In a world of distractions and shrinking attention spans, listening is a disappearing art. Gaining insights into stakeholders’ diverse experiences takes collecting stories and asking “crazy good” questions. Turn off your cell phones and join us to make listening your philanthropic superpower!

Learn how Marian University (Indianapolis) utilized the 10 year anniversary of their College of Osteopathic Medicine to secure a $29M naming gift from a family who had $0 giving history until three years prior.

How can you elevate cherished alumni traditions and allow room for fresh experiences? Learn how Denison University reimagined its reunion experience with enhanced technology, fresh programming, and record-breaking participation. Explore how Macalester College brought its 150th anniversary to life, connecting a global alumni base with fresh twists on existing programming, new ways of storytelling, and ample opportunities to celebrate. Join us to learn about the process from concept creation through execution including planning, communication, events, and more. You’ll walk away with actionable insights and ideas to help you transform your own campus events into unforgettable celebrations.

In today's digitally-driven world, effective communication is paramount for higher education institutions to engage with prospective students. Email remains one of the most prevalent forms of communication, but crafting impactful messages and communication requires a strategic approach.
Join us for an insightful speaker session on email communication strategy and planning. This session will delve into the nuances of creating compelling email campaigns and overarching communication strategies tailored for the higher education sector.
Our speaker will share tips in developing your unique audience, creating an email production workflow, practical insights into email flow strategy development, and other best practices to equip attendees with the knowledge and tools needed to elevate their organization’s communication efforts. Whether you're an email marketer, strategist, manager, or administrator, this session promises valuable takeaways to enhance your organization’s communication impact.

Discover how to transform unassigned prospects into engaged donors through strategic relationship management. This session will showcase how to keep potential donors "warm" by ensuring ongoing communication, even without immediate assignment to a relationship manager. Additionally, we'll explore the rapid growth of Illinois Tech’s regional events program, driven by targeted outreach using geographic mapping tools, which has significantly increased alumni participation nationwide.
We'll also touch on how integrating key engagement forms into their platform has streamlined volunteer management and improved data capture, enabling more effective alumni engagement.