Chapter Spotlight – Zeta Phi (MIT)

This week’s Chapter Spotlight is on Zeta Phi (MIT) who welcomed over 200 attendees at their Red Dress Gala! Vice President of Marketing Emily McDonald shares her secrets to success.

Event Name: Red Dress Gala
Location: MIT Media Lab

How many times have you held this event?
1

Who attended the event?
All of the current sisters of Zeta Phi and many of our parents, family, and friends. We also had guests from some of our more recent alumnae classes and other chapters in the area.

How long did it take to plan the event?
Approximately 10 months.

Briefly describe the event.
The event consisted of a cocktail hour and dinner with a silent auction for guests to bid on. The dinner portion of the event included entertainment by the MIT Vocal Jazz ensemble, a senior recognition ceremony, a speakers from the Foundation as well as a well-known local cardiologist, Dr. Joanne Foody.

What was your favorite part of the event?
My favorite part of the event was the presentation portion when we got to hear speeches about the Foundation and heart health as well as showcase our chapter to our parents through a video and senior ceremony.

How did you chapter publicize the event?
We sent formal mailed invitations to all of our parents, alumnae, local chapters, and other Greek organizations on campus. We also sold tickets to MIT students at our student center booth and publicized on our Facebook page and website.

What do you think attributed to the success of this year’s event?
This year our biggest successful changes were putting Red Dress on Parent’s Weekend and adding an option to attend cocktail hour only. This gave a cheaper ticket option that was more attractive to students and friends who did not want to pay for the full dinner. Having raffle items were also key in raising funds and attracting attention to the event since we sold raffle tickets in our student center the entire week before.