Thursday, September 17, 2026
2:00 – 3:30 pm ET

Create Experiences That Balance Meaningful Relationships with Modern Student Expectations

Campus events and programs are essential for building connection, belonging, and engagement, but attracting participation has become increasingly challenging. Shifting student expectations; evolving federal guidance, and concerns about accessibility, inclusion, and relevance are changing how campus communities evaluate whether an event is worth their time. Planners themselves feel caught between two pulls: invest in relationships thoroughly, or meet the speed of digital, on-demand culture.

Join us on September 17, 2026 when you will learn practical strategies to design events that resonate with today's students while creating welcoming experiences for diverse campus audiences. Discover how student-centered planning; accessibility-forward practices; and intentional communication can increase participation, strengthen belonging, and improve the return on your programming investments.

Drawing on emerging trends, recent undergraduate-led event design experiences, and current campus realities, this webinar will help you reimagine event planning to meet the needs of a generation seeking both meaningful connection and on-demand flexibility.

Topics Covered

Leave the webinar prepared with strategies to confidently:

• Plan events with student needs in the forefront, including through student-led design teams.
• Break large events into smaller sub-cohorts to ease anxiety and increase participation.
• Hold the bifurcation: invest in relationships thoroughly, while valuing time in a world where many feel a podcast is enough.
• Use an accessibility and inclusivity checklist to ensure that events are designed for the margins.
• Advertise using social media in ways that ease apprehension about belonging.
• Make clear whether events will be Vegas rules or Chatham style confidential to encourage participation.
  

Presenters

Rhonda Fitzgerald is the Executive Director for the Sustained Dialogue Institute (SDI), where she works to oversee the reach of the Sustained Dialogue model to campuses, workplaces, communities, and countries.
Click here for full bio.

Thomas Walker is the Sr Project Manager - Strategic Initiatives & Support for the University of Denver’s (DU) Health & Counseling Center, leading and supporting projects enhancing student and staff well-being for the DU Division of Student Affairs.
Click here for full bio.