No one could have predicted the fallout from COVID. The experience of lockdown and the explosion of digital experiences that ensued have both had a huge effect on the way alumni relations professionals work and how our audiences react. But there are other ‘disruptors’ we need to contend with and perhaps more to come: the changing demographics of our alumni communities, the expectations of recent graduates for a more personalised relationship with their institutions, the increased reliance on technology and systems to deliver a seamless experience. All these ‘disruptors’ and more will require us to be ever more adaptive and agile and might even influence the sorts of people we hire into our teams. Please join us for this track opening thought leadership session where we’ll polish our crystal ball and tap into key insights from highly experienced colleagues based in the US, Canada, the Middle East, Asia and Europe.

A dynamic and interactive session unpacking the powerful concept of 'glocal' - a hybrid approach to education brand building which maximises both global and local engagement and reputation to create a coherent brand narrative to enhance an institution's standing and impact.

We will explore good practice from within the education sector and in health and retail sectors to exemplify the approach and outline to tools delegates need to enrich their own institutions' brands.

The history of how universities formed is almost certainly shaping your fundraising programme, and maybe not in a good way. Listen to best practices in Strategic Initiative fundraising and prepare your whole institution to give the donors what they want and achieve the impact you’re really capable of.  Challenge yourself to be a leader and do the evolution of fundraising – because if you want to solve 21st century problems, you might need to break out of some 11th century silos first.

Do you tune out when people are talking? Do you listen without judging? Do you create the space for people to feel heard? The reality is we hear less than 50% of what is being said in any conversation. When we listen and truly hear what is being said we build trust and a safe space for conversations to flourish.

Are these skills inherent or are they developed? How can you develop and enhance your listening skills to engage more effectively with your donors and others? Good listening practices can be learned and are the key to developing fresh insights and ideas that have impact and fuel success.

This session will touch on the theory and practice of effective listening, bust some myths and share some realities, warts and all, and will be interactive with stories and audience participation that will demonstrate how we can create a greater awareness of our own listening skills, through tried and tested coaching techniques.

The COVID-19 pandemic crisis leveled the field and alumni engagement went virtual and inclusive. For years, engaging international alumni included some form of virtual engagement: online meetings with volunteers, knowledge exchanges and career development. Alumni relations depended mostly on international chapter leaders to organise and maintain the relationship between alumni abroad and their alma mater. New approaches are evolving due to switching most alumni activities online during the crisis. What are some of the new approaches? Why should higher education continue to invest in virtual engagement? How do international alumni and their alma mater benefit from online community building? This interactive session explores answers to these questions by using results of academic research and successful practices in the field.

How do we create a meaningful value exchange with our new graduates, which supports graduate employability and helps to deliver university priorities?

In this session, you will hear about University of Southampton's Graduate Ambassador Scheme - an exciting volunteering programme specifically for new graduates, which engages them as ambassadors for the University, whilst helping them to be work ready in a challenging employment market. Learn about the ways that our Graduate Ambassadors are giving back to the University through volunteering, and how we, as an alumni office, are supporting them to develop key employability skills and networks to help them stand out against their peers.

Our planet is facing a climate crisis. We urgently need to re-evaluate every aspect of society to reduce our carbon footprint.

In the education sector, we monitor the impact of our content on student recruitment, research impact, alumni fundraising…but how often do we review the impact of our content on climate change?

In this session, we’ll show you how to:

1. Calculate the carbon footprint of your school, college, or university content.
2. Decarbonise your content by applying the 5 Rs of the waste hierarchy: refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, retire.
3. Create change personally and across your school, college, or university.
4. Spread the message of content decarbonisation throughout the education sector, so more students, alumni, professionals, and academic colleagues cut their content carbon footprint.

If a beautiful story is what you seek, dance this way and take a peek.
Together in tango, we will move, to discover what makes your content groove.
Grab my hand, I’ll lead the way, and show you how your brand can slay.
I want to make your mind shift, a twist of perspective will be my gift.
You know it’s no longer what you share, but that you convey it with care.
It’s time to step in a new direction and change your concept of perfection.
For it is always a story with soul, that will end up stealing the show.

Whereas theories and practices of fundraising have largely emerged in the English-speaking world, there is no doubt that higher education advancement is now a global phenomenon. Adjustments are made to create relevance and impact in different cultures, and solutions are developed on the go – often with small teams and no previous guidelines. With examples ranging from the governmental matching funding campaign dynamics of Finland to grand challenge fundraising in South Africa, we look at how fundraising is shaping into culture-specific forms that may challenge traditional theories and practices. In this interactive session, you will also be provided with sufficient space to reveal your own creative fundraising on the go! We invite you, therefore, to bring your cultural observations and experiences to the discussion, for the continuous advancement of the advancement profession.

Latest statistics show that the UK legacy market in 2030 will be £5.1billion and that higher and private education is in the fastest growing sector in the legacy market today. As we reimagine our philanthropic fundraising programmes and practices, this panel of university legacy fundraisers will answer all questions about fitting out our legacy programmes for the future – where and how much to invest, what to get right in stewardship and acquisition, and how to ensure your institution is top of mind when your alumni make their final will. Come along with your burning questions and hear how to set your institution up for success.