Challenge:
Honor outgoing President Miguel Angel Corzo at The University of the Arts (UArts), a 130 year-old institution, and focus on the future by announcing a significant investment in the Creative Economy movement
Fresh Perspective:
- Create an event to:
- Acknowledge the university’s significant growth under the president
- Announce the creation of the Corzo Center for the Creative Economy, an initiative to explore and expose the impact creativity has on economic growth
- Use news of the record enrollment and a landmark endowment to spark broader interest in the university
Authentic Approach
HOST A MEMORABLE EVENT
- Secured a compelling keynote speaker: Richard Florida, author of the Rise of the Creative Class, the go-to book on the intersection of creativity and business
- Infused the evening with a dramatic reveal of the center’s new graphic identity
- Invited key influencers – press and members of the Philadelphia business and creative elite
GENERATE NEWS COVERAGE
- Maximized news value with key story elements:
- Creation of the center
- Naming of the center + unveiling of graphic identity
- Announcement of a multi-million dollar gift
- Release of the university’s economic impact data
Meaningful Impact
- Drew 200+ prominent members of the arts and business communities (also potential funders) to the event
- Secured coverage in The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Philadelphia Business Journal, and The City Paper, among others, including an op-ed penned by Corzo
- Positioned the university as a thought leader on the creative economy and fostered an exchange between creative people and business leaders
“It was a flawless event and a spectacular one at that! Congratulations on a job well done.”
– Saba Rodriquez, Chief Advancement Officer, The University of the Arts