The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) had an awards ceremony problem: the format was drawn out and disconnected from the meaningful member stories it was meant to highlight. AACRAO needed a better way to put authentic member voices at the center of the recognition experience without overwhelming their team. By partnering with Gather Voices to easily collect and feature pre-recorded video from award recipients, AACRAO wove real stories into their event promotion and ceremony, exceeded registration goals, delivered record-high engagement, and set a new standard for their events.
600+ attendees watched the awards ceremony video, producing record-high ceremony engagement and satisfaction through authentic storytelling
By leveraging pre-recorded member videos early in the event lifecycle, AACRAO fueled a video-driven promotion strategy that helped exceed its original event registration goal.
Award recipients found the self-serve recording process simple and fun; many asking to share more stories. Meanwhile, the AACRAO team successfully scaled their video content without the high costs and logistical headaches of traditional production.
600+ attendees watched the awards ceremony video, producing record-high ceremony engagement and satisfaction through authentic storytelling
By leveraging pre-recorded member videos early in the event lifecycle, AACRAO fueled a video-driven promotion strategy that helped exceed its original event registration goal.
Award recipients found the self-serve recording process simple and fun; many asking to share more stories. Meanwhile, the AACRAO team successfully scaled their video content without the high costs and logistical headaches of traditional production.
Before Gather Voices
AACRAO's awards ceremony struggled with structural limitations that kept member voices on the sidelines:
As a result, the ceremony checked the box but left meaningful engagement and connection on the table.
Using Gather Voices
AACRAO used Gather Voices to build a ceremony experience centered on real people and real stories:
The model AACRAO built with Gather Voices is repeatable and scalable. Authentic member videos made the ceremony faster, more personal, and more memorable, while driving 600+ attendees to watch and actively engage with the content.
The reusable content library means each future event cycle builds on the last. AACRAO now has a recognition program that gets stronger every year. As Alex Lojko, Associate Director of Membership and Awards, said: “Whether our future events are in-person or virtual, this pre-recorded method for our awards ceremony took us to the next level.”
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