Welcome to Your City - September 27, 2023
Occurring on a single day each fall, Welcome to Your City (WTYC) provides University-wide recent graduates (up to 10 years out) a targeted opportunity to connect with their local Harvard alumni community. WTYC events are social/networking gatherings with little to no formal programming and can be held in-person or virtually. Events are hosted by local Harvard Clubs and can be co-hosted by Shared Interest Groups and College Activities Chairs.
See below for information on:
- Partnering with a SIG and/or College Class Committees and Activities Chair volunteers
- Roles and responsibilities
- Outreach and communications calendar
- Additional WTYC resources
Participation Requirements
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Have more than 2,000 alumni in the Club's region. This is to ensure there is a critical mass of recent graduates.
Important Dates
Friday, August 18: Deadline for eligible Clubs to sign up to host.
Friday, August 18: Deadline for SIGs to sign up to co-host with a Club.
Wednesday, August 30: Alumni registration goes live.
Early-September: Communication with WTYC details sent to hosts and co-hosts
WTYC Info Sessions:
Wednesday, September 27: Welcome to Your City!
Partnerships
Clubs and SIGs
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Clubs and SIGs are encouraged to co-host the event together and have a joint presence at the events
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Clubs can choose to co-host with more than one SIG
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SIGs can choose to co-host with multiple participating Clubs
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College Class Committees and Activities Chair volunteers
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The HAA will invite College Class Committees and Activities Chair volunteers in the participating Club's region to help market the events to their classmates
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The HAA will introduce interested volunteers to the host Club and any SIG co-hosts
All Club hosts, SIG co-hosts and any College Class Committees and Activities Chair volunteers that sign up for WTYC are expected to be present at the event, whether it’s virtual or in-person, so please be aware of the event's format before you commit.
Roles and Responsibilities
Club Responsibilities:
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Pre-event:
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Designate an event point person to be the main point of contact with the HAA for WTYC
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The point person is expected to be present at the event, regardless of event format (in-person or virtual)
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If the event is virtual, this person is responsible for creating the event link (via Zoom or another meeting platform of their preference)
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- Host the event and manage event logistics
- Compliment HAA marketing via your Club email and social media channels to encourage attendance
- Field and respond to any event questions that may come in directly to the Club
- Review event resources provided by the HAA
- Connect with co-hosting SIGs and any Recent Graduate Class Committees/Activities Chair volunteers to coordinate:
- Event logistics
- Additional marketing efforts
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- During event:
- Act as host by welcoming guests, facilitating connections, and supporting discussions
- Act as a club ambassador by sharing information with attendees about how they can further engage
- Post-event:
- Follow up with attendees via email re: further engaging with the club
SIG Responsibilities:
- Pre-event:
- Designate a SIG representative(s) to co-host the event with a participating Club (can choose to host with more than one Club)
- A SIG representative is required to be present at each event they sign-up for, regardless of event format (in-person or virtual)
- Compliment HAA & Club marketing via your SIG email and social media channels to encourage attendance
- Connect with the hosting Club(s) and any Recent Graduate Class Committees/Activities Chair volunteers to coordinate
- Event logistics
- Additional marketing efforts
- Designate a SIG representative(s) to co-host the event with a participating Club (can choose to host with more than one Club)
- During event:
- Act as an ambassador for the SIG by sharing information with attendees about how they can further engage
- Post-event:
- Follow up with attendees via email re: further engaging with the SIG
- Follow up with attendees via email re: further engaging with the SIG
Recent Graduate Class Committees and Activities Chairs Responsibilities:
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Participating volunteers are required to be present at the event, regardless of event format (in-person or virtual)
- Spread the word about the event to fellow recent grads and encouraging their participation via email and social media
- If interested, connect with the hosting Club and co-hosting SIGs to coordinate event logistics
Marketing & Communications
Outreach:
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The HAA will manage WTYC marketing via
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A series of communications targeting local alumni up to 10 years out
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A WTYC registration page that connects
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Participating Clubs, SIG and volunteers are encouraged to market to their communities via newsletter communications and by posting the event on their website
*As in past years, SIG marketing will be included on all HAA-hosted Welcome to Your City registration sites if they filled out their Annual Report.
Email Marketing Calendar
- Wednesday, August 30, 2023 – Alumni registration goes live
- Wednesday, September 6, 2023 – Reminder to Not Heard From
- Sunday, September 10, 2023 – Feature #1 in Harvard this Week
- Tuesday, September 12, 2023 – College Alumni News Mention
- Thursday, September 14, 2023 – Reminder to Clickers
- Tuesday, September 19, 2023 – Reminder on Capacity
- Thursday, September 21, 2023 – Last Call for registration
- Sunday, September 24, 2023 – Feature #2 in Harvard this Week
- Monday, September 25, 2023 – Psych Up Message
- Tuesday, September 26, 2023 – Day-of-Reminders/Participation Details
- Wednesday, September 27, 2023 – Welcome to Your City
- Friday, September 29, 2023 – Post-event Follow Up
Additional Resources
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Information Sessions - Hosts and co-hosts are encouraged to attend one of two live Information Sessions in September. Please find the recording and slides from the 2023 info sessions below:
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WTYC 2023 Data Dashboard - View WTYC event locations and registration numbers in real time in a visual display
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Digital Assets – Download branded Welcome to Your City images to put in your marketing emails or to post on your webpage
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Virtual Networking Toolkit – If you decide to host a virtual event, this document provides you with resources that will empower you to do so.
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This includes a pre-event planning checklist and a draft agenda/run of show for your program.
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Social Media Toolkit - Learn fun interactive ways on how your Club or SIG can engage with registrants on your social channels around Welcome to Your City!