2012 Conference Program Details

Breakout sessions at SUNYCUAD Conference 2012

Below are just some of the topics being presented on at the 2012 Conference:

How Games Are Changing Life, the Web & Everything

By Colleen Brennan-Barry, Monroe Community College

From Mashable.com to the Wall Street Journal, experts and prognosticators are calling 2012 “The Year of Gamification.” But what does that really mean? We know that, from the early dice games of ancient Greece to modern geo-location games and Angry Birds, games have long been part of human history. No matter the situation or environment, the urge to play crosses all boundaries – and that urge is growing. More than 174 million Americans are gamers, and the average young person in the United States will spend ten thousand hours gaming by the age of 21. This presentation explores the qualities of the gaming mechanics that drive us, and considers how colleges and universities can begin to apply those qualities to meet the needs of our diverse audiences and to achieve institutional goals, all while creating community, communicating key stories and messages, and having fun.

"E" is the Most Important Vowel in LEadErship: Explaining the 5 E's of Successful Leadership

By Lynne Boles, Cincinnati Consulting Consortium

The 5 E’s are based on leadership principles that are taught at Procter & Gamble (P&G), the world’s largest packaged goods company. The presenter (Lynne Boles) attended several leadership seminars while she was VP of global advertising at P&G and used them in her work there. She continues to utilize these principles in her consulting work as senior consultant in the Cincinnati Consulting Consortium.

How Can Branding Your SUNY Institution Help Increase Enrollment and Donations?

By Lynne Boles, Cincinnati Consulting Consortium

Participants are invited to join this session about branding strategies in higher education. Lynne Boles, currently senior consultant in the Cincinnati Consulting Consortium and former VP for global advertising at Procter & Gamble, will define the benefits of an effective brand using examples from business as well as SUNY Potsdam’s own branding
work. You will hear about current best practices in defining and capitalizing on your campus’ unique identity. The presentation will also briefly explore possible branding
strategies for the overall SUNY System and ways to capitalize upon synergies between two branding identities: SUNY Central and your own institution. Come prepared to give
your opinion!

Content Strategy for Higher Education

By Georgy Cohen, Crosstown Communications

Everyone in higher education wants great and effective web content, but how do we make that happen? Where do we start? What are the challenges and solutions? As one of the co-founders of Meet Content, a resource committed to empowering higher education to create and sustain effective web content, Cohen will share that company's philosophy around implementing content strategy in higher ed. By doing so, we can produce content that is useful, usable and on-brand -- not to mention engaging and fun! She will detail the problems that content strategy can help address, define the main components of a content strategy and share the core principles around which your content strategy should revolve.

Storytelling as a Framework for Higher Ed Web Marketing

By Georgy Cohen, Crosstown Communications

Storytelling boils down to meaningful and engaging communication, which makes effective storytelling an essential function for the success of any organization -- including higher education, which happens to be a particularly ripe environment for storytelling. In this session, Cohen will talk about what the components of a story, what makes stories such a powerful means of communication, how storytelling supports institutional goals and how we should evaluate our roles in higher ed web marketing from a storytelling context. I will discuss the need for clear messaging, thoughtful narratives -- be they in code or prose -- an audience-centric approach and the community’s investment in the story being told.

Analytics for a Better Experience

By Joshua Dodson, Converge Consulting

Every website has a purpose. How clear is your purpose? How easy is it for users to accomplish your goal? By properly utilizing Google Analytics, you can better understand what is working and what needs improvement. This presentation will show you how to use analytics to build a better user experience and accomplish your website goals. You will learn how to determine which pages are successful in achieving your goals and how to optimize the weak pages so that they more effectively guide the user to your goal.

Capital Campaigns: What’s New and Working Right Now

By David Gallagher, Harvest Fund Raising Counsel

Nearly every SUNY institution and its foundation is in a campaign or planning for a new campaign. The history of capital campaigns in SUNY is brief, yet significant strides have been made despite the financial markets' turmoil of the last few years.  This session will cover the structural changes current and new capital campaigns have undergone the last few years and the “what, where, when and how” of recent gifts recorded in these campaigns.  Anecdotal stories will be shared.       

I’m with the Brand: Creating a Rocking Cultural Experience Across Your School

By Kevin Grout, Brock University

A brand is a person’s gut feeling about your product or your service. It is formed by interactions with your front-line staff; through social media; from your advertising and from your public relations initiatives. How do these different elements get pulled together in a successful brand? It’s more than a logo, it’s more than a corporate identity. But creating buy-in, especially in a campus environment is no easy task. We’ll look at ways for schools and employees to express differentiation, opportunities to engage campus ambassadors, and strategies to quell the naysayers. Specific cases will be referenced, including the successful launch of Brock University’s “Both Sides of the Brain” brand. It’s branding on a whole other (fun) level.

Planned Giving Techniques That Work for 2012

By Jonathan Gudema, Planned Giving Advisors, LLC

Every gift officer and advancement services professional could use a review of planned gift techniques, with an emphasis on which gift types are particularly attractive to donors under the current economic and political circumstances. With interest rates at their lowest levels in memory, the year 2012 has opportunities to utilize some planned gifts instruments that may be more attractive to donors than ever.  This session will cover several of the most important vehicles to focus on this year, reviewing some of the basics as well as more advanced techniques in securing significant planned gifts in 2012. 

I Learned Everything I Need to Know About Time Management by Playing Plants vs. Zombies by PopCap games

By Gregory Kie, SUNY Canton

Today's higher-education professionals are constantly bombarded with choices on how to most efficiently market their colleges and engage users. Being inundated by Twitter feeds, Facebook posts and traditional media outreach methods can challenge the energy and imagination of even the most seasoned professionals. As attention replaces traditional modes of currency, time becomes the new measure of an intellectual economy. To add to the challenge, many are consistently asked or expected to do more and learn more in less time. Users must constantly evaluate the "Economy of Means" or use advanced project management techniques uncommon to most creative workplaces and natively found in information technology and business-related fields. Many resource allocation strategies can be extrapolated from Plants vs. Zombies and other tower defense video games.  This light-hearted presentation integrates efficient best practices when capturing video, photographs and writing as part of an advancement outreach strategy. 

Location-Based Services: Where Are We Going?

By Jeffrey Kirchick, SCVNGR and Tim Nekritz, SUNY Oswego

Location-based services are a growing phenomenon, but a lot has happened over the past year -- Foursquare is transitioning, Facebook bought Gowalla, and a myriad of other LBS platforms have also been acquired. Where are we going? What platforms are currently available? What is the bigger picture for LBS (i.e., using an app to find the closest bus or the closest class --- are we entering an era of "practical" use of location?). How has the growth of smartphone usage on campus impacted how higher education can leverage GPS-enabled devices to any advantage? This session will closely examine what LBS is, how it is evolving, what we can expect in the future and how higher education can stay ahead of the curve.

Crisis Communications

By Michael Meath, Strategic Communications

A topical primer and reminder on the importance of capable crisis communications.

Making Albany Work for You

By Zoe Nelson, Cornell University

Working with elected officials has become an important strategy point for public colleges and universities. This session will delve into achievable productive strategies that can lead to better relations and results with Albany on various issues, on any given campus, on issues big and small. The talk will include inputs on coordinating multiple interests to get help from Albany on new initiatives that may have time-sensitive components.
 

Lead the Horse to Water, And Make Damn Sure It Drinks: How to Lead Successful & Transparent Projects

By Alana Riley, Providence College

When it's your job to be sure a project gets done and gets done right, there is limited room for error. You need to lead your team to the finish line on time and on-budget or face the music. Newsflash: A project led poorly will likely fail miserably. When filling the shoes of a project manager, you need to develop and keep a very specific toolset nearby, and it has nothing to do with a PM certification hanging on your wall. That toolset will help you avoid dangerous terrain; keep the people you're working with happy, energetic, optimistic and on track; and give you the confidence to communicate effectively with your stakeholders, be it the newest staff member or the most rigid department chair. Join me in this session as I share with you my project experiences and show off some great tools you can put to work right away.

Stop the Presses? Deciphering Digital Publications

By Ed Tatton, Westchester Community College

Kindle, iPad, Nook? Do people still use PDFs? What is an .epub? The questions are numerous. Is it time to stop the presses and move everything to a digital format? If so, what digital format is best? This session will address available file types and supporting platforms, with overview and discussion of the features available within the various digital publishing formats. Encompassing what format types can embed images, sounds and videos and what formats are copyright protected or those that are open standard. Sorting through the multitude of available platforms including iOS and Android devices, specific e-readers such as the Kindle 3 and Nook. Which devices support what formats. What the future holds and what problems we will face in transitioning from print to digital. Examples of what to do and what not to do and when to do it all.

Stepping Outside SUNY: Lessons Learned on a Nationwide, 10-Campus Tour

By Danielle Valenti, readMedia

In fall 2011, readMedia’s Danielle Valenti visited 10 colleges across the country: from small liberal arts colleges like Marist, to state flagships like University of Kansas, Georgia Tech and Clemson, to mid-size institutions like Eastern Connecticut State University. Her goal was to soak in as many best practices as possible when it comes to marketing, communication and social media. She also documented observations on how different institutions were structured and organized when it came to the communications function: Did a centralized or decentralized approach work best? How did different departments allocate resources to meet communications needs? What were the most innovative social media tactics? Danielle will highlight best practices. Attendees will be able to discuss how the approaches she observed can be brought into SUNY and applied at their institutions.

Getting There from Here: A Model to Develop Social Media and Digital Strategies to Increase Alumni Engagement with Your Alumni Website

By David White, SUNY Empire State College

How do alumni use your website? What do you want alumni to do when they visit? This session will look at reviewing and analyzing key alumni website metrics and developing social media and digital strategies that align with overall website goals. Providing a fantastic user experience for alumni who come to your website goes a long way in supporting engagement and giving, and allowing them to easily engage with your social media strategy increases their affinity to their college. In this session you will learn strategies and tactics to leverage social media, digital and website design tips to ensure your alumni can navigate easily around your site and how to funnel them to visit your key conversion pages.  At the end of the presentation there will be a question and answer period and audience members are encouraged to share their best practices.

Creating Your Tailor-Made Social Media Strategy

By Alaina Wiens, University of Michigan-Flint

Do you have a social media strategy? Whether you work in marketing, alumni relations or development, the world of social media offers invaluable tools for reaching your goals. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all social media plan. While the list of social networks, platforms and applications grows by the day, it can be difficult to pinpoint where to start. How do you know which social networks are right for you? What do you do with those social networks after you get started? How do you measure the effectiveness of your efforts?  In this session, we’ll talk about setting goals and identifying which social channels will best help accomplish those goals. We’ll also discuss best practices and measurement.

Reel Deal: Online Video, It’s Time to Get Smart

By Mallory Wood, mStoner Inc.

You’ve got your YouTube channel and are posting videos on Twitter, Facebook and your website. And so is everyone else. Now what? Take the next step and create smarter web video. No matter who produces it, video on your site and social networks must be creative, engaging and effective. But the truth is, most online video falls flat. This session delivers the Reel Deal by breaking down best practices for marketing your institution through video. We’ll look at the best the industry has to offer and you’ll leave the room ready to increase quality and engagement without increasing investment.

Social Media's Secret Sauce, Students

By Mallory Wood, mStoner Inc.

If you have one full-time community manager for social media on your campus, you're lucky! For most, creating content for Twitter and Facebook is usually an add-on to a staff member’s already full plate. And as we all work hard to create engaging content and be responsive, we sometimes have to take on weekend work to tackle that irate Saturday afternoon post. Because if you ignore it until Monday morning, it is too late or perhaps will, by then, turn into a volatile situation! For most, the model of stretching current staff to manage social media won't work for the long haul. Absent funding for more positions, what do you do? Enter the secret sauce. Students. The key is to harness their eagerness and stories so you wind up with authentic content and real-time interactions. But, how? This session will highlight success stories from the best case studies education has to offer and provide tangible ways to motivate, train and trust your student workers or volunteers.

Lifetime Engagement Management: We Are All Alumni, All the Time

By Fran Zablocki, mStoner Inc.

From the very first day that a prospect opens your admissions materials, they have a relationship with you. This is a one-to-one, lifelong relationship between the university and an individual, not a many-to-one relationship between different departments of a university and a prospect, a student, an alum and a donor. When each stage of the relationship cycle is manned by a different team in a different silo with a different technology, our half of the relationship seems schizophrenic, forgetful and thoughtless. Today’s admissions prospect is next decade’s donor. This is why your admissions team needs to meet with your student affairs team and your alumni team and get on the same page. Fran Zablocki will talk about the concept of lifetime engagement management, the challenges to achieving it and the potential rewards if you can.

Events that Work as Hard for You, As You Do on Them!

By Laura Goodwin, The Osborne Group

This session seeks to prove the impossible:  that alumni relations, annual giving and major gifts really can get along!  In truth, you know that when you do, amazing things happen – and on-campus and off-campus events are a great way to come together to achieve everyone’s goals.  In this highly interactive workshop, we’ll discuss how to maximize relationships built at the “Big Three”:  Reunion, Gala, and regional alumni

“Get Out Now” Part One:  Asking Strategic Questions and Listening to the Answers

By Laura Goodwin, The Osborne Group

The first part of a two-part session which can be done consecutively but will also allow participants to jump on or off between session 1 and 2.  This session will focus on the skills every “out of the office” professional needs: strategic questioning and active listening skills.  Applicable to alumni relations, annual giving – and major gifts officers.

“Get Out Now” Part Two:  Strategy Development Workshop

By Laura Goodwin, The Osborne Group

This workshop will be best for those making personal solicitations – or working with volunteers to have solicitations made.  After a very brief review, we will apply the principles of “strategic donor initiatives” – or moves management – to design, test, and revamp a strategic donor relationship plan.  This session will also bring together themes from the rest of the conference: making the right case for support, using stewardship as a move, strategic questioning and listening.

Does Asking Still Matter?

By Andrea Kihlstedt, Asking Matters

On-line fundraising is growing fast and taking its place alongside direct mail. Studies document the intersection of these two powerful tools. How is on-line fundraising effecting to whom and how people give? And what is the relationship between on-line communication and in-person solicitation? Does asking still matter?  Andrea Kihlstedt, an inveterate believer in face-to-face contact with donors, will talk about her own transformation as a donor. She’ll review some current research of neuroscientists, and  she’ll make the case that face to face contact doesn’t still matter, it matters more. Much more.

Asking in the Way that Suits You Best: Asking Styles and How to Use them

By Andrea Kihlstedt, Asking Matters

Always thought you should adapt the way you ask to match the style of your donors? While that may be true, it turns out that knowing your own asking style may be even more important.  Andrea Kihlstedt has developed a system of Asking Styles that will help you become more comfortable asking for gifts while at the same time understanding what your donors need. She’ll present a simple system that will enable you to understand your own asking style and to become more sensitive to and prepared for the styles of your donors. 

The Arc of the Ask: Shaping the Solicitation Conversation

By Andrea Kihlstedt, Asking Matters

Have trouble talking too much when you ask someone for a gift? There’s hardly a person in the fundraising business who hasn’t seen a donor’s eyes glaze over while being asked for a gift. Andrea Kihlstedt will present a new way of thinking about the asking process that will help you avoid creating the dreaded “Wall of Words” so common in many asks. She’ll show you how being a conversation conductor rather than a presenter opens the door for the genuine dialog donors are hungry for.