What will Freshers Week 2020 look like?
What will Freshers Week 2020 look like?
JULY 29, 2020
Photo: element5digital from Unsplash
The Class of 2020 have had it rough there’s no denying it. Even when you have Barack and Michelle Obama delivering a virtual YouTube commencement ceremony for you, it’s still hard not to get disappointed and frustrated about having had your physical graduation ceremony cancelled or postponed.
So - what about the next wave of students planning to embark on their university journeys for the 2020/1 academic year? What will the future look like for them?
If the graduation ceremonies are anything to go by, does this mean that Freshers Week 2020 is off the table this year too? According to Government released guidelines updated 17th July:
“We expect higher education providers to be open for academic year 2020 to 2021, although there may be some differences from previous years, reflecting the measures that you [the higher education providers] are putting in place to ensure that you are minimising the risks to students and staff, in accordance with public health guidelines. This guidance may therefore be updated in future, depending on the scientific advice at that time.”
So the universities may be open for academic purposes - but what about other social pursuits? 💃
Well, according to a new survey from Universities UK not only are the vast majority of UK universities preparing to provide in-person teaching this autumn, but 87% of universities surveyed also stated that they will offer in-person social opportunities to students, including outside events and sporting activities, all in line with government and public health guidance.
The landscape is constantly changing, and all industries are looking to the government to provide updated safety measures or shine the green light when it comes to events, private and public. So as experience creators who have been navigating these waters in the events industry for some months now, we have put together a few ideas to help universities safely inject fun back into the higher education experience for Freshers Week 2020.
*Please note that the below ideas are all subject to government guidance updates.
On-campus events
On-campus events are going to be the way to go it seems, while indoor events are prohibited. The University of Lincoln’s Students’ Union has stated that regular freshers’ week events such as fairs, gigs and club nights in the Engine Shed will not take place, but instead, online and on-campus events, including an outdoor cinema, food markets and virtual fairs, will be organised.
“These will be in line with current social distancing guidance, and are expected to include events such as an outdoor cinema, virtual fairs, food markets and other outdoor catering options, social sport sessions, as well as opportunities for students to relax and socialise in our extensive outdoor and covered spaces.”
The University of Lincoln has set a stellar example of social-distanced yet interactive outdoor events, and until the time comes that indoor events are resurrected, here are our suggestions on some outdoor events which could help contribute to that Freshers Week feeling!
Some ideas include: Walkabout entertainment acts at food markets and virtual fairs such as our Living Flower Girls, Mirror People and Fire Artists, entertainment to complement the outdoor cinema (think: our Animatronic T-Rex Dinosaur at a Jurassic Park showing!), giant hay-bale mazes and ‘scarefests’ for Halloween with themed scare actors for any Freshers Weeks postponed into October.
Online events
We’re all pretty well-adjusted by now to the ‘virtual event’, but with that being said we’ve yet to see the majority of online events adopt an original approach - so here’s some fresh thinking!
Send welcome packages or Freshers Week kits to students in advance, complete with items they can use as part of the virtual events. For example if you intend on hosting a Glitter Artist or Mixology Tutorial, make sure to include pots of glitter or cocktail shakers in the Freshers Kit.
Utilise multiple social media channels: experiment with hosting events on YouTube Live, Zoom, Houseparty and Instagram Live for example - these different platforms will lend themselves to different formats to keep your events schedule from feeling stale. No one wants to see an itinerary of 20 Zoom calls - mix it up, you’ll find these social platforms will each have their own strengths, some will be better suited to shorter videos - others will be better for encouraging guest engagement and discussion.
Some ideas include: Glitter and Makeup Artist Tutorials, Quizzes hosted by Lookalikes/Impersonators, Comedy Nights, Cooking Shows (think: how to make your own pizza with your housemates), Mixology Tutorials, Magic Shows, Blind Date (with the three ‘blind dates’ chosen from the students, who appear on the call with their webcams turned off until the reveal at the end!), live DJ nights and Celebrity Appearances / Q&As.
Make it worth the wait
Last, but by no means least - it’s important to remember that eventually restrictions will be lifted entirely -we all hope! - and as we are all looking forward to, so whatever traditional social experiences your university-goers may have missed out on in 2020, there’s plenty of opportunity in their future semesters to wow them with exciting and interactive entertainment at in-person events from club nights to indoor fairs.
If you would like to speak to our Creative Team for assistance with planning your Freshers Week 2020 experience with our flexible booking dates, please feel free to book a free Creative Consultation or give us a call here and we’d be happy to help.
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