Event Planning

Client Overview

Lehigh University sought to create an engaging entrepreneurship event that would bring together students, faculty, and distinguished guests. What began as a focused entrepreneurship gathering evolved into a presidential-level event, requiring careful coordination across multiple university departments.

The Challenge

With stakeholders from various departments involved and evolving event requirements, the team needed to:

• Navigate complex institutional dynamics and communication channels

• Adapt to changing scope and requirements while maintaining budget control

• Coordinate multiple concurrent meetings and events at the venue

• Ensure seamless technical integration for presentations and audio

Our Solution

Sway leveraged our local presence and venue expertise to:

• Provide on-site venue coordination and vendor management

• Facilitate real-time decision-making and problem-solving

• Maintain flexibility as the event scope expanded

• Deliver comprehensive technical support for presentations

Key Outcomes

The event achieved significant success across multiple dimensions:

• High attendance and engagement levels among all participant groups

• Successful networking between students and distinguished guests

• Smooth execution despite evolving requirements

• Positive feedback from key stakeholders

Client Testimonials

"It was a huge time saver and relief to know that we were working with a venue that you were familiar with... everything was pulled off so much better than if I was trying to manage everything on my own." - Laura Wait, Lehigh University

"Overwhelmingly great event. Everybody's thrilled here... people were really mixing and connecting. I thought that was really wonderful." - Kristin Laudenslager, Lehigh University

Lessons Learned

This event provided valuable insights for future university collaborations:

• Early alignment on budget management and approval processes

• Importance of testing venue acoustics and technical capabilities

• Value of local representation for complex institutional events

• Benefits of flexible event management in dynamic situations

Looking Forward

The success of this event has established a strong foundation for future collaborations with Lehigh University and other educational institutions. Our ability to navigate complex institutional dynamics while delivering exceptional event experiences positions us as a valuable partner for university events nationwide.