Special Events

Judges looked for innovation, audience engagement, and responsible use of resources as they reviewed the more than 65 entries in the individual and year-long special events categories. Winning events included a simple and engaging ground-breaking ceremony, an elaborate and visually stunning campaign kick-off, an effective and well-organized bus tour, and a focused and well-executed year-long anniversary celebration. All of the winners demonstrated an understanding of institutional mission, attentiveness to their target audiences, and clear strategies to achieve defined goals.

Individual Special Events 

Gold Medals

California State University, (The California State University and AT&T Road to College Tour)

• The California State University system joined forces with AT&T in a public/private partnership to improve access to college among underserved populations. With just six weeks to prepare, the project team planned a two-week road trip to high schools and college fairs around the state via a tour bus with a dorm room-style interior, laptop computers and on-site mentors. Judges were impressed by the detailed planning, innovative approach, broad reach of the project, the achievement of well-defined goals, the linkage to institutional mission and the overall positive portrayal of education.

Loyola University Chicago, (Partner: The Campaign for the Future of Loyola)

• The campaign kick-off event had what judges described as the "wow factor." Event planners built a stunning interior garden of shrubs, plants and trees underneath an outdoor tent. The tent also housed an art-deco set reflecting the campus's architectural style, a gazebo to showcase the evening's entertainment, and beautifully appointed space for a cocktail reception and dinner. This stunning event made the optimal use of resources; for example, everything in the garden was replanted elsewhere on campus and in the nearby community.

Marquette University, (Law School Groundbreaking for Eckstein Hall)

• Turned an ordinary ground-breaking into a memorable event by inviting everyone who attended - more than 850 people, most of them lawyers -- to grab a shovel. Participants were treated to a picnic lunch and took home their own miniature, engraved shovels to mark the day. Judges were impressed that the university engaged everyone present (not to mention that the event planners found so many shovels!). The event that had a high-level feel without being elaborate or expensive, and it generated visibility and support for the building project.

Silver Medal

Bradley University, (A Red Tie Gala)

• Had the judges' attention at the words "red tie gala." Invitations for the campaign kick-off event came with boxed red bow ties, and the event itself became interactive as participants were asked to use their cell phones to share text-messages about their Bradley memories. More than 1,300 messages were projected onto four large screens during the dinner. Overall, this fresh, innovative and interactive event engaged students and donors alike.

Bronze Medals

Cornell University, (Weill Hall Dedication)

• Cornell University's dedication of Weill Hall and Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology incorporated the purpose of the building into every detail, large and small. Instead of a ribbon-cutting, a "DNA gate" opened. Planners served drinks in "tube shooters" instead of glasses. Students and staff greeted guests in white lab coats. Judges appreciated the creativity of this entry.

Emory University, (Campaign Emory Kick-off, Gala and Celebration)

• Emory University's campaign launch made excellent use of internal resources and offered a creative interpretation of the university's vision, as told through an original performance by a Cirque du Soleil-style troupe. Judges were impressed that two well-conceived and visually stunning campaign kick-off events touched more than 2,200 donors and potential donors over two days.

Year-Long Special Events

Judges advise next year's special events entrants to focus on quality over quantity, both in the events they create as well in as their entries into the Circle of Excellence awards. Events that were overdone or cost more than the benefits they were likely to bring to the institution were put aside in favor of those that used resources well and focused more on the audience than the effect. Entries that overwhelmed the judges with every press clipping, the names of attendees and other unnecessary details where put aside in favor of entries that were well-organized, well-written and well-focused.

Judges appreciated entries that included plans and metrics demonstrating strategy and outcome. They also welcomed visuals -- including pictures and floor plans -- that helped them see the event as originally envisioned and as participants experienced it.

Finally, the judges remind entrants that, as special event professionals, they care about packaging and presentation. They encourage entrants to proofread, to organize entries so that they're easy to view handle, and to think green by printing on both sides of the paper whenever possible.

Gold Medal

Washington College, (Washington College: The Revolution Continues)

• Washington College celebrated its 225th anniversary with a variety of events and publications that reflected originality, continuity in messaging, and alignment with the institution's history and mission. The college created a virtual archive Web site, hosted a five-part colloquy with current and former U.S. senators, collaborated with two Smithsonian museums on a lecture series focusing on art and culture, and held waterfront and arts festivals to focus on aspects of institutional mission - all on a budget of less than $67,000 for the year.

Silver Medal

Hofstra University, (Educate ‘08: Dialogue, Democracy and the '08 Debate, A Year-Long Series of Events Leading to Debate '08)

• Hofstra University made the most of its opportunity to host the third and final presidential debate, holding a number of events during year leading up to the actual debate in order to engage students, increase awareness of a new center on the American presidency, and generate media coverage. Judges agreed that the effort was classy, well-organized, and well-branded and credited planners for setting, measuring and achieving their goals.