From the Nominator

"The Miami University Napa Wine Tour was a high-end donor engagement and stewardship trip held over a long weekend in May 2022 in Napa, California. Hosted by the university president and his wife, as well as a long-time botany professor and wine educator, the trip was a unique opportunity for members of Miami's Lifetime Giving Societies (i.e., donors who have made lifetime commitments of $100,000 or more) to spend time with the president, visit Napa wineries that all had a Miami alumni connection, build relationships with other Miamians, and learn about current happenings at the university.  

The tour spanned four days. Bookended by travel days on Thursday and Sunday, Friday and Saturday were spent visiting wineries—all of which had a Miami alumni or parents on staff or among the owners. The tour visited a barrel maker as well, and the botany professor gave a lesson on viticulture among the grapevines. The group experienced lunch at the wineries and dinner at the resort. In between, the guests enjoyed tours of the wineries and opportunities to mingle with the alumni staff at the wineries.  

Twenty-five alumni attended the event, which was the target size for the audience to keep the trip feeling intimate, and so each guest could feel like they had time to interact with the president and the faculty wine expert."

From the Judges

The panel loved this entry as an example of an exceptionally-executed tried and true engagement trip. The judges were particularly fond of the attention to connecting the places and purpose back to the institution. This was not a trip to Napa just because it’s Napa—this was a trip meaningfully tied back, at each turn, to institutional values, message, and impact. This strategic and thoughtful execution resulted in incredible ROI.