Commons Event Center and Café is a full-service meeting facility on the J.J. Pickle Research Campus of the University of Texas at Austin, in north-central Austin. It offers ten meeting rooms from 16 to 342 seats and an atrium for receptions, and it serves companies, state agencies, associations and university departments running in-person or hybrid programs.
Seminars and company events
Commons is open to state agencies, government departments, associations and corporate groups that want to reserve space for educational programs. A policies page sets out what kind of event fits, so read it before you send a request. The team assigns event coordinators who handle set-up, catering and audio-visual needs. Rooms are charged either for a full day, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or a half day, 8 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Programs after 5 p.m. or on Saturdays are charged as a full day and carry additional staffing and custodial fees. University departments need an interdepartmental transfer account number to book.
Rooms and capacities
The largest room is the Big Tex Auditorium, 4,872 square feet, with a maximum seating of 342. The Lil Tex Auditorium covers 2,651 square feet and seats 145. Balcones seats 72 and Stadium 54. Bevo seats 44, Longhorn 40 and Armadillo 40. Mustang seats 28, Tower 24 and Lone Star 16, which makes them useful for board meetings, interviews and breakout groups. The Atrium covers 11,034 square feet and is used for lunches, exhibits and receptions. It is available as an addition to a scheduled room and is not a standalone private space.
Technology and hybrid events
An on-site audio-visual team supplies integrated presentation systems and adjustable LED lighting. The auditoriums have a media console with a built-in computer, touch screen and several inputs, and the smaller rooms offer projection packages. Microphone options include lavalier, panel and throwable Q&A microphones. For hybrid events, the team can schedule Zoom or Teams sessions and breakout rooms, run a virtual rehearsal with presenters, support speakers during the event and provide on-demand recordings. Wi-Fi is complimentary throughout the building.
Accommodation
There are no bedrooms on site. The official site lists more than twenty hotels within three miles of the campus, several of them in the Domain and Arboretum areas, some with a university rate. One of them is noted as offering a shuttle.
Catering
Commons Event Center and Café is the exclusive food and beverage provider for events held in the building. Menus cover breakfast, breaks and snacks, beverages, grab-and-go lunches for 20 guests or more, lunch buffets, dinners and receptions. Sponsored bars with local beer and wine are available. Saturday events are limited to cold food. A vegetarian entrée is available on request, and vegan, gluten-free and other specialty meals can be arranged. Dietary requests are due with the final catering selections, three weeks before the event.
Getting there
The center is at 2901 Read Granberry Trail, Austin, Texas 78758, and the campus address is 10100 Burnet Road, Building 137. Look for the water tower. Every guest needs a parking permit, which the organizer can buy for the group through Commons, and accessible spaces are available in all lots. The Austin MetroRapid 803 bus stops on Exploration Way, just west of the center.
