Waterloo Engineering opened a magnificent building and closed down a successful $100M fundraising campaign. We revealed emerging technologies that will propel innovation in Canada (and beyond) and engaged the public with what happens in the research labs of a global Top 50 engineering school. Robots delivered cakes, donut walls enticed students, and self-guided tours saw a seven-story building thronging with excitement and curiosity. Giant video screens delivered a steady stream of stories about the people and technology shaping our future. Students co-mingled with CEOs while faculty shared the wonders of a fleet of robots with curious youngsters. Throughout the day there were events within events to entertain, educate, astound and thank our guests. Our $25 million transformational donor's identity was revealed after five years of anonymity and a vibrant community celebrated.
From the Judges
University of Waterloo's Engineering 7 Building Official Opening and Campaign Closing serves as a great example of how to showcase a new building but also display its usage and engage constituents through interactive experiences. The VIP portion of the event and strategic approach to personalized touches for the interactions based on gift area really stood out. In addition we thought that the careful planning around the noted challenges of uncertainty around donor anonymity and technological needs for the event made the success of the event stand out. It elevated the importance of maintaining strong relationships with internal campus partners essential to these specialty events. This showcased a collaborative and multi-faceted approach to donor recognition and stewardship by addressing the uniqueness of every donor (transformational and non-transformational level). Great example for bringing student energy into the space and event experience.
