Trends Report: Event Technology for Higher Education

The days of analog event planning are officially over: at advancement and development offices in colleges and universities across the country, modernization and sophisticated technology are now essential for engaging donors, alumni, and other important attendees. For campuses with central offices that support meetings, conferences, continuing education, or extension programs, leveraging event technology saves valuable time and staff hours, freeing up resources to enhance outreach and engagement efforts. For attendees, it creates a seamless, personalized experience from the first moment of interaction – both online and in-person.

During this on-demand webinar, panelists from Cornell, LMU, LSU, and Purdue will share their perspectives on the critical role event technology plays in their day-to-day operations and long-term strategic planning. 

In this webinar, you’ll hear discussions around:

• Use cases for event technology across the entire attendee lifecycle – from online to live events and opportunities to connect attendees with mobile technology;
• Best practices for implementation, training and adoption of the new technology;
• Tips for those getting started or looking to expand their current implementation; 
• Responding to the interests and questions from webcast attendees.

Featured Presenters

Christiana Simpson, Senior Director of Special Events and Event Marketing, Loyola Marymount University

Christiana Simpson is the Senior Director of Special Events and Event Marketing at Loyola Marymount University. Christiana is focused on developing strategic and engaging advancement events. Since joining in 2015, she oversees a team of 7 who produce over 150 annual alumni, donor, board, and annual giving events.

Heather Darrow, Conference Coordinator, Department of Animal Science, Cornell University

Heather Darrow is the Conference Coordinator within the Department of Animal Science at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Heather is responsible for coordinating conferences and workshops for state-wide dairy extension education programs. Working closely with faculty and academic staff, she handles all event logistics from beginning to post-event analysis. They have been using Cvent for 8 years.

Vickie King, Associate Director for Engagement Analytics & Process Enhancements, LSU College of Human Sciences & Education

Vickie King is the Associate Director for Engagement Analytics & Process Enhancements for LSU’s College of Human Sciences & Education. Vickie has nearly 30 years of experience in non-profit management, development, stewardship, and communications, including serving as CEO for a youth home for more than 7 years. In her current role at LSU, she works with a team to utilize technology solutions to create a powerful experience for students, faculty, staff, and partners.

Nick Bonora, Director of Purdue Conferences, Purdue University

Nick Bonora is the Director of Purdue Conferences at Purdue University. A natural storyteller who studied theater in college, Nick arrived at Purdue in 2012 after stints with the Los Angeles Opera, the Autry Museum of the American West, and the UCLA Conferences Services department. He considers hospitality to be a way of life, rather than just an industry. He loves being a part of making connections, bringing people together, learning new things and watching the team succeed.