What it's Like to Host Your Own Alumni Gathering

Wendy Schafer ’13 ’14MBA shows you how to host your own alumni gathering with Rollins in a Box. 

A treasured part of the Rollins alumni experience is the special community and connection Tars always feel when they get together. A new initiative from the Office of Alumni Engagement offers a fun, flexible way to gather and celebrate anywhere, anytime. Alumna Wendy (Erskine) Schafer ’13 ’14MBA hosted the inaugural Rollins in a Box party in her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia and is sharing her experience and tips for hosting your own event.  

Tell us about your personal connection with the Rollins alumni community.  

I joined the Alumni Board a little over four years ago to give back to the place that gave me so much. I made lifelong friends, met my husband, and received a wonderful education at Rollins, so it will always be a place near and dear to my heart. The Alumni Board has a great mix of graduates from different industries, class years, and perspectives. It’s been a great experience learning more about how the College operates as well as contributing to programs within the alumni office. 

What made you decide to host the first official Rollins in a Box event? 

I live in Atlanta, which has one of the strongest Rollins alumni communities outside of Central Florida. We hadn’t had any regional events since COVID and there was a strong desire to reconnect, which brought a lot of energy to our event. So, I reached out to the Office of Alumni Engagement to apply as a host. 

Tell us about the event: where, who, how many? 

Our event was at Taste wine bar, a nod to the beloved Wine Room on Park Ave. We invited alums of all ages from the Atlanta area. Over 40 people attended from a wide range of class years as well as across CLA, Holt, and Crummer. Many young alums had moved to Atlanta in the past four years so this was their first regional alumni event. 

What did you do to prepare for the actual party beforehand? 

I partnered with another local alumnus, Bill Blass ’91, to brainstorm venues, locations, days of week and the invitation list. The Office of Alumni Engagement pulled together a local invite list for us so that we could send out a survey to gauge preference on day of the week, time of day, part of town, and venue. Once we decided on all the event details, The Office of Alumni Engagement created an event on RollinsConnect that allowed us to keep track of RSVPs. I also used my own social media to announce our event. When we had an idea of how many people were attending, I let the Alumni Office know, and they shipped me the Rollins in a Box swag!  

How did you “get the party started” once guests arrived? 

We arrived at the venue about 30 minutes early to decorate the tables with Rollins swag and get the check-in table set up. Guests checked in with me when they arrived to pick up their wine card and grab a keepsake Rollins cup, which came inside the party box. We gave them nametags to wear so they could easily meet and mingle.  

What did your guests experience at the event? 

Food & drinks, networking, sharing life updates. Some mingled and moseyed around the restaurant. Others sat at the tables and enjoyed deeper conversations. Many guests were already asking when we would have another gathering!  

Overall, how did you feel about hosting this event? Was there a lot of pressure? How was it during the event itself? 

It was so fun to see alumni I hadn’t seen in a while and to meet new ones, especially recent graduates. There’s a lot of prework with hosting an event but having the help of a co-host and the support of the Office of Alumni Engagement made things run smoothly!  

Are you thinking about hosting your own Rollins in a Box gathering? Here’s a few more things to know:

• Host it anywhere: your house, a restaurant, a private venue, or even an outdoor park. 
• Curate the invitation list to be certain grad years or open it up to all alumni in your area.
• Set a limit on how many people can attend, based on the size or location of your selected space.
• Collaborate with the Office of Alumni Engagement to send emails and build the online event registration for RSVP tracking. 
• Take lots of photos! Send your photos to us afterwards so we can share your awesome experience. 
• You'll receive a special host gift as a Thank You just from us. 

For more information and to apply as a host, visit https://rollins.college/box or email [email protected] to speak with a staff member.