual equipment and computers are available for a fee. Requests for the meeting room and additional equipment may result in the assignment to a Smart Classroom at the Smart Classroom rate.