FirstIgnite has returned full of energy after sponsoring the 2022 NACRO Annual Conference in Minneapolis from July 19th to the 21st. Over 171 universities attended, focused on networking and professional development of corporate relations.
The excitement of being back in person, seeing familiar faces, and building new connections was a fantastic experience. We were taken aback by the inclusiveness of this group.
Three interesting themes from the conference included:
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – This is a primary focus for most universities and it’s very exciting to see it be a focal point for corporate relations officers.
- Holistic Corporate Relations – How does a campus help corporate partners engage with the wide variety of partnership opportunities on campus?
- Tracking and Reporting – What CRM should an office be using? How do we use data to tell a story or to identify opportunities?
One other area that we found a lot of interest around was developing an outbound marketing strategy for corporate partnerships. Many universities are reactive, rather than proactive, in reaching out and connecting with new corporate partners. FirstIgnite can help in this area. The FirstIgnite team got to meet many of our partners in person for the first time and connected with new partners as well.
We look forward to reconnecting with each of you online now that the conference is over. Most importantly, we look forward to seeing you in person at the next NACRO conference in Portland, Oregon in 2023!
Connecting Industry and Academia
