In 2020, when most institutions were canceling events or moving them online because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Utah Valley University institutional advancement team decided to reimagine the annual President’s Scholarship Ball.

The U.S. institution transformed what was typically a black-tie gala into a 1950s-themed drive-in movie night. The decision earned the team a Gold 2021 Circle of Excellence Award in the special events: in-person, single-day events category.

“Since the Presidential Scholarship Fund is directly impacted by the proceeds of this event, it didn’t sit right with us to hold back scholarships because we couldn’t hold a traditional event,” says Ashton Stitt, Senior Strategic Advisor of Executive Events for Utah Valley University. “So, we started brainstorming ways we could get creative with an event while maintaining the different rules and regulations put in place by the Centers for Disease Control, the state, and the university.”