Event Spotlight - University of Michigan

University of Michigan

Event Spotlight – University of Michigan New Student & Alumni Reception

Every August, thousands of high school graduates from the DC-MD-VA area are preparing to leave home and head off to their first year of college in another part of the country. The University of Michigan helped make this transition much easier for their incoming students by hosting a reception at The National Press Club. We spoke with Jenny Freels, Associate Events Director at the University of Michigan about their event...

University of Michigan Event

What were the main objectives of your event?

Washington, DC is an important market for us, as we have a large number of new students coming to Michigan this fall, as well as a robust Alumni network in DC. Our goal for this event was to give our incoming students a chance to meet other incoming students from their area, as well as meet some of our great Alumni in DC and promote Michigan. It can be a bit scary going to a big school far away from home for the first time, so we wanted to host a fun, casual event to connect students to each other and hear from one of our University leaders, in order to make the transition to the University of Michigan a little easier.

Why did you choose The National Press Club to host your event?

We wanted a venue that could serve as an extension to the University of Michigan. UM is an institution with very high standards and exceptional facilities. We found the National Press Club to be the perfect spot in which to welcome our new students and their families. The proximity to the Metro and public parking in addition to the audio-visual services and catering available on-site, made selecting the National Press Club simple. I didn’t have to worry about any details while planning this event from 500 miles away.

University of Michigan

What feedback did you get from attendees?

They loved it. Being surrounded by history and news and connecting Michigan to that really helped us reinforce what Michigan can be for them. For example, President Kennedy spoke at the National Press Club in 1960, a few months after he spoke on the steps of the Michigan Union in Ann Arbor where he announced his idea for the Peace Corps. For us in particular, The Press Club almost felt like the Michigan Union – a place where the same students from our event will spend their time for the next four years as college students.

Would you recommend the National Press Club to others?

Absolutely! It’s so much more unique than a hotel or conference center. The walls of the Club are filled with history: photos & videos of world leaders, entertainers, politicians and media who have been there. You could spend hours just roaming the halls and looking at the historic headlines, pictures and artifacts that have been collected over the past 108 years. It really makes the place come alive. Add to that their great service, ability to provide everything you need in-house and the great location, and it’s really the best place to have an event in the DC area.

About the NPC Event Spotlight: The National Press Club hosts more than 2,000 events annually for our clients, and each month we feature a different event that showcases the creative and unique ways the Club can help you achieve your business, social and media objectives through our Event Services offerings. If you are interested in participating in our Event Spotlight series, please contact Brian Taylor at 202-662-7541 or [email protected].