The Study Abroad Fair:
More Than Handing Out Flyers and Catalogs
Kerry Geffert
Product Evangelist, Terra Dotta
I once started a position in the spring and was told that things would quiet down in the summer. That summer never occurred. Today’s study abroad office seems to be a constant beehive of activity. Though much of the rest of campus encounters students primarily during the academic year, the study abroad office is working with students year-round, particularly with the growth of summer programs. Amidst the summer programs, the fall departures and spring returns, one activity looms ahead that requires more work than what many expect. The Study Abroad Fair may last only one day, but the preparation is extensive.
The View from the Study Abroad Office
Except for a few August fairs, the Study Abroad Fair “circuit” begins in earnest the day after Labor Day. However, the planning begins much earlier. Depending on the campus, dates are secured anywhere from a few weeks to an entire year in advance.
Timing is crucial and reflects the fair’s primary emphasis. Early in the semester catches new students and still-fresh returning students, while scheduling later in the fall can add to an International Week schedule. Or the fair may be strategically scheduled in advance of program and scholarship deadlines. Then there is the aspect of coordination. Are there nearby institutions with whom a school can coordinate to maximize the travel of program representatives? Or do you represent the university around whom everyone else coordinates; therefore, adding pressure to select a date early out?
And what hours? When are students “active” on campus? The ten o’clock hour is a frequent starting time. Early classes are typically out and most students are finally up and moving. But what about the closing time? Shortly after a break between classes seems to work well.
Then there is the location. Inside or outside? If outdoors, what about a rain location and/or will tents be necessary? Opt for high, general student traffic or a location where students must be more purposeful?
These are just the basics of fair planning. Next come the decisions about table placement, table assignments (or no assignments), decorations, food or no food, and publicity to list but a few. Budgeting is, of course, an important consideration. Will there be a registration fee, and if so, is it intended solely to cover costs or help generate funds for the office, scholarships, or other expenses? A consideration with potentially large implications is whether or not the office will accept fair materials from outside organizations prior to the fair. Quite literally this service can mean the receipt, storage and transferal of dozens of heavy catalog boxes.
Fair Strategy, Part One
Planning and implementing a study abroad fair is thus not a simple undertaking. Beyond the logistics, however, are the strategic reasons for holding a fair. A well-organized fair can offer benefits in addition to informing students about the range of overseas opportunities available to them. Recently, I posed this topic to several study abroad advisors. They were asked to complete this statement, “As the institutional host of a study abroad fair, aside from providing opportunities for students to learn about specific programs, our fair provides the added benefit of.....”
Generally, responses fell into one of two broad, related categories: marketing and networking. The marketing aspect finds its expression in visibility. A study abroad fair increases awareness of the office among students, of course, but also among faculty and administrators. A well-organized, well-attended fair demonstrates to the campus that overseas opportunities are both available to students and appear to be of interest to students. Having key administrators visit the fair demonstrates to students the institution’s support for study abroad, and allows for the other key benefit, networking.
Networking possibilities at a study abroad fair are abundant as various subgroups of the institution are able to interact with one another. Advisors find that involving campus partners who are vital to the success of education abroad helps to build bridges with those partners. Offices such as Financial Aid, the Registrar, Academic Advising, the Health Center and Career Services are able to provide information about related resources in a focused setting. At the same time, staff of those offices are able to become better informed regarding programs provided by home faculty and outside providers, and vice versa.
Faculty, whether staffing tables for their programs or simply stopping by, become exposed to the vast array of opportunities that are available to students. Program representatives become resources for improving current faculty-led programs or assisting others with the development of new programs. Viewing the competition can lead to better institutional programs and greater appreciation for the work of the study abroad office.
The View from the Program Representative
Once the fall fair circuit begins, representatives of International Education Organizations (IEOs) know that, depending on the territory, they will be away from home most weekdays for upwards of six weeks. Schlepping cartons of catalogs, or hoping their catalog shipments have arrived on time, recruiters unpack and pack their tablecloths, banners, printed materials, and giveaways on almost a daily basis. Over the course of time a strong family-like camaraderie develops that helps ease the loneliness of being a “road warrior.”
Prior to the start of the fair season, IEO “reps” spend their summers piecing together itineraries that strive to achieve a balance between maximizing exposure on the most appropriate campuses and minimizing organizational costs. Some weeks work well; others look like a poor attempt at darts on a map. It is a juggling act to be sure, and one made increasingly difficult as the number of institutions holding fall fairs increases.
The middle weeks of September continue to be popular fair weeks with Wednesday being the favorite day of the week. A dozen or more fairs will be scheduled across the country on each of the Wednesdays in mid-September. Larger IEOs can fill in with other staff whereas the smaller IEOs must carefully pick their fairs to support current partners and open new relationships; the decisions can be difficult. These are tasks that require historical knowledge of people and institutions combined with diplomacy and sales acumen.
Program reps attending fairs can range from the junior employee striking out in a career in international education to the senior recruiter who knows from experience when to arrive in order to select the table location that will maximize interaction with students. Recently returned alumni are often invited to assist at the table to help out and provide heartfelt testimonials. Their energy is infectious and their encouragement of fellow students continues to be one of the strongest reasons why students will pick a particular program.
Fair Strategy, Part Two
Program representatives know that most students attending the fair are gathering information. Some have narrowed their choices while others are just beginning their search. The latter can be identified by the stack of catalogs they accumulate at the fair and the information overload look in their eyes. Therefore, the representative’s goal is to obtain that student’s name and contact information so that others in the organization can begin a marketing campaign that might eventually lead to an enrollment.
But program reps offer much more on fair day that can assist study abroad advisors with fostering campus internationalization. Similarly to the advisors, I recently sought the wisdom of some road warrior colleagues regarding study abroad fairs. They were asked to complete this sentence: “From the perspective of an International Education Organization representative, aside from large student attendance and quality student engagement, study abroad fairs are best when…..”
What I found is that these professionals have definite ideas about fair structure and how reps can be better utilized on fair day. Both can be categorized broadly as effective time management. Chief among their ideas is the duration of a fair. Two to four hours is all that is needed, typically encompassing the lunch hour. Coupled with the duration is the location. However, whereas visibility is important to advisors, reps tend to prefer locations away from the main foot traffic areas where students must be purposeful about their attendance.
In addition to students being purposeful in their attendance, IEO representatives hope that students will be prepared in their knowledge about study abroad at their institution. They have ideas about what, when and where they would like to study, and have some knowledge of their school’s financial and academic processes. Experienced reps know that they have a student’s attention for a brief time at a fair; they would prefer spending that time helping the student create a connection with their programs rather than explaining an institution’s procedures. The presence of cooperating offices (e.g., Financial Aid and Academic Advising), thus, supplies an important opportunity for immediate referral for those students requiring more information.
The comments from reps regarding fair duration and preparation should not be construed as attempts to reduce the facetime they have with students. On the contrary, based on their comments, IEO representatives perceive the study abroad fair as part of a larger information day that can occur. They appear willing to be deployed around campus to speak with faculty and in classrooms to promote study abroad at the institution and, of course, with their programs in particular. Some universities have been successful with breakfasts prior to a fair where targeted administrators and faculty are invited to meet with representatives and learn more about education abroad. Others have tried post-fair programs open just to faculty. Program representatives want to be resources, supporting the study abroad office in their efforts to network around campus.
The Perfect Fair
To be clear, there is not a single scenario for the “perfect fair.” All fairs must take into consideration institutional culture and the changing nature of attendance by both students and program representatives. And we must understand that the fair is but one of many touchpoints that lead to a student’s enrollment in a program. However, based on comments from an albeit small sampling, a few suggestions do emerge:
Early Planning – From logistics and notification of IEOs to preparation of students, early planning plays a key role in a fair’s success. Employing strategic planning helps to determine desired outcomes of the fair, as well as the fair’s role in the study abroad office’s overall goals.
Competing Timelines – Realize that advisors and reps may view the fair with different timelines in mind. Advisors may be looking to promote approaching institutional programs (e.g., faculty-leds and exchanges) while IEO reps are planting seeds of interest for programs two terms or more into the future. Help students understand the differences so they can use the fair appropriately to their individual needs.
Fair Day – Study abroad advisors and program representatives all have a vested interest in the success of education abroad on a campus. Reps appear willing to be partners in that promotion while they are on campus – especially beyond the actual fair. Classroom visits, separate meetings and information sessions all serve toward raising the visibility of the study abroad office and its efforts.
Networking – Study abroad fairs provide a unique opportunity to facilitate connections among several constituencies – the study abroad office, cooperating campus offices, faculty, IEO representatives, study abroad alumni and, of course, prospective education abroad students. Here is the opportunity for the study abroad advisor to be creative in facilitating those connections.
To all advisors and road warriors, best wishes for an active, productive fair season!