PREP AND

CIRCUMSTANCE

M A K I N G A N N U A L E V E N T S N E W S W O R T H Y T I M E A F T E R T I M E

WELCOME AND HELLO

Kristen BaileyCommunications Managerkbailey@gatech.edu@kshawbailey

Serena WallaceEvent Coordinatorsfwallace@gatech.edu@thefriz11

WHAT IS THIS?

A Commencement Case Study(Fall 2015)

• Through Spring 2013: Just a traditional news release

• No homepage presence

HOW WERE WE ACKNOWLEDGING IT?

WHY CHANGE?

WHY CHANGE?

Commencement felt stale

• We were on auto-pilot

• Repeating without innovation

• Didn’t match our facelift

WHY CHANGE?

WHY CHANGE NOW?

Milestone = Deadline

WHY CHANGE NOW?

WHY CHANGE NOW?

Positive response from small scale test

We had the right people and resources.

WHY CHANGE NOW?

• Large group brainstorming

• Likes and dislikes equally important

• Benchmark

HOW TO START

HOW TO START

• Reformat the Parent Postcard

• Have oldest grad in the ceremony

• Invite alumni to sit at the ceremony

• Throwback edition of the Technique/Whistle

• Monthly articles on Commencement traditions

• Commencement App

• Reformat the Commencement webpage

• Have golfcart rides from parking

• Make a student seating chart

• Add Live pre-ceremony video

• Have commentators on the webstream

• Create an interactive program for online

• Add social media posts to the pre-show

• Email parents as students walk across stage

• Add screens to line up

• Create program games like a scavenger hunt

• Use go-pros to get different ceremony POV

• Create a mortar board decorating contest

• New infographics about the ceremony for web and jumbo tron use

• Show ceremony stats during the ceremony

• Create a new commencement prep video

• Add LED screens to the stage

• Add decorations to O'Keefe Gym

• Light up the campus in celebration

• Place regalia around campus

• Add more video elements to the live show

• Give commencement signage to colleges

• Robots at the ceremony

• More balloons

• Redesign the banners

• Add live music to the ceremony

• Redesign the commencement program

• Create commencement graphics for gatech.edu

• Volunteer recruitment campaign

• Add humor and memes to student communications

• Text message system for students or guests

• Mobile ticketing system

Or, how Commencement will take over the world

• Main page = Commencement

• Extend the life of the event

• Get excited

EVENT GOALS

• Go beyond the basics of Commencement day

• Celebrate the Tech community and tradition

• Make this Commencement special for both the graduates and the people who go every semester

GOALS

GOALS

The Official Collaboration List

• Create evergreen videos

• Actively curate our pre-show

• Have homepage reflect that it’s Commencement

• Create Commencement-related features to lead up to the ceremony

WHAT CHANGED?

WHAT CHANGED?

B-Roll for days!

WHAT CHANGED?

Created videos unique to Commencement, but evergreen to play

Commencement LIVE

• Event pre-show

• Entertain guests

• Showcase our students

• Reuse content

WHAT CHANGED?

WHAT CHANGED?

WHAT CHANGED?

WHAT CHANGED?

WHAT CHANGED?

WHAT CHANGED?

WHAT CHANGED?

WHAT CHANGED?

WHAT CHANGED?

WHAT CHANGED?

WHAT CHANGED?

DID WE ACHIEVE OUR GOALS?

• Event Goals

• Commencement reign supreme

• Extend the life of the event

• Happy faces

• News Goals

• Go beyond basics

• Celebrate people and tradition

• Make it special whether it's your first or 50th ceremony

HOW DO WE MEASURE SUCCESS?

• Commencement coverage began mid-November.

• Homepage domination began beginning of Commencement week.

HOW DO WE MEASURE SUCCESS?

• For month of Fall 2015 Commencement, our three Commencement features were the most viewed on our site.

• Cap and Gown: Got as many clicks in two days as we typically get in one week.

• What Not to Wear: top story on our entire news site.

• Features six months later:

• Breaking Down the Cap and Gown: #7

• A Family Tradition: #15

• Looking Back: #21

HOW DO WE MEASURE SUCCESS?

HOW DO WE MEASURE SUCCESS?

HOW DO WE MEASURE SUCCESS?

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

• Start each semester with a brainstorm

• Identify what can we re-use

• Create a formula to reach all audiences

• Graduates

• Alumni/Guests

• Faculty/Staff

• Expand the group

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

THANK YOU

Kristen BaileyCommunications Managerkbailey@gatech.edu@kshawbailey

Serena WallaceEvent Coordinatorsfwallace@gatech.edu@thefriz11