Alumni events
There are a variety of ways in which alumni can stay in touch with each other and the University after graduation, including attending and running alumni events.
You are part of a global, world-class alumni community. The Alumni Relations Team can support you to organise events for alumni in their own part of the world where get-togethers can be informal or on a grander scale. Reunions or themed events can provide opportunities for networking, peer support or simply a chance to be nostalgic about your Durham days.
“Durham gives you a strong sense of being part of something big and also provides a structure in which you can meet lots of people, many of whom will become your friends for life. The idea of the Alumni movement is only an extension of this model and for the majority of graduates; it’s not only enjoyable to connect with Durham people but also a very natural thing to do”. Phil Brown, (Alumni Volunteer) ItalyHow to run an alumni event
The first step is to contact the Alumni Relations Office to find out which volunteers are active in your region.
There may already be an alumni volunteer in your area who is experienced at running events and you may wish to join forces with this person and offer an extra pair of hands.
If there are no active volunteers in your region, then the Alumni Relations Team can help get you started.
Active alumni event organisers
The
After Hours Programme is an alumni volunteer-led events series that meets in major cities around the UK. The events are informal get-togethers typically held in city-centre bars and take place in the early evening when most people can meet straight from work. Running from mid September – mid October this year,
check the events calendar.
DUSADA (Durham University Society Association for Durham Alumni) is the main UK-based alumni association for former Durham students and exists to provide quality events for alumni to meet old friends and make new ones. High level annual events include alumni get-togethers at Henley Regatta and Cartier Polo. DUSADA also organise an annual dinner in London. This year the annual dinner is on 27 October and will combine University Convocation and the Honorary Graduation ceremony for Lord Wolfson of Marylebone, Fellow of Birkbeck
check the events calendar.
General guidelines for planning an event
Before you begin planning, think about the following questions:
1. Who is your audience? Alumni in your region? Alumni from your class year? Alumni with a shared interest, such as a book launch?
- This will affect how you promote the event - what you say about your event and how you say it.
2. What are the objectives and desired outcomes for the event? (In other words, what would you like to see happen).
- High number of alumni attending
- Everyone who attends the event to really enjoy the experience
- Raising awareness or support for a particular cause
- Networking for business
- Celebration or giving someone recognition for achievement
3. Do you have enough time and resources to run the kind of event you want?
- Early in the process, you will need to determine a reasonable budget (being aware of your costs) and identify possible sources of income to cover costs (ticket sales, or donations for example)
- And ensure you have the people to help you organise it (before, and also on the day).
4. How will you measure if your event achieved what you wanted it to achieve? (see number 2. above) and below for examples.
- Counting people there (or at registration)
- Brief feedback forms with clear questions asking people to grade whether (the food for example) was excellent, very good, good, average, poor, very poor…
- Collecting business cards
- General feedback and atmosphere
- Take some photographs!
When you can identify the answers to each of these questions, you are ready to schedule your event.
Try and be flexible (within reason) when selecting your
event date. Often
securing a special guest speaker or the ideal venue will determine the final date and time.
In summary
1. Appeal to your audience; promote your event to catch their attention
2. Have a clear idea about what you want to see happen at the event
3. Identify your resources (money and people’s time – including your own!)
4. If you are catering for your event, think about what types of food and drink to provide. Budget may determine this! Is it a sit down meal, cold or hot buffet, or just nibbles? If you are providing alcohol, always offer a soft drinks option.
5. Make sure you capture evidence of your event’s success
6. Make sure the venue is accessible to the people you want to attend, make sure people have maps and information about transport options, parking, accommodation if necessary.
7. Make sure the date and time is suitable for the people you want to attend – at least appeal to the majority, and avoid popular dates like 25th December!
8. Promote your event early, then send a reminder, then send a thank-you for coming!
9. Email is a cost effective way to do this and the Alumni Office can help you send group emails to alumni.
Promoting your event
Please remember: The Alumni Office can help promote your event in a variety of ways (please always aim to give us at least 1-2 week’s notice):
- Group Email: we can send your message using our central database system to a targeted alumni group (we can help you pick the size of the group for maximum impact).
- Newswire: the monthly e-bulletin has a dedicated events section; this is sent out at the end of each month to approximately 30,000 subscribers.
- Dunelm Online: we can post your event on our Events Calendar which can be accessed by anyone visiting the website
- Durham First: we can include your event listing in the alumni magazine which is sent to approximately 90,000 people. (Please note we need 6 months notice for this)
Word-of-mouth is always the best form of promotion, so don’t forget to tell all your alumni friends, colleagues and family members that you are running the event, and to come along!
If you would like more information about becoming an alumni volunteer event organiser please contact us on
alumni.office@durham.ac.uk