A helping hand for your Durham Days event...

Thank you for hosting a Durham Days event. We really appreciate the dedication and contributions of all our volunteers.  

We have created this guide using the experience from 10 years of events to give you a helping hand. We are continuously adding to this, so if there are any useful tips you would like to pass on - please let us know!  

If you can’t find what you are looking for in the guide, please contact us on alumni.volunteer@durham.ac.uk. 

Planning your Durham Day 

Check the numbers.  

• Once we know about your event, we (the Development and Alumni Relations Office) will check our database to see how many alumni are located near your proposed location.  

Choose your date and time carefully: 

• You may need to consider any public holidays that may adversely affect attendance. 

• There may be local events could encourage alumni to get involved and celebrate.  

• Choose a time that will suit the culture and lifestyle of the majority of people in your area. If you are planning after-work drinks in the city, you might want to start your event straight after the working day to avoid commuters being tempted to head home.  

Choose your venue: 

• Select a suitable venue that will set the tone for the kind of event you are planning to deliver, bearing in mind cost, location and accessibility.  

• For after-work events, choose a central location, with good transport links.  

Decide on the type of the event  

When choosing the type of event, tie in the Durham Global Week theme this year where possible: Culture, Community and Connect.

• Cultural events; visits to local attractions: museums, gardens, theatres, art galleries. These would usually include a guided tour followed by a trip to a nearby pub or café.  
• Speaker events; a guest speaker, lecture or presentation combined with drinks, lunch or dinner can work well. You will need to consider how you will source a speaker and any expenses this may incur.  
• Informal gatherings; drinks receptions and informal dinners, wine, coffee or cheese tasting sessions and river cruises.  

Promoting your Durham Day  

The most successful events are promoted well in advance, giving people plenty of time to plan their attendance.  

Event invitations;  

• We offer complete support in creating a guest list and sending invitations by email. We encourage event organisers to draft their own invitation as it adds a personal touch and is more welcoming to alumni.  

• We can collect RSVPs through an online event booking system and direct any enquiries to you.  

• In addition to targeted invitations, we will cross promote your event in other email communications and social media to reach as many alumni as possible. 

Event reminders;  

• We will send out regular reminders leading up to your event, guided by the number of registrations and the event capacity limit.  

Website event listing; 

• Your event will be added to the Durham University event calendar. You will have your own webpage that will include a short description about your event, an online booking system and attendance list.  

• All events will be featured on the Durham Days hub and on our central Global Week web pages.  

Social media; 

• We will continuously promote your event across the main alumni social media channels. We encourage all event organisers to post on their own networks and share posts on their own accounts – we promise to share if you tag us!  

Event packs; 

• We will send you an event pack in the post to include some goodies to brand-up your event and ensure nostalgia comes flooding back.  

Joining instructions;  

• A couple of days before your event, we will send a confirmation email to registered guests to remind them of the date as well as providing any special instructions. 

On the day 

Arrive early;  

• it’s a good idea to arrive at the venue earlier than the advertised event start time so that you have plenty of time prepare.   

Decorate;  

• make your venue a ‘home from home’ using as much Durham branding as possible.  

Record attendance;  

• ensure you have an attendance list to hand for your event so that you can record who joined you on the day. We will send you an attendance list via email the week of your event to check against. 

Photography;  

• we would love to see lots of photographs of your Durham Day to remember the occasion. It also helps us share your event with our Global community during the University’s Global Week. We will use your photos to promote future events and showcase Durham’s fantastic global alumni and supporter community. 

After your event 

Congratulations you did it!  

Thank you once again for all your help – we hope you enjoyed the experience and will continue to develop the alumni community in your area.  

There are only a few more little things left to do wrap up your Dunelm Day event:  

• Send us a copy of the attendance list so that we can record this on our alumni database 

• Send us your photographs. We appreciate any photographs you have taken – they are the most effective way to promote future Durham Days. 

• Share your photos on social media – using the hashtag #durhamdays  

• Complete the short feedback survey to help us shape future Durham Days.  

Lastly and most importantly, celebrate and acknowledge your success!