Hosting an event
Event best practices
Review these resources and ideas before hosting your next alumni group event
Event resources
Event ideas
Need inspiration for your next event? Check out the list of program types below. If you have additional questions about these event and programs, reach out to your alumni association staff representative.
Buckeye Smart Speaker Series: Lunch-and-learn experience offering engaging and informative speakers on topics ranging from the latest research and innovation to tips for practical living. Show alumni in your area why Ohio State expertise is not just for students anymore!
Buckeyes at Sporting Events: A family-friendly activity for alumni and their families to gather, enjoy the local sports team and engage with other alumni. This event type can also be created at an amusement park, museum, local establishment, etc.
Buckeye Masters: A series of cultural events that bring together Buckeye art appreciators with art experts to experience and discuss exhibits and performances.
Buckeyes Behind the Scenes: A gathering of alumni and their families for an exclusive tour of a facility or access to an exclusive program or individual, etc.
Buckeyes After Work: Meet up with fellow Ohio State alumni after work for an evening of casual professional networking.
Scarlet and Grapes: A gathering of young alumni at a local wine establishment for education, engagement and networking.
Buckeye Masters: A series of cultural events that bring together Buckeye art appreciators with art experts to experience and discuss exhibits and performances.
Buckeyes and Broadway: Enjoy a crowd-pleasing musical and join fellow alumni for an exclusive reception before the show.
Dinner for 12 Buckeyes: This program pairs 6 students and 6 alumni at each table to connect and network over dinner. This is a great program that can be easily adapted to any size of group, and could have any ratio of students to alumni at the table.
5 Under 25: In its current state, this program is a panel of 5 young alumni (under the age of 25) who give advice to underclassmen by answering a series of questions and then opening it up to the audience. However, this format could be easily adapted to alumni of any age, and could be focused on a specific theme or topic or very broad to accommodate incoming students or even new graduates.
Buckeye Pen Pals: Designed to connect current students with alumni based on geographic location, career interest, or extracurricular interest, this program is intended to help students get acclimated to new environments and occupations, improve networking, professional and communication skills, and get involved in the community, through email correspondence with an alumnus.
An event that focuses on learning about and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life. The event should focus on one of the dimensions of health and wellness which include “Emotional, Career, Environmental, Financial, Intellectual, Creative, Physical, Social and Spiritual.”
Emotional Wellness: The emotionally well person can identify, express and manage the entire range of feelings
and would consider seeking assistance to address areas of concern.
Occupational Wellness: The professionally well person engages in work to gain personal satisfaction and
enrichment, consistent with values, goals and lifestyle.
Environmental Wellness: The environmentally well person recognizes the responsibility to preserve, protect and
improve the environment and appreciates the interconnectedness of nature and the individual.
Financial Wellness: The financially well person is fully aware of financial state and budgets, saves and manages
finances in order to achieve realistic goals.
Intellectual Wellness: The intellectually well person values lifelong learning and seeks to foster critical thinking,
develop moral reasoning, expand worldviews and engage in education for the pursuit of knowledge.
Creative Wellness: The creatively well person values and actively participates in a diverse range of arts and
cultural experiences as a means to understand and appreciate the surrounding world.
Physical Wellness: The physically well person gets an adequate amount of sleep, eats a balanced and nutritious
diet, engages in exercise for 150 minutes per week, attends regular medical check-ups and practices safe and
healthy sexual relations.
Social Wellness: The socially well person has a network of support based on interdependence, mutual trust,
respect and has developed a sensitivity and awareness towards the feelings of others.
Spiritual Well-Being: The spiritually well person seeks harmony and balance by openly exploring the depth of
human purpose, meaning and connection through dialogue and self-reflection.
Examples: Start a walking/jogging club, host a yoga event like “Yoga at Mapfre Stadium”, host a Buckeye Smart speaker, start a book club focused on health and wellness.