Use this time to log in, view resources, and test your connectivity. The conference will begin promptly at 11:00 am EDT.
11:00–11:30
Welcome and Introductions/Setting the Stage
Join conference leadership to meet the faculty, review conference highlights and learn how to get the most out of your time online.
11:30 AM–12:30 PM
Faculty Panel and Facilitated Conversation: The Year That Was 2020
Join our faculty team as we make sense of the year that was in events and explore the lasting impacts that COVID-19 and social unrest had on advancement enterprises and event teams across the industry. Together we’ll examine lessons learned and how we create meaning as a community from a year that challenged the success of advancement enterprises and the wellbeing of the leaders within it.
12:30–1:00
Stretch Break
Use this time to move around a bit, check out resources in the library, or connect with fellow attendees though the live chat. We could add a self-care activity here.
1:00–1:45
Elective Sessions (choose one)
Building Communities and Creating a More Inclusive Culture with Thematic Programming
Edwina Simms, MPA, Director of Regional Engagement (University of Denver)
Shanda Twiggs, Event Manager (University of Denver)
Building sustainable communities and promoting a culture of inclusion drives true innovation and lasting transformation across advancement. But understanding how to take the first or next step in the culture-building process is not always simple. Join us as we learn from a mission -driven team who executed their strategic vision that was steered by passion and the intentionality of approaching their work through a DEI lens, while also working to build and enhance communities and create a space where diverse experiences and perspectives are celebrated and foster a greater sense of connection and overall belonging.
Wine and Cheese Go Together Like Data and Events
Devon Pasha, Associate Director of Special Events for Alumni Relations, Drexel University
We know you've been to wine pairings, cocktail pairings, maybe even chocolate pairings but are you daring enough to try Data pairings? Data and metrics are the new bold flavors for 2021 and beyond. Learn how assessment and analysis can enhance a strategic plan, how data can enrich and build event goals and objectives, and how metrics can complement event reporting. This interactive session will give you insights into how best to utilize all the tools at your disposal to not only build a solid foundation for successful events but what you can track to determine event success, make educated decisions about attendance, and set attainable goals. Who's hungry?
1:45–2:00
Stretch Break
2:00–2:45
Elective Sessions (choose one)
Lessons Learned: Closing a Campaign during a Pandemic, and Other Tales of Love and Loss…
Kelly Liggett, Managing Director of Strategic Engagement, University Advancement, Colorado State University
Campaigns have traditionally followed a nicely planned formula. The silent phase, a public launch, the building crescendo of giving, and an elaborate closing event. But what happens when the formula is disrupted? In this session we will discuss how Colorado State University reinvented their campaign close experience in just three months, and what we learned about need vs. want during the process. We’ll then talk about how we have applied these learnings over the past year, and how we are using this knowledge to focus our engagement planning for the upcoming year (and beyond). This session is geared towards medium to large institutions whose work is either partially or fully decentralized, or organizations who are interested in right-sizing their campaign event efforts.
Cool It with the Happy Hours
Matt Lucerto, Director of Affinity and Domestic Engagement, Northeastern University
The tried and true happy hour was a staple for engaging alumni that had just graduated from college. The promise of free food and an adult beverage or two was so simple to organize but it was little on return for engagement. This season will talk about engagement efforts that were used during the pandemic to engage our youngest alumni when a virtual happy just didn’t work anymore. We will also talk about post pandemic life and how to move from the happy hour program to content driven program for these alumni.
3:00–3:15
Day 1 Debrief and Next Steps for Day 2
All Faculty
3:15–4:00
Networking Team Trivia!
Join fellow attendees and faculty members for a fully interactive team trivia experience! Through this fun and engaging activity, you’ll have the chance to meet and make connections. Only need to bring your favorite beverage and your thinking cap.
4:00
Conference Adjourns for the Day
10:00-10:45 AM
Roundtable Discussions and Networking
Bring your breakfast, lunch, of coffee and connect with peers to share best practices, ideas, and support. Each group will receive discussion prompts and will be encouraged to participate in these interactive conversations on timely topics.
10:45–11:00
Transition Break
Wrap-up your conversations and prepare to login to the lightning talks.
11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Wellness Shots
5–10-minute talks highlighting key topics and examples in personal and professional well-being
Burnout, exhaustion, disengagement, languishing... We’ve all experienced it in some form over the last year. Treat yourself to some inspiration from our events community for investing in your well-being to sustain great performance and to be your best self. Cheers!
12:00-12:15
Stretch Break
12:15-1:00 PM
Elective Sessions (choose one)
Okay, Planners, Now Let’s Get in Formation: Strategic Planning in Event Production
Correan Barker, Associate Director of Events, Alumni and Donor Relations, The Evergreen State College
Whether virtual or in-person, events serve as vehicles for communication and connection. The fuel for any event should be strategy but often microscopic planning details monopolize time and distract event leaders and collaborators from maximizing impact. Join this dynamic session on aligning events with institutional priorities to increase effectiveness, lead your team, and adapt systems through intense periods of disruption. We’ll discuss specific examples that demonstrate the power of events when strategy is the driver. You’ll leave with tools for leading with strategy, building strategic partnerships, and growing your leadership in the process. Slay!
In-Person, Virtual, and Hybrid…Oh My! Leveraging Data to Produce Impactful Events
Dusti Cermak, Director, Events, University of Iowa Center for Advancement
Events bring people together in important ways; what this looks like is changing in exciting (and daunting) ways. This session will provide questions we all must ask ourselves as we determine what the future of events looks like for our organization and how we can leverage data to help us make those decisions.
1:00-1:30
Stretch Break
1:30-2:15
Elective Sessions (choose one)
10 Event Trends for the Future
Brian J. Elizardi,Director of Alumni Engagement, University of Denver
The events of the last 18 months have hardened event leaders in numerous unexpected ways, include a healthy fear of uncertainty and volatility and the havoc they can wreck on the best laid plans. But what if you could see around the corner to what’s next in the event industry and begin to steer out of the curve that is COVID-19? Come explore some of the emerging trends and macro forces that are shaping our work in the years to come and gain valuable takeaways and insights for your team and organization.
No one left behind: 25 simple ways to increase diversity and equity events
Angela Senter, Event Manager, Washington State University
The past year has been infused with protests, activist movements, and a media firestorm of racial inequalities. Diversity and inclusion have been a topic of consideration in higher education for decades but are paramount in conversations today. This session offers 25 steps to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive event regardless of location or format. Examples are drawn from real life events in a higher education setting. You’ll gain firsthand knowledge from success stories as well as a few epic disasters! The session will cover best marketing and communication practices such creating ADA-compliant promotional materials reflecting gender and ethnic diversity to securing accessible event space. After this session you will have an easy-to-use tool box of resources to create stress-free, inclusive events.
2:30-3:45
Faculty Panel and Facilitated Conversation: Accelerating Out of the Curve
The events of the last year have certified that the only constant in the life of an event leader is that there are no constants. Drawing upon the expertise of our faculty and the wisdom of our community, come get inspired on how to take the lessons learned from the conference and transform those into your next winning concept or engagement while maintaining your commitment to healthy balance and creativity.
