Best of CASE Europe Region Award
 

Institution: Erasmus University Rotterdam

Title of entry: Erasmus University Rotterdam's Alumni+ series

About this entry: Erasmus University Rotterdam's Alumni+ series offers unique cultural experiences in exclusive locations, targeting prospective donors, volunteers, and corporate connections. It was created as a response to the pandemic and the limitations it presented for traditional alumni events.
As pandemic regulations eased, participants were reluctant to join bigger events, but it became possible to host small-scale, more exclusive events. Turning this to our advantage, we started our new cultural events programme Alumni+. We would work with venues and cultural organisations to host intimate events in special venues, targeting prospective donors, volunteers and corporate connections, and offering unique experiences not accessible to the wider public. Limited ticket releases created a sense of urgency and exclusivity, and collaborations with influential alumni helped to make the events more engaging.
The Erasmus Alumni Relations team was established in 2020 to bring together alumni relations services and create an events portfolio for all alumni. Until recently, each faculty organised their own alumni events. We started a collaboration with the Rotterdam School of Management – who already had more than 100 events a year prior to the pandemic.
The series provides opportunities for alumni to deepen their connection to the university through their personal interests, rather than just business ones. The team encourages one-on-one conversations between guests and themselves, creating engagement opportunities. The Alumni+ series has been successful in engaging a wider range of alumni who have not engaged with faculty's events in recent years and has contributed to the creation of a Erasmus Societal Impact Fund.