March Madness – Watch Party

For the first time in school history, both the Men’s and Women’s basketball teams at Abilene Christian University (ACU) qualified for the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, known as “The Big Dance.” Recognizing this historic achievement, I took the initiative to host one of the largest watch parties in the university’s history. Just three years after ACU transitioned to Division I, this event marked a new era for ACU Athletics and was designed to celebrate this milestone accordingly. The watch party united faculty, staff, students, and alumni from across the nation and recorded one of the highest basketball-specific attendances in university history.

• Celebrate Athletic Achievement: Create an exciting atmosphere that honors the success of the ACU Men’s and Women’s basketball teams.
• Rapid Coordination: Collaborate with internal and external teams to organize a large-scale event in less than one week.
• Promote School Spirit and Awareness: Enhance school spirit while increasing awareness of ACU Athletics’ new Division I status.
• Secure Funding: Obtain donations from alumni, athletic sponsors, and other avenues to finance the event.

With less than a week to plan, I worked tirelessly to coordinate all aspects of this massive event:

• Event Planning and Coordination: Collaborated with athletics, marketing, and facilities staff to develop a comprehensive execution plan.
• Vendor Management: Engaged internal and external vendors for services such as audio-visual equipment, merchandise, and catering.
• High-Profile Engagements: Invited prominent speakers, including the city mayor and the university president, to enhance the event’s significance.
• Marketing and Promotion:
  • Organized a social media giveaway to send two lucky students to attend the game in person in Florida, boosting engagement and increasing followers on the university’s Instagram account (@acuedu).
  • Coordinated with ACU’s Creative Services to develop promotional materials and a marketing campaign.
• Logistics Management:
  • Arranged for limited-edition T-shirts to be rush printed and distributed to the first 500 attendees to encourage turnout.
  • Oversaw the projection of the game on a massive 40-foot screen, incorporating high-energy segments during commercial breaks.
• Live Streaming: Partnered with ACUTV to live-stream the event on Facebook, allowing distant alumni and supporters to participate virtually.

Challenges

• Time Constraints: Orchestrated a large-scale event with less than a week for planning and execution.
• Resource Mobilization: Secured necessary funding, merchandise, and technical equipment on an accelerated timeline.
• Cross-Departmental Coordination: Ensured seamless collaboration among various university departments and external partners under tight deadlines.

Solutions and Achievements

• Efficient Planning: Prioritized tasks and utilized effective communication to coordinate with all stakeholders swiftly.
• Successful Fundraising: Obtained donations from alumni donors and athletic sponsors, fully funding the event without exceeding the budget.
• Record Attendance: Achieved one of the largest basketball-related event attendances in university history, with over 3,000 participants.
• Enhanced Engagement: Increased social media following and engagement through strategic promotions and live-streaming efforts.
• Strengthened Community: Unified students, faculty, staff, and alumni in a shared celebration, boosting school spirit and pride in ACU Athletics.