Case Study

THE PEARSON ANNUAL LECTURE

The Reverend Dr. Richard L. Pearson lecture series provides an opportunity to hear directly from leaders in international policy who have worked in peace and conflict. In past we have hosted notable figures such as Husam Zomlot, Sergio Jaramillo, and Jonathan Powell. Our featured speaker for 2020 (now slated for 2021) is Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, Senior Mediation Adviser at the UN and Professor of Political Science at the University of the Philippines.

Assistant Director of Events

Responsibilities 
Creative Direction

Event Marketing

Hybrid Event Production

Registration Management

Speaker & VIP Logistics

Vendor/Venue Selection

SCOPE

The lecture series is held in the spring each year on the University of Chicago campus. It is widely attended by the university community and the general public. Attendance averages between 250-300. In addition to the main lecture, ancillary events are organized during the speakers visit. Typically a private breakfast is arranged for Institute Fellows and a private lunch often attended by chaired faculty and other members of university leadership.

CHALLENGE & SOLUTION

We faced a unique challenge during the 2019 Annual Lecture. At the last minute, the speaker’s request for in-person participation was denied. With the event less than a week out, our team had to quickly decide whether to postpone, cancel altogether or come up with an alternative plan.

Ultimately, we were able to switch to a hybrid format allowing the speaker to video-in while managing a live audience with Q&A and streaming to our online audience. I worked with the venue, video production and A/V engineers to make certain we could pull this off with a tight turnaround. Postevent, I was also able to work with the travel agency to recoup international airfare expenses due to the sensitive nature of the cancellation.

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