Alumni and Affiliate Group Events
Here’s what you can expect.
Event space for Alumni and Affiliate Groups will be available on a first-come first-served basis. Reach out to Alicia Navarro at [email protected] to secure your spot.
- IFT staff will be available for questions and guidance about Alumni and Affiliate Group events.
- IFT staff will place all of the Alumni and Affiliate Group events into the Onsite Planner and Mobile App Schedule to allow easy viewing for attendees.
- If IFT runs out of space, additional space can be obtained through McCormick Place for a fee.
Ongoing in 2024
- Alumni or Affiliate Group events will not be included in the IFT online registration process. Alumni or Affiliate Groups will utilize their own processes for registration and money collection.**
- IFT is creating a designated page for Alumni and Affiliate Group events that will be showcased on IFTevent.org, along with the event registration link (if provided by organizing group), description, and contact person.
- IFT will create a “How-to Guide” on creating your Alumni or Affiliate Group event.
- If you would like your event to be added to our website, please fill out this form.
**If a group is not able to create their own registration, IFT will house your ticketed registration on the IFT FIRST Registration site.
Expectations of IFT and Alumni/Affiliates for events placed on IFT FIRST registration site:
- Please remember that IFT’s customer service representatives at IFT FIRST won’t be able to help with questions regarding Alumni and Affiliate Group events and will forward all queries to the designated event contact.
- Please be aware that Alumni/Affiliate Group ticketed events will be intermixed with IFT FIRST ticketed events on the registration site. This has been known to cause some confusion for attendees trying to find their Alumni/Affiliate group events within IFT FIRST registration. Thus, it is suggested that you create very clear instructions for your event participants how to add a ticketed Alumni/Affiliate Group event.
- IFT will be able to pull Alumni/Affiliate group rosters for the designated group contact once per week through the week of July 7, 2024. IFT staff are unavailable to do this after July 7, 2024, due to IFT FIRST responsibilities onsite at McCormick Place.
A How-to Guide for Organizing Alumni and Affiliate Group Events at IFT FIRST
Step 1: Reach out to IFT to obtain space for your Alumni or Affiliate Group event (Complete the Alumni and Affiliate event form ahead of time.)
Step 2: If space is not needed, fill out this form to have your event published on IFT.org, if desired.
Step 3: Once space is confirmed, IFT will connect you with the appropriate planning contact at the hotel or convention center. (It is then the responsibility of the Alumni or Affiliate Group to plan their event from there.)
Step 4: Create an event registration site for your event. Below are some suggestions.
If your ticket has a cost:
- Eventbrite - Discover Great Events or Create Your Own & Sell Tickets
- RSVPify - Sell Tickets Online | Free Online Ticketing for Events
If your ticket is free:
- Microsoft Forms
- Survey Monkey
- Evite - Online Invitations, Greeting Cards & Party Ideas
- Punchbowl - Online Invitations - Punchbowl
Step 5: Send your registration site link to IFT, along with the description and contact information for the event to be placed on the IFTevent.org website for marketing. Fill out this form
Step 6: The designated event host works with the hotel/convention center/venue to complete all food and beverage and meeting needs.
Step 7: IFT will publish your event on our Mobile App and Onsite Planner for IFT FIRST with all information for attendees.
Step 8: Have questions as you make plans for your event this July? Contact Alicia Navarro at [email protected].