Programme Day 3: Wednesday, 27 August

How do you measure up? Alumni Relations Benchmarking results from 111 institutions
Ian Moore, Deputy Director of Development, Coventry University and Chris Thompson, Vice President of Research and Information, CASE

At the end of year one of the European Benchmarking project we have amassed a wealth of data which will be augmented further when we open the 2008 survey. Understand the results achieved and the opportunities for your institution to benefit. Participants in the project can also gain tips on how to analyse the results to best effect

Challenging conventions in Annual Giving: should we copy and steal everything?
Rosie Dale, Head of Annual Giving; Hannah Ford, Annual Giving Manager (Direct Mail); and Greg Spencer, Annual Giving Manager (Telethons), University of Bristol

This session challenges some common Annual Giving conventions, illustrates how alumni might view our methods, and explores how making departures from these can develop our programmes. Whether you are setting up an Annual Giving programme or looking to take one to the next level this session questions why we do what we do and suggests some alternative approaches.

Why the student experience is unmanageable and what this means for marketing
Peter Slee, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student and Staff Affairs), Northumbria University

This session will examine what the term "student experience" means in practice, the complex mixture of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that contribute to it and why we cannot manage it. Join Peter to hear how we can help students improve their own levels of satisfaction, and why it all starts with better marketing…

Institutional vision, marketing strategy and staff engagement
Richard Taylor, Director of Marketing and Communications, University of Leicester

How important is it that staff engage with the institutional mission, vision and values? How do HEIs develop their internal communications to maximise staff engagement? To what extent are these issues vital to marketing success? This session will examine these questions and reveal the results of a major survey amongst Vice-Chancellors, Directors of Communications and HR Directors.

Getting On Brilliantly: ideas for becoming a more effective leader and manager (Part One)
Annette Zera, Getting On Brilliantly - training to develop leadership and management skills

Join Annette for a mini masterclass on practical and innovative strategies to bring out the best in yourself and your team. You will try out different approaches for leading groups and teams that you can use straightaway and that will expand your leadership and management skills and inspire your colleagues!

How do you keep an alumnus connected to Institution X when it is has become Institution Y?
Sue Rees, Alumni Relations Manager, Ulster University

When institutions change it can be a challenge to keep alumni engaged and enthusiastic. This session will look at ways to keep alumni engaged when an institution changes its name, merges with another institution, relocates courses and/or closes subject areas.

Projecting gift income, reporting, and management information
Nick Blinco, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, University of Birmingham

Take the guesswork out of projecting income. Assess if your target is realistic. Check that you are in the right Matched Giving Tier. Manage the expectations of your colleagues and senior managers. Delight your volunteers. Demonstrate your personal future value and that of strategic and committed fundraising. Manage and motivate your major gift teams. A gift "pipeline" can do it all.

Consumer buying behaviour and the Higher Education decision-making process
Claire Brown, Director of Student Recruitment and Admissions and Matt Smith, Head of Student Recruitment Marketing, University of Liverpool

As prospective students adopt an increasingly consumerist approach to their decision-making in Higher Education it is important that universities understand their key choice criteria and how this may vary throughout the UCAS Cycle. Linking Kotler’s five stage consumer decision-making model to the UCAS cycle, this session reveals research which can be utilised to inform a recruitment marketing communications strategy.

The future of international Public Relations: the six key issues
Elliot Pill, Director, MA International Public Relations, Cardiff University

This session will look at six key areas affecting the way organisations position themselves in the global market place and manage their reputation with key stakeholders. Attendees will gain an understanding of international public relations and the international context in which universities operate, and different cultural contexts.

Alumni publications: the good, the bad and the ugly
Toby Wilkinson, Development Director and Fellow, Clare College, Cambridge, and Chairman, Cambridge Colleges Development Group

In a digital age, is it worth investing time and money in traditional alumni magazines? This session will examine what makes for effective alumni publications, using real examples to highlight good - and bad - practice. Share ideas for maximising cost-effectiveness, and for engaging different constituencies while retaining a consistent message.

Stewardship and communications in a donor-centred world
Penelope Burk, President, Cygnus Applied Research

There are many ways to interact with a supporter following a contribution, but some practices only drain your budget while not actually motivating additional gifts. This session challenges some core fundraising beliefs about donor stewardship and identifies the approaches and strategies that lead to long-term giving and donor satisfaction.

Changing professions, changing times: universities and employers - a marriage made in heaven?
John Brooks, Vice-Chancellor, Manchester Metropolitan University

As universities take stock of the HE landscape post-Leitch, what are the issues for both institutions and their marketers? What do we mean by employability and employer engagement and what are the benefits? This session will provide an insight in to what it all means and how universities can compete.

Listening to our users: an audience-based approach to website redesign
Pamela Michael, Head of Digital Media, Imperial College London and David Poteet, President, New City Media

This review of Imperial’s recent redesign will cover everything from building a project team, researching audience "mental models," prototyping and user testing through to design, implementation and project communication. Delegates at this session will pick up tips and techniques they can apply on their websites to enhance the user experience.

Getting On Brilliantly: ideas for becoming a more effective leader and manager (Part Two)
Annette Zera, Getting on Brilliantly - training to develop leadership and management skills

Join Annette for a mini masterclass on practical and innovative strategies to bring out the best in yourself and your team. You will try out different approaches for leading groups and teams that you can use straightaway and that will expand your leadership and management skills and inspire your colleagues!

Networking fun: lessons from popular culture, or what Bridget Jones has to teach us about Alumni Relations!
Nathalie Walker, Head of Alumni Relations, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Introducing people with thoughtful and insightful comments is fundamental to connecting our alumni, but it can leave us filled with fear and trepidation. Join this light hearted session (featuring wisdom from popular culture) if you want to learn some serious skills in making the perfect introduction and avoiding embarrassing moments at alumni events!

Government Matched Funding Scheme - the latest information
Baroness Delyth Morgan of Drefelin, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Intellectual Property and Quality and Government Spokesperson, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS)

The £200m matched funding scheme for English universities came into effect on 1 August 2008. This programme is the first of its kind in the UK, intended to promote a culture of individual giving to Higher Education. Baroness Delyth Morgan, Lord Minister responsible for the scheme, will give an update and answer your questions.

Marketing nation brands: Managing the relationship between "tourism" and "study" destination brands
Rosemary Stamp, Director, Stamp Consulting

The session will explore the challenges that face nation brands as they strive to achieve differentiation in a global market and manage the tension between a country's "tourism" proposition and its "study and learning" offer. It will consider best practice in global and location brand marketing plus the success factors for effective nation brands.

From trade paper to magazine: rebranding the Times Higher Education - your chance to put questions to the Editor
Ann Mroz, Editor, Times Higher Education

The Times Higher Education was relaunched as a magazine on 10th January 2008 after 38 years as a newspaper supplement. Join Ann to hear her experience in rebranding the publication while maintaining its reputation as the UK’s most authoritative source of information about Higher Education, and take this opportunity to put your own questions to the Editor.

Old school v new cool: How prospective students use traditional, modern and social networking media when picking their university
Eleanor Simmons, Associate Director - Higher Education, Opinionpanel Research

With the media available for prospective students to use when deciding which university to apply to ever increasing, this presentation looks at the role of modern and traditional media and the most recent addition: social networking sites.

Recruiting the Web 2.0 generation
Sam Breslin, Senior Product Manager, Graduate Prospects and Chris Rea, Employer Business Manager, Graduate Prospects

The session is aimed at understanding generation Y, their use of social media and its implications for HEIs. It will explain the significance of web 2.0, some of the tools available and how to use them. This will be backed by current research conducted by Graduate Prospects and practical examples of this information can be applied.

Alumni Trace - How data cleansing, member tracing and member profiling will help to build long and fruitful Alumni relationships
Adam Smith, Marketing Manager, Tracesmart Corporate

Alumni are not static creatures and remaining in contact with them can prove tricky. Adam will discuss the methods available to universities to trace lost members and profile each individual. He will also highlight how utilising such techniques will help strengthen brands, enhance fundraising activity and ensure effective communication with members.

Supersize me: Annual Funds and how to hit the big time!
John Rux-Burton, Rux Burton Associates

Suddenly, Development Directors have genuine US-style ambitions. We want 20, 30, 40 percent of alumni giving as well as graduands, parents and even staff! We want strategy, and we want success! Using real examples, John will discuss road maps to transform your Annual Fund through segmentation, phone, email and flash videos, making it the humming heart of your fundraising machine.

Turning MySpace into YourSpace
Mark O'Donoghue, Managing Director, Education Media, Hotcourses Ltd

Social media seems like old news but remains a genuine marketing opportunity. Hotcourses research, with over 1,000 school students, will give insight into what works and what doesn't for institution communication.

CRM for student recruitment - A practical session on how to successfully select and implement CRM
Stephen Macdonald, CEO, Azorus and Susan Vercruysse, Assistant Register, Ryerson University

CRM can appear a daunting technology acquisition when in reality it is a platform to market your institution to today's web savvy generation. Hear how Ryerson University, a Canadian university operating in an environment similar to the UK, has differentiated itself and gained a competitive advantage by delivering services over the web.

How professional social networks and online communities can enhance alumni relations, the brand and networking
Peter Crosby, Director, Viadeo

As business networks have a global reach and allow universities to effectively place their brand, how can you create an effective presence on a business social network for your university? Find out which social networks can optimise and achieve your goals of communicating the university brand, keeping in touch with alumni and students, and fundraising.

Online fundraising - There's more to it than just putting a "Donate Now" button on your website!
Paul Quelch, Founder and CEO, Magic Taxi

This session will look at the different ways of raising funds online, both internally on campus and externally from students and alumni; topics covered will include auctions, competitions, lotteries, shopping malls and search.

Fundraising in a difficult economic climate
Derval Costello, Vice President, CCS Fundraising

Considering the current economic climate, this presentation will review trends and share practical tips on continuing fundraising and relationship management during an uncertain period. It will also include new thinking on philanthropy to ensure effective development.

Differential branding is key to future success - “An insider’s view from the University of Hertfordshire”
Sean Montgomery, Managing Partner, Ten Nine Ltd and Donald McLeod, Head of Marketing Services, The University of Hertfordshire

Brand differentiation is the No1 factor for senior marketeers in the increasingly competitive global student recruitment market, according to research conducted for TenNine. This session will demonstrate how the rebranding of the University of Hertfordshire confirms TenNine’s research findings, and will encourage delegates to debate their own experiences of repositioning their institution in this highly competitive market.

Volunteer management: how to get the most from your Alumni supporters
Bill Abraham, Individual Giving Officer, London School of Economics

This session will look at identifying and managing key alumni volunteers - for both alumni relations and fundraising. It will focus on how to ensure that your volunteers meet the needs of the institution as well as how best to motivate and support them. Examples will focus on Alumni Association volunteers and individual fundraising "champions".

You're the new Major Gifts Officer: what next?
Ron Gray, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, Loughborough University

Want to raise some major gifts? Attend this session to gain the necessary tools and knowledge a new major gifts officer needs to build a cohort of major gift prospects from the larger constituency by identifying prospects, getting the first appointment, conducting the interview, creating a cultivation strategy and making the ask.

Design and marketing – living together in perfect harmony?
Grant Campbell, Managing Director and Laura Stuart, Communications Manager, Campbell Rowley Ltd

There is often an apparent conflict of interests between marketers and designers. Each side can see their approach as the ‘correct’ one, and can feel resentful at being forced to compromise. This session aims to help marketers and designers understand each other better and lay the basis of a constructive and fruitful working relationship.

The role of stakeholder research and communications in developing organisational strategy: a case study from Barts and the London School of Medicine
Nigel Relph, Director of Corporate Affairs, Queen Mary, University of London

Communications and stakeholder relations activities are usually seen as flowing from and serving corporate strategy. However, they can also be a powerful tool in shaping corporate strategy. This session looks at the lessons that can be drawn from a case study of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry and its development of a new strategic direction.

Crisis v "no comment" - how universities tackle the ethics of today's media
Tara Brabazon, Professor of Media Studies, University of Brighton; Ann Mroz, Editor, Times Higher Education; Peter Slee, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student and Staff Affairs), Northumbria University; chaired by Ian Rowley, Director of Communication and Strategy, University of Warwick

Today’s media is 24/7 leaving Vice-Chancellors and their hard working press officers no let up from the constant demands for comments in newspapers, broadcast and online communications. In a world of no fixed deadlines three experts debate how to get the best out of the media and whether it is ever safe to turn off your Blackberry.

Award dinners, fundraising events and delivering entertaining and profitable parties!
Ben Plummer, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, Warwick Business School and his team

How forward planning can leverage an institution’s anniversary year to help engage a global alumni community, raise awareness of the case for support and advance fundraising. The session will focus on several significant global events of Warwick Business School’s 40th anniversary, not only sharing successes, but lessons learnt through the process!

Recruiting staff and growing the next generation of fundraisers
Adrian Punaks, Head of Development and Alumni, Birkbeck, University of London; David Rider, Director of University Development, The Robert Gordon University and Arthur Wasserman, Vice-President and Director, Development & Corporate Communications, University College London; chaired by Moyra Doyle, Managing Director, Richmond Associates

A thought provoking, practical discussion on how to recruit fundraisers in an increasingly competitive market. The panel will focus on attracting and assessing talented professionals from different sectors and how to ensure your institution remains high on the list of places that fundraisers want to work and develop their careers.

Employer branding: taking it online
Andrew Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer, TMP Worldwide

When recruiting staff, the brand of your organisation is a critical factor in the decision making process. New technologies increase the complexity of this process. Join us to hear how you harness the potential of specialist online sites, social networking or Second Life so that you deliver your brand message to jobseekers and future employees in a consistent manner.

Selling in your stories to the media
Caroline Black, Consultant, Caroline Black and Associates

Learn how to improve your levels of coverage in local and national online, print and broadcast media. The session will cover what makes a great story; opening gambits - the good, the bad and the awful; making the call to journalists; follow up - upping your chances of success and a personal development plan.

Volunteering, advocacy and lobbying: the do's and don'ts
Roz Allison, Head of Alumni Relations, The Open University and Ian Moore, Deputy Director of Development and Alumni Relations, Coventry University

Goodwill runs high – how do you harness it without creating hours of work? As well as assisting at events, involvement in community projects and lobbying the government over ELQ, Alumni are precious advocates. Discover how the Open University, Coventry and others mobilise their Alumni. Please bring your success stories to share.

Hallmarks of a good proposal
Kate Robertson, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, University of Liverpool and Robert Dufton, Director, Paul Hamlyn Foundation

In this interactive session, Kate and Robert will be on hand to help you put together a list of the characteristics of a good proposal. What are trusts and foundations expecting? Which expectations can you reasonably fulfill? Join us to hear what steps you can take to make your applications shine.

Competing with Facebook for Alumni attention - and winning!
Tyler Carey, National Sales Director, Harris Connect; Julian Szego, Deputy Director for Operations, Office of Development and Alumni Relations, London School of Economics and Glenn Zimmerer, Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, Harris Connect

Chances are you're competing with Facebook and other popular social networking utilities for the attention of your young-and not so young-alumni. Learn how to leverage the popularity and rapid growth of these sites to your institution's advantage. Through open APIs, mashups and other principles of Web 2.0, you can take the unique elements of your school's online community right to where your alumni are already congregating-on Facebook and similar sites. You'll enhance communications, improve data collection and enjoy greater success in your overall advancement program. By going where your alumni are today, you can win them back for a lifetime.

Using research to develop a market-focused portfolio
Helen Clapham, Head of Student Recruitment & Marketing and Abigail Harrison Moore, Senior Lecturer and Admissions' Tutor, University of Leeds

Helen and Abigail have worked together since 2000 to help the institution to become market focused. Using market research, they have restructured their portfolio to develop a niche positioning, revised recruitment processes to improve conversion rates, and refocused promotion to effectively communicate the benefits of studying in the institution.

Working with the regional media - panel discussion with representatives from local broadcast and press organisations
Mike Hapgood, Head of Regional & Local Programmes, BBC South East; Claire Martin, News Editor, Southern FM and Phil Mills, Southern News and Pictures press agency; chaired by Rebecca Haroutunian, Communications Manager, University of Brighton

Hear from the horse's mouth what journalists want from university press officers. This panel session will bring together experienced journalists with expertise in regional broadcasting, newspapers and press agency work. The discussion will look at the changing face and future of regional media, the impact of new technology, and the structure of news.

Leadership skills in Higher Education - is there really a glass ceiling for senior administrators?
Ewart Wooldridge, Chief Executive, The Leadership Foundation for Higher Education

This session will explore the complex landscape of senior careers in Higher Education. Drawing on research, it will highlight more than one glass ceiling, both in relation to different professional disciplines and the interface between professional and academic leaders. It will also draw on the Leadership Foundation research on the attributes and selection of Vice-Chancellors.

Creating star chapters: how to build and manage effective clubs and chapters
John Feudo, Associate Vice-President for Alumni Relations, Boston College

Wouldn’t it be nice if someone handed you a best-practice model that can help you develop strong regional chapters and special interest groups? Regardless of the size of your alumni base, or the size of your staff, you’ll learn in this session what model can increase your alumni engagement.

Major Gift prospecting with scoring systems for prospect assessment 'from wealth to warmth'
John Sauvé-Rodd, Director, Datapreneurs

Join John for this interactive session on how to get the best from wealth screening firms. John will look at combining wealth data with other variables; un-drowning: scoring wealth against warmth and prioritising major gift prospects; and contemporary approaches to prospect scoring. Bring your questions also to put to the speaker.

Making a dream come true: the use of strategic branding to stand out in a crowded market place
Alan Clarke, Deputy Managing Director, The Bridge and Martyn Spence, Head of Marketing, Recruitment and Communication, University of Cumbria

Aimed at senior marketers this session highlights the key role of institutional buy-in to marketing and brand strategy development and, using the launch of the University of Cumbria brand, explores strategic campaign planning and execution in undergraduate HE markets, the use of integrated communication activity to differentiate and position a university brand and the use of ‘emotional marketing’ to improve advertising effectiveness.

Buzz, brand and budget
Helen Aspell, Head of Digital Marketing Communications, University of Southampton

There are thousands of social media technologies available - from Facebook to Second Life to Twitter - all creating buzz and all with tangible marketing benefits; this talk will cover why they are crucial to your brand. Helen will discuss how to choose what to get involved in and how the effects can be measured.