Your Time to Shine

 

Congratulations on welcoming a new president to your institution!

 

There are few events that offer a more remarkable opportunity to showcase your school than a presidential inauguration. It affords a pivotal moment to highlight your institution's upward trajectory, illuminate your new president's qualifications and vision, share the achievements of your faculty, and initiate opportunities for donor engagement.

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But hosting a successful inauguration entails a surprising amount of work ~ work that often gets added to already-full agendas of existing staff.

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For many who shoulder these additional tasks, this will be their first (and perhaps only) inauguration. Burdened with these extra and unfamiliar duties, staff members will give less attention to existing job responsibilities in the months leading up to your singular event. At the same time, they’ll bring an understandable naiveté to investiture tasks, ballooning the amount of time and human resources required to stage this critically important event.

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It's Not So Simple

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Inaugurations can seem deceptively simple. After all, it’s just a single event. All that’s needed is an invitation, an RSVP card, and a program, right?

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Well, yes…

 

And a save-the-date card. And a website. And regalia. And accommodations for visiting guests. And campus signage and maps. And refreshments. And mailing lists. And seating charts. And processional arrangements. And ticketing. And proclamations. And staffing. And gift bags. And videography/photography. And confirmation packets. And “first family” management. 

 

Will there be related events? A donor dinner? A community gathering? Something special for students? Faculty? Staff? Alumni? A fine arts performance? Special symposia or lectures? A ball or gala? A sporting event? A picnic? Spiritual services? Each of those needs invitations and programs and tickets and.... 

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