SEC Business School Advancement Conference 2023



The 2023 SEC Business School Advancement Conference will be hosted by the Culverhouse College of Business at The University of Alabama on July 25-27.


Registration

Register for the conference here.

Registration closes July 10.


Lodging

Embassy Suites in downtown Tuscaloosa, just minutes from The University of Alabama campus, has a block of room for conference attendees.
 
The address of the hotel is 2410 University Blvd, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.
 
 

Travel

The closest airport to Tuscaloosa is Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) at 5900 Messer Airport Hwy, Birmingham, AL 35212.

The drive to Tuscaloosa from BHM is about an hour.

Transportation to Tuscaloosa:


Agenda

Tuesday, July 25

  • 2-5 p.m. — Check-in at Embassy Suites

  • 3 p.m. — Campus Tour: buses will pick up at the Embassy Suites

  • 4 p.m. — Bryant-Denny Stadium tour and group picture

  • 6 p.m. — Cocktails and dinner: Moe’s Barbeque (0.3 mile walk from Embassy Suites)

Wednesday, July 26

  • 7-8:30 a.m. — Breakfast at Embassy Suites

  • 8-8:45 a.m. — Transportation to Hewson Hall

  • 9 a.m. — Welcome

    • Dr. Stuart Bell, President, The University of Alabama
  • 9:15 a.m. — Rising Tide Capital Campaign

    Nearly every one of us is in some stage of  campaign planning: thinking about, implementing, or recovering from one! How did the University of Alabama prepare and execute its highly successful Rising Tide Capital Campaign? Bob and Allison will share straightforward strategies that may help you in the planning and execution of your next campaign. 

    • Bob Pierce, Vice President for Advancement, The University of Alabama
    • Allison Leitner, Capital Campaign Director, The University of Alabama
  • 10 a.m. — Involving Faculty in Fundraising

    Research demonstrates that deepening the involvement of the faculty and academic leadership in engagement and fundraising efforts is an important step in increasing an institution’s fundraising capacity. This session will give you an insight into redirecting the focus of a program, how relationships can flourish, and what to look for in those faculty partners. 

    • Dr. Theresa Welbourne, Executive Director, Alabama Entrepreneurship Institute; Will and Maggie Brooke Endowed Professor in Entrepreneurship, Culverhouse College of Business
    • Nick Foster, Executive Director of Development, Culverhouse College of Business
  • 10:45 a.m. — Break

  • 11 a.m. — The Transformative Power of Experience: Building & Funding Experiential Learning

    High-quality experiences deepen students’ learning and has the potential to change their lives. Experiential learning trips match alumni interests and passions to the needs of specific student populations, unlocking valuable resources to build and fund unique learning opportunities. 

    • Quoc Hoang, Director for Experiential Learning, Culverhouse College of Business
  • Noon — Lunch

  • 1 p.m.  — Culverhouse College of Business tour and group picture

  • 2–2:45 p.m. — Breakout 1

    • Session 1 (Development Focus) Defusing Objections
      This session will explore how to diffuse common fundraising objections, give fundraisers the tools to feel confident handling objections and provide a takeaway that can be used to hone skills.
    • Session 2 (Advancement Focus) – Cultivating the Next Gift
      Proper stewardship of major gifts often leads to continued giving. We will discuss best practices and engagement opportunities for donors to see the impact of their giving.
    • Session 3 (Marketing Focus) – The Power of Podcasting
      The power of audio narratives for alumni engagement, brand building and amplifying the voice of college leadership. Co-presentation with Culverhouse marcomm staff and Walton’s Jerra Toms, with open conversation and Q&A.
  • 2:50–3:35 p.m. — Breakout 2

    • Session 1 (Development Focus) – What Gets Measured Gets Done
      So, what do you measure? How do you define success? Are metrics a buzzword that makes most fundraisers nervous and leaves most managers confused?
    • Session 2 (Advancement Focus) – Annual Giving
      Best practices for engaging all generations: What types of solicitations are most appealing? How do you tailor these to trends among different generations (recent grad, 40s, 60+): brick and mortar vs. giving to specific areas vs. general fund? What types of city events work and how to spread the word?
    • Session 3 (Marketing Focus) – Cutting Through the Noise
      Best practices in how to engage and communicate with students and/or alumni to boost event and program participation, address knowledge gaps, and improve senses of community. A focus on new methodologies and technologies that have broad applications will be of emphasis during this conversation.
  • 3:40–4:25 p.m. — Breakout 3

    • Session 1 (Development Focus) – Qualification
      One of the most common hurdles fundraisers face is engaging and qualifying new prospects. Who are you trying to engage? What’s working for you? Share your thoughts and insight with the group.
    • Session 2 (Advancement Focus) – Recognizing and Celebrating Donors and Alumni
      Alumni Awards, Hall of Fames, Lecture series…the list goes on. There are so many wonderful opportunities to recognize and celebrate our successful alumni and loyal donors. We will discuss what has worked and what hasn’t, best practices and why we do this.
    • Session 3 (Marketing Focus) – The Bottom Line
      What are some methodologies our offices are following that have led to increased giving? How can we become leaders — or effective partners — in developing and deploying inspiring and exciting fundraising campaigns? Bring your knowledge and examples of collateral to this roundtable discussion.
  • 4:30 p.m. — Dismiss for free time (buses will return to Embassy Suites)

  • 6 p.m. — Dinner and drinks at The District Room (0.4 mile walk from the Embassy Suites

Thursday, July 27

  • 7-8:30 a.m. — Breakfast at Embassy Suites

  • 8-8:45 a.m. — Transportation to Hewson Hall from Embassy Suites

  • 9:00 a.m. — Welcome

    • Dr. Kay Palan, Dean, Culverhouse College of Business 
  • 9:30 a.m. — Corporate and Foundation Giving Panel

    Corporate and foundation giving is crucial to our success. Dean Palan will moderate a panel of corporate executives and foundation directors on how they led their companies and foundations to give and how they decided or created initiatives to support.
    • Moderator: Dr. Kay Palan, Dean, Culverhouse College of Business
    • Panelists: Daniel Beggs, Senior Accounting Manager, Boeing Company and Wendy Evesque, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Office, Protective Life Corporation 
  • 10:15 a.m. — Where Legends Are Made: Leveraging Brand Power

    The University of Alabama “Where Legends Are Made” brand is a powerful one that resonates deeply with alumni and other engaged stakeholders. Hear from leadership in UA’s Division of Strategic Communications about the genesis and ongoing evolution of that brand and how it is utilized at the college and unit level to drive results.
    • Meagan Bennett, Executive Director of Operations/Chief Collaboration Officer, and Tabitha Bostick, Director of Marketing, The University of Alabama Division of Strategic Communications 
  • 11 a.m. — Passing the Torch to the Dawgs

    Debrief and planning for next year
  • 11:30 a.m.       Farewell box lunch

  • 11:40 a.m.       Bus leaves for Embassy Suites

Get In Touch

For more info, email Courtney Page Miller, Executive Director of External Relations at Culverhouse, at cmiller@culverhouse.ua.edu.

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