Best of CASE District II Award
 

Institution: Rochester Institute of Technology

Title of entry: Transforming RIT Campaign Close Gala Invitation

About this entry: As our billion dollar "Transforming RIT" blended campaign came to a successful close in 2023, we hosted a celebratory gala for our most engaged donors coinciding with our annual Brick City Homecoming & Family weekend. Our goal for the event was to create an experience that stood out from more traditional galas, embodying the intersection of technology, the arts, and design that is the hallmark of the RIT experience.

Kara Austin BFA '05, our assistant director of marketing, researched numerous formats, looking for innovative designs that would bring an interactive, three-dimensional experience to the simple activity of opening a party invitation. We wanted to encourage our recipients to not just open the invitation, but to be excited about it and share it with their friends. Our invitation needed to stand out, even among our own university's homecoming activities; between a hockey game and a building dedication and lots of other events over a busy weekend, we needed to ensure that our key donors recognized this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something special.

The event filled up almost immediately, and the event itself -- which showcased innovative student experiences, from musical performances to 3D-printed glass to a holographic version of our mascot -- set the perfect tone to close our campaign and received rave reviews.