Keeping the “Special” in your One-Off Special Event

How did we turn a breakfast for 200 into a party for thousands of close friends? We’ll use MIT’s 150th anniversary closing event as a basis for

exploring effective brainstorming, concept development, collaboration, budgeting and execution.

The Challenge

•How do we conclude MIT’s 150th celebration?•How do we incorporate reunion guests with the local community?•How do we pay for it?•Who makes final decisions?

Concept Development

• Think big, think tall – adopt a “What If” attitude

• Change is okay• Celebrate• Quality vendors• Adopt a “What if” attitude • Engage staff in brainstorming

Collaboration• Catering• Institute Affairs• MIT Alumni Association• Resource Development• Communications– Toast To Tech Contest– Video From Space– Cake video

Budgeting

• Get some skin in the game• Research costs – dispel myths• Educate partners and show value• Reuse, recycle, repurpose, redeploy

Execution

• 7,000 guests• 750 foot birthday card• Cake for 2,500• 341 Toast entries• 4,000 glow sticks• Thousands of web views of our cake and

fireworks videos

Challenges

• 7,000 guests• Depleted staff• Volunteer staffing• Too many cooks• People really like cake