Flock the Block
The Objectives
Successfully execute a free community family fun day with interactive activities, entertainment and refreshments. Laying the groundwork for an ensuing bond election campaign, the event should generate high visibility and positive public interest (through word of mouth, media , etc.) for the College. The goal is the reach an attendance of at least 300 participants.
The Strategies
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Showcase the College's programming in an inviting and entertaining way. Guests will have the opportunity to engage with Public Service Careers through a touch-a-truck experience. The event will also showcase science and art stations along with campus tours.
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Gain community buy-in and support by leveraging community partners. Local non-profits and agencies were invited to participate as a vendor so long as their booth provided a fun hands-on experience for families. Ultimately, it was a mutually beneficial tactic where partnering agencies leaned into their own core audience to organically spread the word.
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Transform an empty parking lot into a world-class, family-friendly entertainment experience including a live petting zoo, inflatable rides and Easter Egg Hunt. We know that free fun activities for children are popular for families. The Easter Egg Hunt will serve as the main attraction for the event.
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Utilize a variety of channels to engage students, faculty, staff and community members for maximum participation. This will include earned and paid media, social media and internal/external communications.
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Collaborate with the creative services team to guide the creation of a fun and exciting visual brand for the event. The visual aesthetic should be family friendly and capture the essence of the Spring season using a bold and dynamic color palette.
The Results
On March 25, 2023, COM hosted its first-of-its-kind Flock the Block community celebration which surpassed all attendance projections with a turnout of more than 1,000 guests. Because of the event's success, Flock the Block will be held as an annual event and is used as a blueprint to template other high-visibility public events. COM’s Flock the Block event also won the gold award for special events at the 2023 National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR) District 4 Medallion Awards.
My Role
As the project manager and event organizer, I led all aspects of coordination from conception to planning and execution while collaborating with and managing a team of more than 100 people from all levels of the organization.