CASE Europe Annual Conference 2010

Programme - Thursday 2 September 2010

07.45-08.45 Breakfast Roundtables

Career services for alumni
Judith Raab, Head of Alumni Relations and Career Services and Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria

Gift agreements
Frances Shepherd, Head of Alumni & Development, University of Strathclyde

Your social media landscape as a recruitment channel - friend or foe, benefit or barrier?
John Campbell, Regional Director for Scotland and Adrian Porter, Head of Strategic Research, Precedent

Managing market research for better strategic decision-making
John Callen, Director, Callen Associates

What to do when you get approached by a Headhunter
Moyra Doyle, Managing Director, Richmond Associates

1994 Group of Development Directors networking breakfast
Siôn Lutley, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, University of Bath

A long-term career in fundraising - is it for you?
Shannon Callahan, Head of Major Giving, Kew Foundation

CASE benchmarking for the UK Marketer
Ivor Lawrence, Director of Marketing, Sheffield Hallam University

Tax efficient giving in Europe
Bruce Bernstein, Associate Director, Alumni Relations and Development, The University of Chicago in Europe

Queen's Anniversary Awards
Kay Honner, Development Manager, The Royal Anniversary Trust

---

09.00-10.00 Breakout session 7 (choose one)

Stand and Deliver: Your money (and/or) your time
Alumni volunteers support the University of Exeter in a variety of ways, including sitting on our strategic boards, presenting guest lectures and mentoring students. Based on evidence from charities and US institutions that volunteers who give a ‘gift' of time may be more likely to give a financial gift, Exeter has set itself the target of accumulating 2,012 volunteer hours by 2012, as part of our campaign: Creating a world-class University together. This interactive session will talk you through how we developed (and continue to develop) the volunteering programme at Exeter, and facilitate discussion of ways you could increase alumni engagement through volunteering.
Holly Peterson, Head of Alumni Relations and Stephanie Anagnostopoulos, Alumni Officer (Volunteers), University of Exeter

Alumni Relations: Adding value at Business Schools
If you work in alumni relations at a Business School, then this session is for you. The focus is on the particular challenges and opportunities of alumni relations at Business Schools. Following the main presentation delivered by Tristan Alltimes, Alumni Relations Manager, Newcastle University Business School, entitled: ‘Triple Accredited Business Schools: A benchmark for success in Alumni Relations?', there will be breakout, inter-active sessions, led by round table facilitators from Business Schools. Delegates will have the opportunity to interact with their peers and share best practice, knowledge and insights on areas such as:
• New ways of driving affiliation,
• Generating revenue streams,
• Supporting marketing, admissions and careers functions,
• Social networks - ROI: How will you know if you succeed? and
• Demonstrating the value of alumni relations.
Tristan Alltimes, Marketing and Alumni Manager, Newcastle University Business School

Corporate Giving - Philanthropy, Marketing or a bit of both?
Companies have historically been a distant third behind individuals and trusts as donors to higher education in the UK, whereas the opposite has been true in France, with corporate giving providing the lion's share of HE philanthropy. Andy & Corinne will look at some of the corporate gifts received at their institutions, picking out common themes, donor motivations and how they've avoided falling through the ‘sponsorship' trapdoor!
Andy Wood, Director of Development, University of Reading and Corinne Degoutte, Campaign Director, ParisTech

Growing a legacy campaign
This session will explore what you can do to get a legacy programme off the ground and how you can work with your alumni to make support for your university through a bequest an obvious choice. We will look at how you must work to recognise the wishes of those wishing to make a bequest, how you safeguard these wishes whilst ensuring the long term value of the bequest. Other areas covered will include marketing your legacy programme, stewarding your legators and making sure that the university management of 2050 will not be cursing you!
Cathy Bell, Director of Development & Alumni Relations

Keeping on the right side of the law
This session will be a guide to the common legal pitfalls that face anyone publishing material in the university sector, whether it is academic, journalistic or publicity material. It will cover the latest developments in the laws of libel, confidentiality and privacy. It will also look at the risks and challenges posed by a vibrant student media, and how with the help of David Banks one university addressed its relationship with its student journalists.
David Banks, Senior Lecturer of Media Law, University of Sunderland

Cutting carbon without tears - how communications can help turn people green
This session will look at both external and internal communications. It will consider both why it is important to communicate sustainability, and will look at different tactics for reaching audiences around the world and within your institution.
Ed Nash and Norval Scott, International Press Officers, University of Edinburgh

Your Applicant Experience Strategy: Learning from international approaches to integrated success
SPA believes a comprehensive applicant experience strategy lies at the heart of a fair admissions system: tracking learners from pre-application through to transition and retention, mapping the interaction between institution and learner and planning how that mutual experience should shape progression. SPA's strategy map utilises research from international approaches to admissions, particularly Strategic Enrolment Management initiatives and this session will examine how lessons learned from overseas can help shape the UK's distinct admissions practice.
Dan Shaffer, Senior Project Officer, Supporting Professionalism in Admissions (SPA)

Portfolio Management Principles, Processes and Tools - from objectives to portfolio decision making
With a review of the key principles of Portfolio Management, John Callen will show how UCAS and Heidi data can give you an overview of your current portfolio issues and Dawn Vos, head of marketing at Birmingham City University, will outline how this data informed marketing strategy and was used to engage faculty management. John Callen will also outline a 20 point Portfolio Review Toolkit for HE marketers.
John Callen, Director, Callen Associates and Dawn Vos, Head of Marketing, Birmingham City University

Six lessons from a life in communications
You know those books with titles like 'Ten Top Tips for World Domination' that you see at railway stations? Barry Taylor, until recently Director of Communications at the University of Bristol and now boss of his own writing services company, will offer a sort of equivalent for communications professionals. He will distill three decades of experience in various sectors down to half a dozen simple lessons; then he will invite you to disagree with him.
Barry Taylor, Director, Taylor Words

Managing your brilliant career
In this session, Moyra Doyle, Managing Director of Richmond Associates, draws on her experience of working with some of the most successful advancement professionals in the field. She will offer practical advice and useful tips on how to develop your career in advancement. This session will be relevant to anyone who is at a crossroads in their career or those who want to take time out to reflect on how their career is shaping up.
Moyra Doyle, Managing Director, Richmond Associates

10.00-10.45 Refreshment break

---

10.45-12.15 Breakout session 8 (chosse one)

Facebook: A practical session on how to make it work for your insitution
Join Alex Schultz for some high-level thoughts, examples and the opportunity for plenty of questions and answers on how to leverage Facebook for your organization.
Alex Schultz, Internet Marketing Manager, Facebook

Alumni Magazines: redesigning a magazine from concept, through design and content
As budgets come under increasing pressure it's more important than ever to get the most out of core print communications and to deliver what your readers really want. This session will look at how to revitalise your alumni magazine, from fresh thinking about what it should say about your institution to planning a redesign from beginning to end. It will include lots of practical tips and hints on everything from the top ten rules of good editing to how to manage print and production.
Morven Knowles, Alumni Relations Manager, Benefits and Communications and Mira Katbamna, Cambridge Alumni Magazine, University of Cambridge

Prospect Research - How I learnt to stop worrying and love wealth and inclination ratings
In a session designed both for those who are new to wealth and inclination rating and experienced researchers, Karl and Madeleine will present an overview of the practical issues and processes involved in providing a rating for your prospects. This session will help you raise more money.
Karl Newton, Prospect Research Manager, London School of Economics and Madeleine Harwood, Prospect Research Manager, University of Bristol

Communicating a versatile vision: trust fundraising, a different approach
As the competition for funds from charitable trusts and foundations grows fiercer, how do you ensure that your fundraising activities are conveying the right message in the right way? How do you help your organisation identify projects that are relevant to charitable foundations and how can you best articulate your vision to target specific audiences? In this session, three experienced trust fundraisers will discuss what has worked - and what hasn't - in making approaches to the major UK grantmakers.
Tom McNeil, Senior Trust and Foundations Officer, University of Oxford and Julie Hage, Head of Development, Somerville College, University of Oxford and Kate Turner, Senior Development Manager, University College London

Social media for technophobes
Adam will demystify the fast-moving world of social media for anyone to understand. Delegates will find out what social media is, and why it is not just a fad but a major shift in communication. You'll get a gentle introduction to some of the most popular social media tools out there, plus practical take-away tips on how to use them to great effect. Delegates will find out how to build an online following and use social media to source and share valuable information.
Adam Westbrook, Director, studio .fu

How to get the most out of your events
Events can be a powerful tool and are an important part of any external relations portfolio of activities. Able to enhance reputation, to showcase expertise, to raise money, to nurture support or to communicate a message or celebrate achievement; excellent events can deliver high impact returns. In this session we will explore what makes an event excellent, how to plan for success (even on the tightest of budgets) and how to ensure you can make the most of all your event opportunities.
Fiona Blair, Director of Events and Laura Walsh, Event Manager, University of Reading

Business engagement - the challenges to marketing
An informative session which will explore the experiences of two institutions, each committed to delivering successful business engagement strategies, in contrasting geographical locations. The session will cover the main challenges faced by both institutions, concluding with a visionary outlook on the future of business engagement in the context of HE.
Ed Layt, Marketing Manager, University of Hertfordshire, UK and Julian Moore, Employer Marketing Manager, Birmingham City University

Getting down with the kids - how to engage digitally with teenagers and genuinely switch them on to your brand
Imagine a group of people for whom social network profiles mean as much to their identity as how they dress or who they hang out with offline. Imagine people who use chat and sms, and barely look at their email. Introducing today's UK teenager, generation Y-ers who don't remember a time before the web, and whose online activity you need to understand inside out to pave the way for recruiting and teaching them in the near future. This session covers how to engage through Social, Search, Mobile and look at how to switch teenagers on to your brand earlier in the recruitment lifecycle.
Dan Martin, Director of Strategy, ChameleonNet, UK

Launching and running a major campaign
Campaigns can provide extraordinary opportunities to organisations; raising transformational gifts, lifting institutional profile and building capacity for the future. But how to get there and maintain momentum afterwards, particularly in times of economic uncertainty, are big questions for any institution. This panel session will offer real-life insights into recent campaigns: success stories, pitfalls to avoid and lessons learned in time for the next campaign.
Karen Cairney, Director of Development, Edinburgh Napier University; Susie Hills, Director of Development, University of Exeter and Céine Morel, Annual Fund Officer, Ecole Polytechnique, France

Back to the Future: 21 years of the profession
Two decades after the first ever CASE conference in Europe, what impact have we had on our landscape? And what's round the corner? A panel of experts who helped chart the early years in communications, fundraising, alumni relations and marketing reflect on the successes and the disappointments so far - both expected and surprising - and give us pointers for the challenging decade ahead.
Peter Slee, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University of Huddersfield; Tricia King, Pro-Vice-Master for Student Experience & Director of External Relations, Birkbeck, University of London; Ray Footman, Former Director of Communications & Public Affairs, The University of Edinburgh and Ian Edwards, Managing Partner, Iain More Associates; chaired by Joanna Motion, Vice President for International Operations, CASE

---

12.15-13.00 Breakout session 9 - Showcase sessions

Differentiating Yourself Digitally
How do you use the digital landscape to differentiate your university and to connect to your worldwide community? We will consider the approaches needed when creating your digital strategy, discussing the social media landscape and the options available to open channels to your varied audience groups.
We will also demonstrate and launch Precedent's new iPhone application for universities, enabling you to offer prospectus, course and campus information on the mobile phone.
John Campbell, Regional Director for Scotland, Precedent, UK

An unrelenting focus on those who can give the most - managing Major Gift fundraising in hard times
Difficult economic times for donors together with budget freezes or cuts in institutions mean that fundraising performance matters more than ever. This session will look at the management of Major Gift fundraising, from the perspective of the Director of Development and the major gift fundraiser. What strategies ensure fundraisers get out and see prospects? What management information is useful for both the fundraiser and her boss? How should prospects be allocated and tracked? These questions and more will be addressed in a session which will be long on experience and very short on sales pitch.
Adrian Beney Partner Iain More Associates, UK and Ian Edwards, Managing Partner, Iain More Associates, UK

Don't try to beat Facebook!
Everyone and their dog has an online community these days but how many have actually held their own against the big global players such as Facebook and Twitter? Can you really hope to win your alumni back from such services? We believe you can but you will have to follow a special rule: "Don't try to beat Facebook"! This session will focus on opportunities to offer your alumni a service that no one else can - including Facebook.
Daniel Watts Managing Director Aluminati Network Group, UK

Organising Effective Fundraising Campaigns
Are you responsible for organising and carrying out your institution's fundraising campaigns? Attend this session to learn from leaders dedicated to driving institutional success about how to manage the many diverse components, prospects and projects within a fundraising campaign.
Barb DeYoung, Industry Consultant Jenzabar, USA and Melanie Strodtman, Product Manager Jenzabar, USA

University of Geneva Case Study: Key success factors for the realisation and operation of an online alumni community
The case study presents key take-aways and experienced success factors from the initial preparation to the successful ongoing operation of a social community-based alumni network at the University of Geneva (Switzerland). It addresses relevant decision-making criteria to decide between technological solution providers from the stand-point of an alumni organisation. Furthermore, the case study presents which
online-based services exclusively provided for alumni increase acceptance and usage of the social community.
Dr. Christoph Herrlich, Director, IntraWorlds, Germany and Pascal Praplan, Director Alumni UNIGE University of Geneva, Switzerland

The Annual Fund: Top Tips for Maximising Participation and Income
Times are hard, budgets are tight and every investment must be maximised to deliver the very best value for money. There are many opportunities to raise results, but which are 'icing on the cake' and which deliver outstanding ROI, or a great increase in participation or both? This session explores strategies, techniques and most importantly practical examples to help ensure your Annual Fund reaches its maximum potential. Hugh Langford, Business Development Manager, Rux Burton Associates, UK

The Search for the Missing Links: Five cost-effective strategies to radically evolve your search engine traffic
Why do your competitors rank so highly on Google? How can you increase your visibility for ‘x degree in Locahon'? Want to know the techniques that work without getting penalties? If you're put off by the high costs of search agencies but understand it's a channel too important to ignore, The Missing Links will uncover the top search techniques used in the commercial sector, and adapt them to overcome the unique challenges inherent in Higher Education. Drew Davies, Digital Marketing Consultant, UK

Ten top tips on buying market research services
Buying market research services can be expensive. If you're commissioning, you'll want to be sure you're getting maximum value for money. In a market where there's (thankfully) little uniformity in approach, design, sampling and reporting this presentation will arm you with some of the tools needed to identify the right supplier for you. Based around ten top tips, this presentation will help you maximise the return on your research investment. Ben Marks, Managing Director, OpinionPanel, UK

---

13.00-14.30 Lunch

---

14.30-15.30 Breakout session 10 (choose one)

 

It's a family affair - building loyalty from alumni at every stage of the life-cycle
Need to be resourceful on a shoe-string budget? When Queen's University held a few focus groups with alumni on their bi-annual magazine it started a journey that would evolve into a cost-effective integrated alumni relations programme that engages alumni of all ages - including those exclusive 35 to 45 year olds! This session will include lots of good ideas including an outsourced benefits directory - Perks - and a fun events programme that profiles the intellectual life of the University.
Kerry Bryson, Head of Alumni Relations Queen's University Belfast

Managing your career in alumni relations
Your job entails a lot more than throwing a great party (although you need to know how to do that too). Sometimes seen as the younger sibling to big brother 'Development', alumni relations is coming into its own and alumni professionals are increasingly moving into strategic management and leadership roles. The skills you need to be effective in alumni relations can be applied to other disciplines within educational institutions. Come and discuss how alumni relations can be a long-term career of choice.
Joëlle du Lac, Director of External Relations, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge

Maintaining momentum in tough economic times; an interactive sharing session
The age of austerity is upon us, and we're increasingly faced with the challenge of cutting costs and doing more for less - but we can't always get it right... can we? This Chatham House Rules fun and interactive session provides delegates with an opportunity to share the entertaining, frustrating and down-right bizarre scenarios that we are all faced with trying to do the jobs we do. At the end of a tough week of conferencing, come along and share your successes and failures with a room full of people who know exactly how you feel. Prizes for amusing, embarrassing and innovative anecdotes!
Lori Manders, Director of Development and External Affairs, University of Aberdeen and Adrian Punaks, Head of Development and Alumni, Birkbeck, University of London

My first year as a Fundraiser
Fundraising in education and the arts is a brilliant career. But who grows up wanting to be a fundraiser? Where do we find the next generation of Development directors? How do you recruit someone with little experience but lots of potential? Come and hear lessons from the first year of the CASE graduate trainee programme, which identifies and nutures champion fundraisers for the future.
Kerry McCollum, Annual Fund and Donor Stewardship Coordinator, Loughborough University and Laura Blake, Fundraising Officer, University of the West of England, CASE-HEFCE Graduate Trainees alumni

Crisis Communications; when terrorism hits home
On Christmas Day 2009, a former UCL student tried to blow up an airliner over Detroit. This session explores the issues affecting an institution's global reputation in a crisis, and examines tactics for handling complex demands from the media and other stakeholders, whilst staying on the front foot. It also explores the differences in approach by media around the world and looks at how to be flexible with your crisis communications plan.
Mark Sudbury, Deputy Director & Head of Corporate Communications, University College London

 

Communicating in tough times - a case study in effective internal communication
For the public sector these are very tough times - with the threat of worse to come. But for those working in financial services the tough times started way back in September 2007. In this look at how effective internal communications can be used to deliver good business results, Mark Hill reviews how changes made to the way they managed internal communications in AXA Life supported the business through its toughest times.
Mark Hill, Head of Internal Communications, AXA Life

 

The State of things to come - the digital revolution and its impact on marketing communications
The digital revolution is twenty years in the making and, with the continual emergence of new technologies, presents endless possibilities. Using Cal Poly's comprehensive model of utilizing an array of multimedia marketing tools, this discussion will highlight the possibilities for any institution. The discussion will begin with an overview of Cal Poly's powerful e-message campaigns, GPS Tours, interactive web portals, the Virtual Viewbook, live Web shows and more. Audience members will be encouraged to share experiences, collectively examine efficacy and discuss the benefits of aligning the power of multimedia tools with any marketing effort.
Al Nunez Jr, Associate Director of Communications, Admissions, Recruitment & Financial Aid, California Polytechnic State University San Luis, Obispo, USA; 

The HExagon of international Marketing - for Marketers in HE today
Whatever their background the focus of most Marketers over the last 10 years has been on PRODUCT (courses) and PROMOTION (recruiting to these courses). Success today in a more competitive and diverse global marketplace requires a more sophisticated orientation that touches all parts of an institution. The HExagon will help you apply the principles of international Marketing to the HE sector and develop strategies that are unique to your institution and the markets they operate in at home and overseas.
Gordon Craig, Director, GC Associates Ltd

From PR to Policy - turning column inches into influence
Engaging the policy community is about a lot more than lobbying campaigns or trying to speak to those in office. It isn't about shaking hands with Ministers either. This session will demystify the basic premise of corporate and public affairs at a regional, UK and EU level and show how the media and the professionals on the edges of policy hold all the power.
Michael Lavery, Director of Communications and Terence Gibbons, Corporate and Public Affairs Manager, Durham University

Investing in Development and Alumni Relations in Challenging Times: A panel discussion on trends and opportunities in fundraising and alumni relations in Scottish education
This special session has been designed as a forum for discussion for and with development, alumni relations and communications colleagues throughout Scotland, to share your ideas or questions about trends, opportunities and challenges in the education sector, especially in the light of the coming challenges to core funding and rising expectations. If you have something to say or a question to share about the coming challenges and opportunities, please send it now to colin.mccallum@gcu.ac.uk.
Brian Dempsey, Businessman and Philanthropist; Alan Horn, Director of Development, Glasgow School of Art; Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice Chancellor, University of Glasgow and Professor George Stonehouse, Dean, Edinburgh Napier University Business School; chaired by Colin McCallum, President, GCU Foundation and Assistant Vice Principal, Glasgow Caledonian University

---

15.30-16.00 Refreshment break

---

16.00-17.15 Closing plenary
Accelerating innovation and the social web
There are three overwhelming trends on the web today: everyone is a content creator, the whole web is becoming social and the pace of innovation is accelerating. Marshall McLuhan talked about the medium being the message. Today's medium is no longer a broadcast vehicle, it is about conversations. This session will address where these trends are leading, what areas are driving growth in Silicon Valley right now and how to make the most of them.
Alex Schultz, Internet Marketing Manager, Facebook

 

19.00-19.45 Gala drinks reception, Thistle Hotel Glasgow

---

20.00-02.00 Gala Dinner and CASE Circle of Excellence Awards, Thistle Hotel Glasgow