Are you curious about how artificial intelligence could enhance your alumni relations and fundraising—but unsure where to start? This session is designed for those just starting their AI journey. We’ll break down simple, practical ways AI can support your everyday activities, share real-life examples from university advancement, and create a space to exchange ideas with peers. Leave feeling inspired, equipped with actionable steps, and ready to explore how AI can help you connect, communicate, and succeed in new ways!

In this session, LUT University (Finland) and Vilnius University (Lithuania) will share their experiences hosting two major alumni events: the LUT Homecoming Day and the VU Alumni Festival'24. The LUT Homecoming Day occurred on April 13, 2024, at the Lappeenranta campus and attracted over 2,000 alumni. This major alumni event was about showing our appreciation and fostering cooperation—to strengthen our alumni's role as active members of LUT University. This breakout session presents the story of our first Homecoming Day. The VU Alumni Festival'24 brings together over 2,000 Vilnius University alumni. It marked the first large-scale alumni gathering in years, with the primary goal of welcoming alumni back to the University, rekindling connections, and highlighting the importance of the alumni community to Vilnius University. During this session, we will delve into: • The goals and starting points set for each event • Practical strategies for marketing to alumni • Key elements of the on-campus experiences • Lessons learned and key takeaways from organizing large-scale events We will also share practical insights, including the do's and don'ts of planning major alumni events, best practices, and the challenges we faced along the way. Our aim is to provide valuable lessons from our successes and mistakes so that attendees can avoid common pitfalls and build even more successful alumni engagement initiatives. Join us to gain actionable insights and inspiration for creating impactful and memorable alumni experiences!

Do we need CRM systems when we work with alumni and external relations? If we work with a CRM system we need a god practice to handle all the data. How do we handle GDPR? How do we structure data about alumni and external relations? How do we work with fundraising processes?. How do we integrate to student service systems and other systems? During the discussion we will look answers to all these and other related questions. We will share our experience and reporting good practices.

Creating, building and sustaining relationships with your alumni around the world is challenging, but can also be very rewarding. How much should be done at the individual level (i.e. contact with regional representatives, like an alumni ambassador programme) versus organised groups (aka “chapters”)? What are the pros and cons of each model? How much time should be invested, and what is the ROI? What communications prove to be most valuable and effective? What metrics are worth measuring (or possible to measure) in terms of engagement within international networks/groups? Does this vary from metrics for engagement at the national level? What are some future trends within this area?

We discuss how to bridge the gap between studies and work by using alumni as a resource in showing the relevance of the education. By showing our current students what our alumni works with, we give them concrete examples of how their competence can be applied in the work force.

Chalmers arranges a number of school activities to boost interest in STEM subjects and bridge the educational gap. Alumni play a key role in conducting these activities. Not only do they help with practical tasks, but more importantly, their presence and guidance can ignite a passion for science and technology, encouraging kids to pursue their own educational and career goals in these fields. We will share our best practice and lessons learned.

Due Diligence and related data have been one of the focus points in higher education area during the last years. High-quality data and the ability to use it analytically to support this is crucial for successful fundraising and agile alumni relations. The importance of centralized and structured process and CRM Master Data is also at the core. In this session, I'll share hands-on how this has unfolded in Aalto University and invite you to bring your insights and questions to the discussion.

Creating, building and sustaining relationships with your alumni around the world is challenging, but can also be very rewarding. How much should be done at the individual level (i.e. contact with regional representatives, like an alumni ambassador programme) versus organised groups (aka “chapters”)? What are the pros and cons of each model? How much time should be invested, and what is the ROI? What communications prove to be most valuable and effective? What metrics are worth measuring (or possible to measure) in terms of engagement within international networks/groups? Does this vary from metrics for engagement at the national level? What are some future trends within this area?

We discuss how to bridge the gap between studies and work by using alumni as a resource in showing the relevance of the education. By showing our current students what our alumni works with, we give them concrete examples of how their competence can be applied in the work force.

Do we need CRM systems when we work with alumni and external relations? If we work with a CRM system we need a god practice to handle all the data. How do we handle GDPR? How do we structure data about alumni and external relations? How do we work with fundraising processes?. How do we integrate to student service systems and other systems? During the discussion we will look answers to all these and other related questions. We will share our experience and reporting good practices.