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It is important to talk to the students involved in organising the event to learn more about who the organisation is.
Some useful questions to ask:
- What are the aims and objectives of the organisation?
- What principal activities does it carry out?
- Does it have an official existence (is it a registered charity, non-profit-making company, official student organisation, etc.)?
- Does it have any promotional literature giving more information about its aims, objectives, activities?
- Who are the named people responsible for this organisation?
Some organisations that are not proscribed by law have been banned by NUS on campuses, such as Hizb ut-Tahrir. Be sure that you are aware of your university's policy on organisations that may fall into this category.
Some organisations that have been banned have now taken to using front names or individuals to book rooms or have meetings. For that reason, if in doubt it is reasonable to make enquiries of any organisation that is seeking to hold meetings on campuses; so that students are not put at risk.
You can also consult the Home Office website for more information about organisations that are deemed to be terrorist organisations and are banned.
If you have useful contacts with reliable information, access this before reaching a decision about how to respond (if at all).
If you are in a role in which you are authorised to institute a ban, one wise strategy is to create a policy rather than to react case-by-case to different organisations. Unless your reactions are completely consistent, that risks being perceived as arbitrary or even discriminatory.