The Challenges
Before collaborating with vFairs, the University of Dundee faced several challenges:
- The onset of the pandemic necessitated the use of various platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Facebook Lives for reaching out to prospective students. This scattered approach lacked a unified space for hosting diverse content types like webinars, talks, and presentations.
- With the previous platforms, it was difficult to track engagement and attendance metrics efficiently.
- There was a need for a platform that could offer on-demand content access after the live event, a feature not readily available or easy to implement on the platforms previously used.
The Solution
Event Gallery
vFairs provided several innovative solutions for the University of Dundee’s virtual open day:
Live Presentations and On-Demand Content
The university hosted 67 presentations through the vFairs platform, 60 of which were live. The platform allowed the sharing of live presentation links, which were updated to provide access to recorded presentations post-event.
Professional, User-Friendly Design
The vFairs platform facilitated a professional and appealing event design. Despite no formal training in design, the university team found it easy to create a visually pleasing event backdrop.
Interactive Exhibit Booths
Each faculty was given a virtual exhibit booth to display their programs, courses, and student experiences. The booths were equipped with PDFs, videos, photos, and links to program pages for comprehensive information access.
Actionable Insights
Post-event, the vFairs platform provided valuable metrics, enabling the team to track webinar attendance and booth engagement levels effectively. This data was shared with booth representatives for in-depth analysis.
The Results
Despite the short turnaround time, the University of Dundee’s virtual open day was a triumph. The event saw significant engagement, with one booth alone recording an average of almost 4 engagements per visitor. The university received internal positive feedback regarding the event’s organization and execution. It gained in-depth insights into engagement metrics and the type of information that students seek at such events.
The success of this virtual open day has prompted the university to incorporate a virtual aspect in their future open days, even when in-person events resume.
