As of 8 May 2023. This schedule is subject to change.

With content developed by practitioners for practitioners, this conference is packed with current trends and pertinent areas of interest to advancement professionals. These are delivered through plenary sessions, concurrent presentations and roundtable discussions. Choose from the broad range of disciplines targeted at different levels of experience!

Wednesday, 17 May - Grand Hyatt Melbourne

Time

Programme

7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

CASE Registration and Hospitality Desk

Savoy Pre-Function Area, Level 8

8:45 a.m.

Opening Ceremony

Welcome to Country and President's Address

Room: Mayfair 1, Level 8

9:15 a.m.

Acknowledgement of Country and Opening Plenary

Opening Plenary

Through an indigenous lens of knowledge transfer, appreciation of culture and the inextricable link to country, Professor Deen Sanders OAM will highlight the frontline responsibility of advancement practitioners in building trust, understanding the importance of cultural awareness, and celebrating diversity in our institutions. 

In our engagement and philanthropic endeavours, we seek to understand, appreciate, and honour our alumni and supporters. This conference provides an opportunity to create a similar environment for our professional community. 

As we gather in Melbourne this May to learn, develop new perspectives, and reinforce the importance of relationship in everything we do, this opening plenary session will be a catalyst for greater conversation and the exchange of ideas.

Experience Level: All Levels

Speaker: Professor Deen Sanders OAM, Partner, Deloitte

Room: Mayfair 1, Level 8

9:55 a.m.

Coffee and Conversations+

Room: Savoy Pre-function Area, Level 8

10:10 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions 1

 

Advancement Services Track

Information privacy and consent – why does it matter and how do we find the right balance?

Appropriate use of personal information has never been under more scrutiny than it has been in recent times. While communicating with alumni and donors is critical for engagement and relationship management, these communications must be respectful of individual's communication preferences and compliant with information privacy legislation. This can be challenging when managing large volumes of data with limited resources, however it is critical to the success of advancement programs. Join this session to understand more about the principles of Australian information privacy legislation and your obligations as a fundraising organisation, and to explore how you find the right balance in your institution.

Experience Level: All levels

Panel Speakers: Rachael Dalton, Acting Senior Director, Advancement Operations, University of Melbourne, Karen McComiskey, Chief Executive Officer, Reventure Ltd Shirley Rooney, General Counsel, Deakin University

Moderator: Joanna Watts, Executive Director, Advancement (interim), University of Melbourne

Room: Mayfair 2, Level 8

 

Alumni Relations Track

Using metrics to successfully drive engagement strategy

CASE Insights on alumni engagement and philanthropy are the only resources serving institutions on recent trends around the world. So the question is, “I’ve got my AEM survey information. What next?”.

In this session Cara Giacomini will discuss how to analyse and use the data to develop strategy and allocate resource accordingly.

Experience Level: Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career, Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Speaker: Cara Giacomini, Vice President, Data, Research, and Technology

Room: Grosvenor 1 2, Level 8

 

Fundraising Track

Transforming Our World Through Philanthropy: The CGCPT Story

The Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics made headlines as the largest gift in Australian history with a $250M gift contributed by Canadian philanthropist, Geoff Cumming. In this behind-the-scenes panel discussion, Prof Sharon Lewin and Allison Howell Quinton will share the journey from a bold idea to a fully co-created proposition for the CGCPT.

The CGCPT is a story about a visionary and generous individual who wants to protect humanity from devastation and disruption when the next pandemic strikes. It is about a brilliant scientist who rose to the occasion to identify the gaps in our infectious diseases capacity and stepped up to build that future, and a fundraiser who enabled and convened the conversations to create bold and new thinking.

Experience Level: Level 3 – Practicing/maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career, Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Panel Speakers: Allison Howell Quinton, CFRE, Senior Director of Advancement, The University of Melbourne, Professor Sharon Lewin, Director, Peter Doherty Institute, The University of Melbourne, Jess Marble

Room: Savoy 3, Level 8

Sponsored by:

 

Marketing and Communications Track

The changing role and future of marketing in advancement

The sands of time are shifting fast in education. Students are increasingly viewed as lifelong learners, and demographic changes and economic headwinds are influencing strategic choices within advancement and alumni functions. The result is that marketing is becoming a strategic orchestrator. In this role, marketing leads the coordination of cross-functional collaboration, utilises data analytics and insights to inform decision making, and employs robotic process automation to make better use of limited time and resources. In this session we will explore what this emergent role of marking means in practice for advancement and alumni functions, and look at data and case studies from around the world to help illustrate this tectonic shift. Global head of Nous Group’s higher education practice, Zac Ashkanasy will navigate participants through this enlightening and engaging session.

Experience Level: All Levels

Speakers: Zac Ashkanasy, Principal, Nous Group

Room: Verandah, Level 8

Sponsored by:

 

11:15 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions 2

 

Advancement Services Track

From Gift Implementation to Impact Reporting: How to Make Sure Gifts Keep Giving

The gift is in – great! – but what comes next? Or rather, what should have come before? This session will outline the fundamentals of a gift lifecycle framework that ensures gifts are implemented and continue to be used in accordance with donor intent. Having a solid framework in place is foundational to the success of stewardship, in particular transparent donor reporting. But, it’s not always easy for advancement to shift institutional-wide practices and implement a donor-centric framework of this nature. How do you onboard institutional partners to support best-practice stewardship?                                      

Join this session to explore how The University of Queensland tackled this shift and the impact it has had – both internally and for their donors.

Experience Level: Level 1 – Early Career, Level 2 – Emerging Early Career, Level 3 – Practicing/maturing Mid-Career

Panel Speakers: Jacqueline Koutsis, Senior Manager, Gift Administration, The University of Queensland, Sharon Christodoulou, Senior Manager, Donor Relations, The University of Queensland

Room: Mayfair 2, Level 8

 

Alumni Relations Track

Enhancing Global Reputation Through Strategic Alumni Programming

We live and work in a dynamic environment, with the need for alumni programming to be strategic, agile, and global by nature to add value to our stakeholders and support institutional reach, reputation, and recruitment. The University of Newcastle’s new five-year alumni engagement plan features four key pillars and will deliver mutually beneficial programming at scale for their alumni communities locally and globally, leveraging partnership, and curation opportunities. In this session, the speakers will offer case studies on campaigns and programmes within two of their pillars that enhance the global reputation of the university. Their recent CASE Gold Circle of Excellence award-winning digital animated short film supports the pillar of STORY and their Global Alumni Ambassador Programme harnesses alumni advocacy and volunteerism on a global level, in support of the LEADERSHIP pillar.

Experience Level: Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career, Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Speakers: Kristy Osman, Head of Alumni Programs, The University of Newcastle Adel Issa, Alumni Programs Manager, The University of Newcastle+

Room: Grosvenor 1 2, Level 8

 

Fundraising Track

To Campaign or not to Campaign?

CCS Fundraising and UNSW Sydney will provide global insights on assessing campaign readiness through a comprehensive checklist, informed by university campaign planning experience across Europe, USA, and Australia. The session will delve into specific considerations for business intelligence and overall university readiness.

Experience Level: Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career, Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Speakers: Leigh Page, Senior Vice President, CCS Fundraising, Kyle Polite, Director of Development, University of New South Wales

Room: Savoy 3, Level 8

Sponsored by:

 

Marketing and Communications Track

Leveraging Adversity to Create Engagement Success: HSUHK FunD (Virtual) Run 2022

Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong in 2020-2022, numerous organisational engagement activities were suspended because of the pandemic and highly stringent social distancing measures. To turn adversity into opportunity, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong moved its social engagement cum fundraising running event almost entirely online which enabled a broader spectrum of supporters to participate and contribute. Aside from staff, students, alumni and donors, the flexible format allowed prospective high school students, businesses with CSR missions, underprivileged NGO users, overseas supporters, etc., to partake in HSUHK's call for educational support.

This session will provide a strategic look into how the event design managed to rally unparalleled support from current and new connections, and reinforced HSUHK's identity as a young private university with a strong will and sense of community.

This event garnered the Best of Asia-Pacific and global Silver Awards at the CASE 2022 Circle of Excellence Awards Programme.

Experience Level: Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career, Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional

Speaker: Tom Fong, Vice-President (Organisational Development), The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

Room: Verandah, Level 8

Sponsored by:

 

Leadership & Other

Making a Case to Invest in Advancement

Delivering the best experience for alumni and donors, raising financial revenue, and retaining talent requires adequate resourcing of Advancement teams. In this session, we will explore how the case for investing in Advancement can be articulated, justified, and defended to leadership. In an increasingly resource-constrained economy, the University of Sydney has defied the odds by achieving record fundraising results during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a sustained growth in resourcing over the past five years. This session will delve into how Advancement was, and continues to be championed as a core part of the University of Sydney’s business, lessons learned through the process, and how global benchmarks can be leveraged as a predictor of what is possible.

Experience Level: Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Speaker: Rosalind Ogilvie, Vice-President (Advancement), University of Sydney

Room: Mayfair 3, Level 8

 

12:25 p.m.

Awards Luncheon

Room: Savoy 1, Level 8

Join us for our APAC 2023 Awards Luncheon to Celebrate our Circle of Excellence and People award recipients.

This Awards Luncheon will be a sit-down two course lunch. Delegates will be required to be seated by 12:25 p.m. sharp.

Sponsored by: 

2:00 p.m.

President's Panel

In this session, you will have the opportunity to hear from a panel of university leaders with experiences in different continents and contexts. The conversation will explore the insights they have gained through their leadership experiences and the opportunities and challenges that they anticipate lie ahead for the educational sector. 

Experience Level: All Levels

Speakers: Professor John Dewar, Vice-Chancellor, La Trobe University Dr Arshad Ahmad, Vice-Chancellor, Lahore University of Management Sciences Professor Cheryl De la Rey, Vice-Chancellor, University of Canterbury Sue Cunningham, President and CEO, Council for Advancement and Support of Education

Room: Savoy 1, Level 8

 

3:00 p.m.

Coffee and Conversations

Room: Savoy Pre-function Area, Level 8

3:25 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions 3

 

Advancement Services Track

Cyber security – what are our responsibilities and are we doing enough?

It seems that a week does not go by without us hearing of another security or data breach. With most of our alumni and donor data now stored in the cloud, often in an ecosystem of Advancement technology, do we understand our responsibilities and are we doing enough to safeguard our systems and our data? Join this session to understand the world of cyber security and how it pertains to the world of Advancement - more info to come!

It seems that a week does not go by without us hearing of another security or data breach. With most of our alumni and donor data now stored in the cloud, often in an ecosystem of Advancement technology, do we understand our responsibilities and are we doing enough to safeguard our systems and our data? Join this session to understand the world of cyber security and how it pertains to the world of Advancement - more info to come!

Experience Level: Level 2 – Emerging Early Career, Level 3 – Practicing/maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career

Speakers: Christina Keing, Partner, Risk Advisory, Deloitte Simon Watson, Head, Advancement Systems and Business Intelligence, Australian National University

Room: Mayfair 2, Level 8

 

Alumni Relations Track

Reconnecting After the Global Pause: ANU 75 Cities and 75 Features

The 75th anniversary of the Australian National University (ANU) provided a key opportunity for the ANU Alumni team to reconnect with its global base of 130,000 alumni—and even more so following the global pandemic and the general pause in engagement.

In honour of this milestone, the ANU Alumni team embarked on an ambitious plan to reconnect alumni across 75 cities and to share the personal stories of 75 alumni, with two core projects in 2022:

• 75 Cities: a series of global alumni reunion events

• 75 Features: a story-telling project of alumni connections

With thanks to almost 250 alumni volunteers, a strong case for investment, social media intel, University leadership and strong diplomatic support – all backed up by strong teamwork – the ANU alumni team successfully delivered on both projects.

Join this CASE-APAC session to hear directly from the ANU Alumni team on their learnings, troubleshooting and strategic vision in delivering these global alumni engagement projects. 

Experience Level: All levels

Speakers: Zeba Salman, Director, Alumni Relations, Australian National University and Co-Presenter, Nurhadi Khan, Alumni Manager, Australian National University and Co-Presenter, Natasha Walton, Senior Alumni Officer, Australian National University and Co-Presenter

Room: Grosvenor 1 2, Level 8

 

Fundraising Track

UQ Founders Pledge: An Entrepreneur’s Ultimate Gift

The University of Queensland has a well-established and highly active entrepreneurship ecosystem that has been dynamically engaged across the UQ community since 2012. With a growing number of UQ alumni undertaking highly successful ventures, the UQ Founders Pledge was created as an opportunity for Founders to join and give back to the UQ entrepreneurial community in a meaningful way.

In this session, you will learn about the UQ Founders Pledge initiative and how philanthropy and alumni engagement can transform entrepreneurship in Higher Education.

Experience Level: Level 3 - Practicing/Maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career

Speakers: Maritza Messina, Senior Manager and Head of Advancement (Student Experience), University of Queensland, Tara Turner, CFRE, Deputy Vice-President, Global and Institutional Philanthropy, University of Queensland+

Room: Savoy 3, Level 8

Sponsored by:

 

Marketing and Communications Track

The storytelling strategies and secrets of great Cases for Support

Through hands-on activities, this session will help you build a better Case for Support in service of major fundraising campaigns. Explore narrative structure, tone of voice, and design. Discuss the research and editorial process, including effective interviewing and sub-editing strategies. Come along if you want to:

• Build your Case with greater clarity and confidence

• Encourage buy-in for your Case from your stakeholders

• Learn how to communicate visually

Topics: Marketing and Communications+

Experience Level: All levels

Speakers: Cameron Pegg, Director, cameronpegg.com.au

Room: Verandah, Level 8

Sponsored by:

 

Leadership & Other

Building Strategic Initiatives of Scale - Advancement at the vanguard

With a growth in commitment to ambitious, institution-wide fundraising targets that address enduring societal challenges, advancement teams across the sector are being challenged to find significant new revenue streams to fund impact-fuelled initiatives. Success will require more than just money, but agile and adaptive teams that can work effectively with large multi-disciplinary cohorts, alliances and partnerships with funders of scale to maximise impact.



This fireside chat for senior advancement professionals will provide insights into how UC Berkeley, The University of Sydney and Monash University are driving transformational support for large-scale institutional priorities through new and innovative partnership approaches. Going beyond the confines of traditional fundraising models, our speakers will share their insights as to what has worked, challenges to be aware of and lessons learned along the way. Join us as we take a closer look at best practice for this next generation of large scale philanthropic investments and projects.

Experience Level: Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Speaker: Dani Howden, Senior Director, Development, Monash University Flora Grant, Director, Principal Gifts (Advancement), The University of Sydney Leti McNeill Light, Executive Director, Principal Gifts & Strategic Initiatives, UC Berkeley

Moderated by: David Faulmann, Deputy Director, Programmatic Partnerships, Monash University

Room: Mayfair 3, Level 8

 

4:30 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions 4

 

Advancement Services Track

Prospect research – what are you doing with your data?

Whether you have a Prospect Development team or just a single researcher, this session will cover how to build a robust major gift prospect pipeline and set your fundraisers up for success. We will talk about effective research techniques, strategic portfolio management, partnering with fundraisers and key issues in prospect development to allow you to maximise the use of data to inform and drive your major gift program.

Experience Level:  Level 2 – Emerging Early Career, Level 3 – Practicing/maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career

Topics: Advancement Services

Speakers: Molly Masiello, Director, Fundraising Research & Consulting Victoria Coyne, Manager, Prospect Development, University of Sydney

 

Alumni Relations Track

Crisis Management: Alumni Communications in Challenging Times

Universities are places of constant change. Whether it’s changes to our research and its impact on society, our branding, our structures, our policies, or our staff, change is the only constant in our sector.

As alumni professionals, we have to be comfortable with change as it relates to our communities. How we react to and communicate change – the planned and the unplanned – can have enormous positive or negative implications for the reputation of our institutions. Hear from three practitioners from across the region as they provide real life examples of change that went well, and some that didn’t – and what we can learn from both. 

Experience Level: Level 3 – Practicing/maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career, Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Panel Speakers: Mark Bentley, Director, Alumni Relations and Development, The University of Auckland Rob Blandford, Associate Director, Alumni Relations, University of Tasmania Anthea Cuddihy, Deputy Director, Advancement Services and Alumni Relations, CQUniversity 

Moderator: Nuzhat Kamran, Director Office of Advancement, Lahore University of Management Sciences

Room: Grosvenor 1 2, Level 8

 

Fundraising Track

UWA: The Living Room: Power of Collective Giving

In 2021, in response to the pandemic and to address an increasing mental health crisis, a pilot project called The Living Room (TLR) was officially launched at The University of Western Australia. Believed to be the first initiative of its kind on a university campus in Australia, TLR provides students with a well-being ‘safe space’ that offers low-barrier, peer-to-peer support for students who are struggling with their mental health. The services are provided by student peer support workers and in-house clinical psychologists. To date over 3,000 students have accessed the service.

Development and Alumni Relations (DAR), in partnership with UWA Student Success and Wellbeing (SSW) team, secured $700,000 pilot funding required to run the programme. By taking a collaborative approach, DAR was able to reach its goal under 18 months through a variety of channels: major giving, COVID relief appeal, global alumni giving, and a subsequent student phone appeal.

Experience Level: Level 1 – Early Career, Level 2 – Emerging Early Career, Level 3 – Practicing/maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career

Speakers: Fiona M. Allan, Chief Advancement Officer, The University of Western Australia Louisa Webb, Manager, Alumni & Community Giving, The University of Western Australia

Room: Savoy 3, Level 8

Sponsored by:

 

Marketing and Communications Track

Six and a half things you need to know about alumni communications in 2023

Five countries. Two continents. 30 institutions. 11 CASE Circle of Excellence Awards. What have we learnt? Quite a lot actually – and so much of it from our insightful, expert clients. Come and hear what HE around the world is thinking about alumni comms – and Mira’s predictions for the future of alumni content and engagement – in this session.

Experience Level: Level 2 – Emerging Early Career, Level 3 – Practicing/maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career

Speaker: Mira Katbamna, Director, YBM

Room: Verandah, Level 8

Sponsored by:

 

5:30 p.m.
Exhibitor and Educational Partner Reception



Savoy Pre-Function Area, Level 8, Grand Hyatt Melbourne

6:30 p.m.
End of Day

 

Thursday, 18 May - Grand Hyatt Melbourne

Time

Programme

7:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

CASE Registration and Hospitality Desk

Savoy Pre-function Area, Level 8

8:00 a.m.

Roundtables

Room: Mayfair 1, Level 8

9:00 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions 5

 

Advancement Services Track

Why Advancement Services is critical to the work of Advancement

The world of advancement is increasingly complex, with a wide range of stakeholders to engage, fundraising goals to meet, and alumni relationships to manage.  Advancement Services plays a critical role in supporting these efforts by providing the systems management, data management, prospect research, gift administration, and reporting and data analytics necessary to run successful fundraising and engagement campaigns.  This panel discussion will explore the importance of Advancement Services in the world of advancement, with a particular focus on the ways in which this function supports the broader fundraising and engagement goals, with particular emphasis of higher education and independent schools.  Our panellists, all experienced leaders in the field, will discuss the skills and expertise required to succeed in Advancement Services, the challenges facing this function today, and the strategies they use to measure and improve its effectiveness.  Through their insights and experiences, we hope to provide attendees with a deeper understanding of the critical role that Advancement Services plays in the success of their institutions.

Experience Level: All Levels

Panel Speakers: Liz Hardy, Chief Advancement Officer, University of Technology Sydney Susanne Williamson, Chief Philanthropy Officer, Monash University Jimmy Buck, Chief Advancement Officer, Deakin University

Moderator: Sue Birch, Principal Consultant, Sue Birch Consulting

Room: Mayfair 2, Level 8

 

Alumni Relations Track

Using Career Education to Engage Alumni

As alumni programmes increasingly delve into the world of career education and development, what are the most effective ways of using such programming to attract and involve target audiences? Find out from two alumni engagement professionals with career education portfolios. Nicole Yeasting and Jenn Parsons will reveal the various ways that they have utilised career education. They will discuss what they have learned from broad-based programmes like monthly webinars; in-person events, partnered with career centres; and launching a career and advising service, by alumni for alumni. Attend this session to discover how career education theory and practice can be integrated with alumni engagement strategies—and why careers and alumni engagement professionals value this evolution.

Experience: All Levels

Speakers: Jenn C. Parsons, Senior Alumni Engagement Manager, The University of Western Australia Nicole Yeasting, Manager, Alumni Career Education, The University of British Columbia  

Room: Grosvenor 1 2, Level 8

 

Fundraising Track

Cross-border Partnership Opportunities to Make Impact and Generate Returns

Driven by both the needs for family successions and the growing recognition of impact investments, more and more mega family foundations and charitable trusts are being created in Asia, with a philosophy that seeks to generate more holistic positive returns in environment, economy, and society. Get insights into how to harness cross-border partnership opportunities to achieve impactful results and generate desired returns.

Experience Level: Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career, Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional

Speakers: Siaou-Sze Lien, Vice President, University Advancement, Nanyang Technological University

Room: Savoy 3, Level 8

Sponsored by:

Marketing and Communications Track

Campaign Case Study: Monash's renewed campaign ‘Change it. For Future Generations’

In 2018, Monash University, Australia's largest university, launched its first ever fundraising campaign, "Change it. For Good." aligned to the University's brand platform of #Changeit. The campaign set out to achieve three goals, raise $500M, 50000 donors, and doubling bequest commitments. 

Reaching these targets a year ahead of schedule, the decision was made to renew the philanthropic campaign, aligning with the University’s new strategic plan Impact 2030, raising $1B.  In July 2022 Monash launched ‘Change it. For Future Generations’,  sharpening our focus on the future beneficiaries of our work, and leveraging Monash's brand campaign which asked the question ‘Is this the endangered generation?’

Join Susanne and Gillian to hear more about Monash's campaign journey, where we will discuss the importance of clear campaign messaging, increased collaboration with alumni engagement and university marketing, engaging senior leadership and volunteers, and our key learnings from renewing Monash's philanthropic campaign.

Experience Level: Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Speakers: Gillian Dodgin, Director, Development (Campaign), Monash University Susanne Williamson, Chief Philanthropy Officer, Monash University

Room: Verandah, Level 8

Sponsored by:

 

Leadership & Other

Global engagement of alumni, students, donors

Experience Level: Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Speakers: Professor Kent Anderson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Global, University of Newcastle, Brett Berquist, Assistant Vice-Chancellor Engagement, University of Canterbury, Rebecca Hazell, Executive Director of Advancement, University of Newcastle

Room: Mayfair 3, Level 8

 

10:00 a.m.
Coffee and Conversations

Room: Savoy Pre-function Area, Level 8

10:30 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions 6

 

Advancement Services Track

Empowering Alumni Giving by ML-Driven Targeting               

Nanyang Technological University has over 260,000 alumni. In previous years, the university has consistently reached out to their alumni and students to raise awareness and cultivate philanthropic support. However, the team experienced an uphill battle in expanding the alumni donors pool, retaining existing alumni donors, and increasing ROI of emails. Direct mails and Phonathon resources were stretched to the maximum with diminishing margin of returns.

Instead of the previous "spray and pray" approach, the newly formed Data Analytics team partnered with data scientists from Dell Technologies adopted various data-driven strategies by leveraging ML technology to support the annual giving fundraising process, from data collection and classification, model training and testing, AB testing and implementation. Within one year, the Alumni Giving team cut down 40% of outreach to the alumni (with significant reduction in email bombings), while the team achieved a more than 70% improvement in response to the appeals. The alumni annual participation rate increased 28% in the year.

The successful experience has proven that using ML model to improve fundraising ROI is not something unreachable for most of the fundraising organisations, as long as the fundraising organisation sets the expectation, plans for long term development and plans the future steps carefully, and involves the right experts in different stages of the transformation process.

Experience Level: All Levels

Speakers: Sharon Yao, Assistant Director, Nanyang Technological University, Chua Gek Huey, Senior Consultant, Data Science, Dell Technologies.

Room: Mayfair 2, Level 8

 

Alumni Relations Track

From Passive to Proactive: Why intentionality matters and what role can we all play.

Join a panel from Deakin University’s Libraries and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) teams as they present a case study of what Deakin has done to foster a more inclusive approach to language in alumni communications, why they did it, why it matters, and where to next.

Experience Level: Level 3 - Practicing/Maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career, Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional

Speaker: Rebecca Berg, Director, Alumni Engagement, Deakin University

Room: Grosvenor 1 2, Level 8

 

Fundraising Track

A Conversation Amongst Practitioners—International Fundraising Today

International fundraising is part of most universities' and schools’ alumni and fundraising programme. This panel discussion with practitioners from universities and schools will discuss what is up to date with international fundraising, and practically, what you should be doing which will make the difference between an acceptable (or not) ROI, and making the very most of your international fundraising and alumni efforts. Post-pandemic, has it changed? Or is what was good practice still good practice? And what legal and technical issues have improved or impeded international activities and support? This is one journey where you don't have to book your seat ahead of time!         

Experience Level: Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career, Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional

Panel Speakers:  Shelagh Murray, Director, Development and Alumni Relations, University of Otago and John Godfrey, PhD, MInstD, CFRE, Owner & Founder, John Godfrey and Associates Abhra Bhattacharjee, Development Director & Head of Foundation, Tanglin Trust School 

Moderator: Nancy Bikson, JD, LLM, Managing Director, Chapel & York

Room: Savoy 3, Level 8

Sponsored by:

 

Marketing and Communications Track

True Inclusion - outreach to the disadvantaged

Access to higher education in Pakistan is around 10%, much lower than the global average of 30%. This means that millions of young Pakistanis are not able to fully realize their potential and play their role as productive members of society. However, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), the premier, private university in the country started a path-breaking program two decades ago to address this challenge by proactively reaching out to marginalized communities and bring the most talented students to study at LUMS. Since its inception in 2001, the program has proven to be a gamechanger by graduating around 1,000 alumni across 145 cities.



A dedicated team oversees the outreach efforts through a systematic, coordinated marketing campaign to ensure that the messaging and communications are compelling, effective and reaching the right segments of society. The National Outreach Program is also a great exemplar of an integrated Advancement team working across campus stakeholders to make the program successful.



This session will highlight the elements of successful outreach and sustainability of a program that not only won the global CASE Platinum Award 2021 in the Best Practices in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion category, but continues to unfold transformational opportunities for young women and men.

Experience: All Levels

Speaker: Nuzhat Kamran, Director Office of Advancement, Lahore University of Management Sciences

Room: Verandah, Level 8

Sponsored by: 

 

Leadership & Other

Building the Architecture for Talent Acquisition in Advancement

Most professions require some sort of formal training before commencing work, whereas fundraisers generally have little prior learning specific to the profession and training is on-the-job. So, is this an opportunity or challenge when it comes to identifying, recruiting and growing university advancement teams?

At a time when the demand for advancement staff in the tertiary sector far outweighs the pool of experienced talent, how do we navigate the market to secure talent and how do we simultaneously foster talent from within our own ranks?

In this session you will hear from the Australian National University’s Ryan Ginard, CFRE and Kellie Takenaka about the internal and external approaches we can take to ensure our sector is an attractive option for talent and that current staff can envisage a long and successful career at their institutions.

Moderated by Jocelyn Kelty, Director of the Australia Office at Richmond Associates, who can share her perspective as a longstanding recruiter of advancement talent across Australia and globally.

Experience Level: Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Speaker: Ryan Ginard, Head of Advancement, College of Business and Economics, Australian National University Kellie Ann Takenaka, Head of Advancement, College of Science, Australian National University Jocelyn Kelty, Director- Australia, Richmond Associates

Room: Mayfair 3, Level 8

 

11:35 a.m.

Concurrent Sessions 7

 

Advancement Services Track

Data visualisation - dashboards, pie charts and graphs, oh my!               

We’ve all seen a great visualisation that brings your data to life.  Go beyond the pretty pictures with Kerryn and Stef as they share their observations of the power and possibilities of data visualisation.  Drawing on their experience across both fundraising and alumni engagement they’ll share case studies demonstrating how data visualisation is utilised at Monash University to support day to day decision making and is transforming behaviours across the organisation.

Learning outcomes include the importance of identifying primary and secondary objectives, how to use data visualisation to improve data hygiene and data literacy, and understanding and managing both intentional and unexpected outcomes of distributed data visualisation. 

Experience Level: Level 3 - Practicing/Maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career, Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Speakers: Kerryn Newbegin, Senior Manager Strategy, Operations & Projects, Monash University Stefanie Hardacre, Associate Director, Advancement Services, Griffith University

Room: Mayfair 2, Level 8

 

Alumni Relations Track

Alumni Relations in a Warming World

Globally, our universities are rising to the challenge of the climate crisis. At the THE Climate Impact Forum in 2021, 1,050 universities from 68 countries committed to reach net-zero emissions and “transform their impact on nature”.

 But how can the relational and very global nature of alumni relations play its part? How can we continue to support thriving alumni communities in a climate-conscious world? How can we catalyse a broader movement of activists to tackle climate change?

 We will share best practices in climate impact minimisation efforts and discuss how we can unleash the power of our alumni and institutional leadership -- to drive awareness and rapid action on climate change and sustainable growth at large.

 From practical tools on events, mitigation, non-profit partnerships and green merchandise to strategic initiatives including co-creation of solutions and sustainability awards - be ready for a myriad of ideas.

Experience Level: Level 3 – Practicing/maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career, Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Speaker: Peter Papagiannis, Alumni Relations Manager, The University of Auckland Antonia Yeung, Associate Vice-President (Development and Campus Services), The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong

Room: Grosvenor 1 2, Level 8

 

Fundraising Track

Gifts in Wills – What Would You Like to Know?!

In this highly interactive session using real time digital polling, we will address the challenges faced by every Gift in Wills program. Through case study examples, we will discuss creative ways to secure internal buy-in, raise awareness, and develop your strategy to acquire new pledges and build a solid pipeline. Let us help to inspire you and showcase the magic and privilege of our roles in a very specialised area of advancement.

Experience Level: Level 3 - Practicing/Maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career

Speakers: Janet Hall, Senior Development Manager, UNSW Sydney Tracey King, Development Manager, Gifts in Wills, Deakin University

Room: Savoy 3, Level 8

Sponsored by:

Marketing and Communications Track

Global Brand Building 

Building strong, recognizable, and relevant brands has never been more important and challenging for universities as they need to expand their reach worldwide to connect with their key stakeholders and enhance their international presence. In this session, experiences will be shared on how The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) effectively build and manage its global visibility in today's dynamic and ever-changing marketplace.

Experience Level: Level 3 – Practicing/maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career

Speaker: Daisy P Chan, Director of Public Affairs, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Room: Verandah, Level 8

Sponsored by:

12:35 p.m.

Lunch and Awards Showcase

Room: Savoy Pre-function Area, Level 8, Room: Savoy 1, Level 8

1:15 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions 8

 

Advancement Services Track

CRM selection and implementation – friend or foe?

Implementing a new Advancement CRM is a project that many institutions embark upon at some point, and often more than once. Regardless of the size of your institution, the maturity of your fundraising program or the main driver for a project of this type, it is a significant undertaking and there can be many hiccups along the way. That said, doing your research, understanding what you’re embarking upon and why, making sure you are appropriately resourced and having a plan are all likely to play a significant role in the success of your CRM implementation. Join this moderated panel discussion to learn from the experiences of three institutions who have recently implemented a new Advancement CRM.

Experience Level: Level 2 – Emerging Early Career, Level 3 – Practicing/maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career, Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Speakers: Simon Watson, Head Advancement Systems and Business Intelligence, Australian national University, Nikki McGregor, Director, Development Services, Monash University, Alison Kinder, Advancement Services Manager, The University of Newcastle

Moderator: Sue Birch,  Principal Consultant, Sue Birch Consulting

Room: Mayfair 2, Level 8

 

Alumni Relations Track

Personalisation and Co-Design in Alumni, Donor, and Community Engagement

Most of us agree that alumni and other community champions possess knowledge and perspectives ranging from insightful to world class. But, how often do we "do for" rather than "design with" our valued stakeholders? Expediency, fear, tradition can all be used to rationalise current practices. There are other methods.

Design thinking and co-design are now well-established practices in many environments, however, they have been more slowly adopted in advancement. This session will explore working with alumni and other supporters at the front end—creating programmes and engagement opportunities in concert with those who know best—the intended audience. It will share real-life examples, examine guiding principles, explore our concerns, and invite dialogue on what we can do better. Whether you run a team, a project, or a programme, this session will be of value to you.

Experience Level: Level 3 – Practicing/maturing Mid-Career, Level 4 - Senior/Experienced Mid-Career, Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional

Speakers: Mark C. Sollis, Strategist & Creative, D3 Advancement Studio and Co-Presenter Tara Loty, Associate Director, Advancement and Alumni, Australian Catholic University  

Room: Grosvenor 1 2, Level 8

 

Fundraising Track

Showing Donors the Love: Why Donor Relations is Everyone’s Responsibility!

What happens at your institution after a donor gives? How do you thank your donors, acknowledge their support, and provide regular updates on how their giving makes a difference?

Donor relations plays a key role in future-proofing your fundraising programme and growing a sustainable culture of philanthropy for your institution. It is also everybody's responsibility! Well-executed donor relations retains your current donors, keeps them engaged, and attracts new donors. This does not need to be complicated, expensive or difficult but does need to take into account the scale of support.

From appeal to donors, to bequestors, major and principal gifts, domestic or international, university or school, this presentation will provide simple and easy to implement strategies applicable to any and every advancement professional.

Experience Level: All levels

Speakers: Lucy J. Moore, Senior Development Manager, Queensland University of Technology

Room: Savoy 3, Level 8

Sponsored by:

 

Marketing and Communications Track

Advancement & Communications – Partnering to elevate reach, reputation and revenue

Marketing, Communications and Media teams have a responsibility to elevate the profiles of our organisations through various channels. Advancement Offices are tasked with generating significant philanthropic income and engaging with many constituents. When these two teams come together in strategic partnerships they can elevate reach, reputation and revenue. Colleagues from LaTrobe, Deakin and Newcastle share their insights and recommendations for making it work!

Experience Level: All levels

Speakers: Claire Bowers, Director, Media and Communications, La Trobe University Andy Newton, Senior Manager, Media and Corporate Affairs, Deakin University Stephen May, Chief Advancement Officer, La Trobe University Rebecca Hazell, Chief Advancement Officer, The University of Newcastle

Room: Verandah, Level 8

Sponsored by:

 

Leadership & Other

Engaging, inspiring and influencing your institutional leadership

From helping to embed a culture of philanthropy through to playing an active part in campaigns, alumni engagement and principal gift fundraising, the buy-in of the senior leadership of an institution is a vital ingredient if you are to build a strong and successful Advancement program. But with so many other calls on their time and attention, where do you start? With almost five decades of experience leading University Advancement teams between them, Nick and Siôn will share their perspectives, war stories and practical lessons learned on how best to engage with your senior academic (and non-academic) leadership, increase their understanding and, crucially, gain their support for your endeavours.

Experience Level: Level 5 - Expert Seasoned Professional, Level 6 - Leadership/Transforming Seasoned Professional

Speakers: Nick Blinco, Vice President (Advancement), The University of Melbourne Siôn Lutley, Partner, More Partnership

Room: Mayfair 1, Level 8

 

2:15 p.m.

Coffee and Conversations

Room: Savoy Pre-function Area, Level 8

2:30 p.m.

Closing Plenary

Resilience 2.0: Mental Fitness

Advancement practitioners are operating In a world of constant workplace change and novel stressors and resilience—the ability to bounce back—has become sub-optimal. In order to successfully adapt to stressors and challenges and thrive under pressure, we need high levels of mental fitness. In this stimulating blend of neuroscience, psychology and physiology, Paul explores what mental fitness is, and goes through some evidence-based practices that we can all implement in our lives to move up the mental fitness continuum.

Experience Level: All Levels

Speaker: Paul Taylor, Director, The Mind-Body-Brain Performance Institute

Room: Mayfair 1, Level 8

4:00 p.m.
Main Conference Concludes