How to organize an effective open day for students from grandes écoles or universities

Open days are an essential event for higher education establishments wishing to attract the best students. By allowing future students and their parents to discover the premises, meet teachers and obtain information on the programs, these days play a key role in the decision -making process. Organize them well requires careful planning, from the definition of objectives to the choice of activities, including effective communication upstream.

Summary :

1- Planning of the event
2- Activity programming
3- Communication strategy
4- Logistics management
5- Post-event monitoring and evaluation
6- Digital alternatives: Virtual JPOs

Event planning

Define the target objectives and the public

Setting specific objectives is essential for the success of an open day. These goals will guide the entire organization of the event, from the choice of communication activities.

But to be relevant, these objectives must be defined by keeping the public in mind that you want to attract. Students, parents, retraining professionals: each target will have specific expectations.

By crossing objectives and public, you can create a tailor-made experience. Your visitors will feel understood and will come out convinced by your establishment.

Choose the optimal date and format

The choice of date is essential to ensure the success of your open day. Set it enough in advance, ideally 4 to 6 months before, to give you time to prepare the event well. Take into account the availability of your teams and key stakeholders.

Avoid school holiday periods and long weekends that could impact attendance. Instead, favor a Saturday during the school period, when high school students and their parents are more likely to project themselves towards their future orientation.

Besides the date, think well in the format best suited to your target and your goals. If the face -to -face remains essential to introduce your premises and installations, consider completing it with virtual.

Offering remote visits and exchanges will allow you to touch the candidates who cannot move and offer an alternative in the event of an unexpected. The ideal is to opt for a hybrid format combining the best of both worlds for an enriched experience.

Constitute a dedicated team

To ensure the success of your open day, it is essential to build a dedicated team upstream. Divide the missions between a general coordinator, who will supervise the entire organization, and managers in charge of specific areas such as logistics, reception of visitors or even communication.

By involving additional profiles, you make sure to cover all aspects of the event. Each member of the team must have a clearly defined role and specific objectives to be achieved. This distribution of tasks will allow fluid and effective preparation, a guarantee of success for your open day.

Activity programming

Personalized guided tours

To organize guided tours that meet everyone's expectations, here are some avenues to explore:

• Offer various thematic courses depending on the interests: a research -oriented circuit for advanced students, a life -focused journey for high school students, a visit to sports facilities for sports profiles, etc.

• Construct groups by level of studies (terminal, reorientation students, families ...) to adapt the speech and the information issued.

• Provide slots in foreign languages ​​if your establishment attracts international prospects.

• Train ambassadors to animate these visits: their testimonies will be particularly appreciated by future students looking for an authentic experience.

By varying the approaches, you will show your ability to understand the needs of your future students and respond to them in a personalized way, which will be a real plus for your attractiveness!

Conferences and round informative tables

Conferences and round tables are essential formats to highlight the richness of programs and student life. They allow visitors to project themselves and better understand the opportunities that the establishment offers.

For a striking conference, invite inspiring speakers: passionate teachers, alumni with a remarkable or even recognized professional journey. Their concrete testimonies and their wise advice will shed light on future students on outlets and keys to success.

Round tables promote interactive exchanges. By bringing together various profiles, they offer a living panorama of training. Participants will be able to ask their questions and obtain personalized answers, far beyond the brochures information.

However, to captivate attention, it is essential to treat the format. Plan a dynamic animator to punctuate the interventions, encourage the participation of the room and punctuate the video or demonstrations sessions. A clever mixture between background and shape will transform these meetings into memorable moments.

Demonstrations and practical workshops

During an open day, it is easy for visitors to get lost in a flood of theoretical information. To allow them to better understand the reality of the teachings, nothing beats the practice.

Organize demonstrations and participatory workshops in the various fields of study. For example, offer visitors to carry out a laboratory experience, to participate in a debate on a topical theme, to try to speak in public or to resolve a concrete case in group.

These situations offer a tangible overview of the educational methods of the establishment. They concretely illustrate the skills that will be developed during training. It is also an opportunity for participants to project themselves as a student and to confirm their interest in the intended course.

Communication strategy

Targeted multicane campaign

To effectively touch your target audience, a multi -channel campaign based on a variety of supports is essential. Digital channels such as the establishment's website, social networks, emailings allow you to create a first contact and widely disseminate information on open day.

However, do not neglect traditional supports. The posters and flyers distributed in high schools and places frequented by future students provide significant additional visibility.

The ideal is therefore to opt for a balanced mix between digital and print, by adapting the messages and content to the specificities of each channel. This multichannel approach makes it possible to maximize contact points with your target and encourage them to register for the event, an essential prerequisite for a successful open day.

Involvement of ambassadors' students

“A happy student is the best ambassador for his school. This quote perfectly emphasizes the importance of involving your current students in promoting your open day.

Who better placed than your students to share their authentic experience and inspire future students? Offer them to become ambassadors during the event. They will be able to animate visits, testify during round tables or even exchange informally with visitors.

This approach will bring a touch of freshness and sincerity to your communication, qualities particularly appreciated by high school students in search of training.

Post-event follow-up

In the aftermath of the open day, it is essential to maintain the link with visitors who have expressed their interest in your establishment. Quickly send them a personalized email to thank them for their visit and send them additional targeted information according to their questions and centers of interest.

Also invite them to follow you on social networks to stay informed of school news and the next steps in the admission process. You can also offer them to participate in an online webinar or meeting to deepen certain subjects and answer their questions interactively.

Your goal is to stay in their minds as a privileged interlocutor, available to accompany them in this crucial step in their orientation. By maintaining the dialogue regularly and personalized, you will optimize your chances of transforming these promising contacts into registrations.

By following the organization and communication advice present in this article, your open day will be a significant event that will strengthen the image of your establishment. It is an ideal opportunity to highlight your training, your pedagogy and your study environment with future students and their families. By offering them an interactive and personalized experience, you will help them to project themselves and choose to join you with confidence for the next school year. A successful JPO is a major asset to attract the best talents and simplify your candidates and admissions processes.