St. Lawrence College Convocation: Behind the Scenes

It’s officially been two weeks since I’ve left my role at St. Lawrence College to start placement with Queen’s Law. Through this week I’ve been reflecting on my time within the Registrar’s Office and what an amazing experience it’s been. Below are some key takeaways, challenges, and some of my favourite moments planning our Tri-Campus Convocation.

Kingston Convocation at the Roger’s K-Rock Centre.

Expect the Unexpected

During the planning phase, each day was different from the next. One day we would be organizing volunteers, the next we would be trying to ship a podium to Brockville and have a microphone installed. Things will be thrown at you that are out of your realm and your problem-solving skills will be put to the test.

Through this experience, I’ve learned how to be adaptable and flexible. Nothing is ever set in stone, no matter how much we try and plan.

Honoring our Golden Grads for St. Lawrence College’s 50th anniversary. Brockville Convocation.

Organization is Key

Managing 8 separate ceremonies in 3 cities with was tricky. With multiple deadlines floating around, it was crucial to have organizational processes in place to keep the team on track. Turning the front of our office into a visual timeline was one of them!

In addition to planning documents, we compiled all of our deadlines on a huge classroom whiteboard at the front of the room. That way, our team could see upcoming deadlines and ensure we were all on the same page.

A shoutout from Advertising & Marketing Communications faculty!

Trust Your Team

After months of planning, the first event date finally appears. Your palms sweat and multiple questions run through your mind… Did I reserve the right amount of special seating? Are all the speeches in place on the podium? Are our volunteers happy with their positions? 

Sometimes it’s a great idea to take a deep breath, realize that our team put everything in place, and trust that the event will be carried out no matter what. Our planning team is composed of about 7 individuals and all of them are dedicated to student success.

Brockville Convocation Entrance

Students First

At the end of the day, the event celebrates student success, their hard work, and determination. Our team worked diligently to welcome graduates to the next chapter of their lives. Hearing families cheer when students crossed the stage, seeing photos being taken, and realizing all of our graduates were having a wonderful time was worth it all.

-L

A Tale of Two Cafes

Social Media Audit – Juniper Cafe

Nestled on the bottom floor of the Tett Center, Juniper Cafe is the place for treats by the water, admiring art, and sitting on their beautiful twinkle light patio. Many do not know of this hidden gem, but when they find it they will be pleasantly surprised. With a focus on catering to Queen’s students, Juniper Cafe creates scratch meals; sandwiches, salads & baked goods using 75% local food year round. Below is a social media audit for the cafe.

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Social Media Audit – CRAVE Cafe

Within the heart of Downtown Kingston, you’ll find CRAVE Cafe catering to all students alike. You can get cozy next to their fireplace while binging projects or studying for tests. With free wifi and comfy seating, there’s no question that this coffee shop is one of the top places for students. On social media, you can find them curating content on Twitter and featuring user photos on their Instagram feed. Below is a social media audit for the cafe.

Conclusion

After comparing the data, some conclusions that can be drawn would be that Juniper Cafe is deeply rooted within the community by participating in local charities and partnering up with different businesses. They also focus on influencer marketing by bringing in Kingston bloggers who write articles about their cafe. However, there is still room for improvement on their social media channels.

One opportunity they can take includes un-linking their Instagram account from Twitter and Facebook and instead, optimizing content for each separate channel. Crave Cafe does a great job by curating content such as articles, infographics, and facts that apply to their audience. Juniper cafe can do something similar to this and instead focus on the arts and local businesses they have partnered up with.

Crave Cafe does many promotions on social media which Juniper can learn from. Small things like mentioning other social pages (Crave Cakes & Catering Business) or getting customers to vote on a poll would help increase followers and brand loyalty.

When creating content, both coffee shops have the opportunity to brand their graphics which will increase awareness when customers share them. The last opportunity for Juniper Cafe and possibly the most important would be sharing user’s photos on their feeds. This will not only increase engagements but will let customers know that they appreciate them coming to their cafe.

Overall, both cafes have an overwhelming positive sentiment from their customers. Kingstonians love both cafes for tasty treats and spending quality time with friends or colleagues. Be sure to check out both Juniper and Crave on Facebook to learn more about these great spots!

It All Begins Here

**Note**   The campaign is over! I’m happy to say I got selected to attend INBOUND along with 5 of my classmates. Thank you everybody for all of your overwhelming support. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Opportunities are always out there. Entering my second year in Advertising and Marketing Communications, we’ve been given the opportunity to attend INBOUND– a conference held in Boston MA from November 8-11.  Along with my classmates, we are competing for 4-6 spots.

This is not only a once in a lifetime chance for me, but an opportunity to expand my knowledge and share what I’ll learn with others.

You can help #SendmetoBoston by liking, subscribing, sharing, and commenting on my video!

-L

Updates

So your first year of college is finally done! Now what? We spend so much time waiting for summer, but when it finally comes around we have no idea what to do. During this time of quiet reflection we ask ourselves: what did we actually learn? Here are 3 things I learned from my first year of college.

There will be Setbacks

If you want to accomplish something great, there will always be setbacks. Whether it be something small like a grade you’re not too proud of, or something bigger like a breakup. There will be times you will want to drop everything and give up. Here’s my advice to you: don’t. You have the perfect opportunity to turn it around and create something fantastic.

Teamwork is #1

Before this program, I always focused on being independent and doing things without any help. It may have worked in high school, but it wasn’t going to fly here. Being part of a team helped us identify all of our weak and strong qualities. Together, we figured out ways to bridge gaps and work together cohesively.

My lovely team at the Greg Awards (April 16, 2016)

Have Pride and Passion for Your Work

One of the most daunting parts of working as a team was creating a product that we were all proud of. Countless hours were spent in the lab refining the final campaign for Frontenac Cycle. Having a vision or idea was one thing, but executing it was a whole different story. One thing I learned is that it’s okay to ditch an idea if you’re not feeling passionate about it.

All in all, I couldn’t be happier with the way first year turned out. I was honoured to receive 2 awards at the end of the year- something I never saw coming. I can’t wait to share and experience all the opportunities that second year has in store for all of us.

-L

 

Thoughts on Crowdfunding

Every day more people are using crowdfunding sites like Indiegogo, GoFundMe, and Kickstarter. But does it really work? Just because you put yourself out there and make a campaign, doesn’t mean money will start flowing in.

Depending on your marketing strategies and the cause of your campaign, it can either go really great, or without doubt, will fail. Here are 3 things that will ensure a successful campaign.

Community Involvement

With the Steer It Up campaign, one thing they’re doing right is community involvement. By reaching out to local radio stations and businesses, both parties are benefiting. The campaign gets money and the businesses get exposure. Most people who start crowdfunding have no reach. They start up a campaign and just wait for things to happen. If you want to raise money, you have to network with people who will care about your cause.

incentives to Donate

A smart thing to do is reward people for donating. With the Steer It Up campaign, you can donate 10 dollars and receive a personal thank you note as well as a badge to show on social media. If people have an initiative to donate and receive something in return, they will be more willing to give money.

A Great Cause

People should connect with your campaign and understand why it’s worthwhile to donate. If the cause is for something personal such as a wedding or vacation, strangers will be less willing to donate. By telling a story and fully explaining your cause, people will relate to the issue and support you.

-L