New Beginnings | April 2022

News

New Beginnings | April 2022

07 April 2022

April 7, 2022

Director’s Note

Hi friends,
 
With so much going on in the world, it’s important to take a moment to pause and reflect. I find that any outdoor activity, like walking, hiking, running, or gardening, puts me in the right mental state for reflection. There are so many benefits to spending more time outside - a study from the University of Michigan linked spending 30 minutes or more outside in warm, sunny spring weather to higher mood and better memory. So be sure to tkae a moment to appreciate the outdoor beauty of spring in New Haven (including the annual Cherry Blossom festival in Wooster Square) to boost your happiness level. 
 
As the weather gets warmer, we’ll begin to see more and more activities taking place outdoors on Yale’s campus. Now is the perfect time to rethink your spring meetings and consider taking them outside. The Outdoor Classroom at the Greenberg Conference Center is set on the beautiful Farnam Gardens and can accommodate a variety of groups and events. The Greenberg Center is also available for events and has undergone a recent technology and media upgrade for improved hybrid event usage. 
 
It has been nice to see everyone’s smiles again with the newly relaxed mask restrictions, and to see the hustle and bustle of students preparing for housing move out and summer travels. Our YC&E team, incollaboration with Yale College, will be providing undergraduate housing support services through a newly established unity, which is a direct result of our pandemic-era partnership. You can read more about this exciting pandemic silver lining below. 
 
As always, keep living your best life and stay well! 
 
Suzanne Shaw
Executive Director

Department Updates

YC&E collaborates with Yale College on new Undergraduate Housing Services Unit

Yale Conferences & Events (YC&E) is proud to announce our collaboration with Yale College (YC) on a brand new Undergraduate Housing Services unit (UHS) that will serve to centralize and streamline the student housing process for Yale’s 14 residential colleges. 

The UHS unit, operating under the umbrella of YC&E, will work closely with student affairs and the residential colleges to create centralized procedures, backed by StarRez technology, to manage housing tasks such as housing intent and room draw, as well as provide technical support and training for staff.

In an email announcement to residential college colleagues, Marvin M. Chun, Dean of Yale College and Richard M. Colgate Professor of Psychology, said, “Over the past two years, we have faced a series of previously unimaginable housing challenges. It has not been easy, but we have persevered in partnership with YC&E.  I am hopeful that we can soon leave the worst of the pandemic behind us, while still carrying forward the advantages of this collaboration.”

Learn more ⪼

Suzanne Shaw publishes first-of-its- kind book on event planning at colleges and universities

YC&E Executive Director Suzanne Shaw accomplished a major feat by publishing “Event Planning & Management at Colleges & Universities: An Emerging Hospitality Profession”, a first-of-its-kind book providing broad insights into the world of hospitality in higher education. 
 
In this book, she shares her expertise as a leader in the hospitality industry with the rest of the world. Bravo, Suzanne! 
 
 

Emily Roback featured by Southern Connecticut State University 

 
YC&E Program Director Emily Roback was recently featured by Southern Connecticut State University in their article, “Doing it All During a Pandemic”, which highlights her incredible balancing act between pursuing her MBA, working full-time, and becoming a new mother, all during the pandemic. 
 
In the article, Emily talks about her role model (her mother) and what her plans are once she completes her degree this spring. We are so proud of you, Emily! 
 

Reimagine your spring events

Take your spring meetings to the next level with our Outdoor Classroom, located on Farnam Gardens in front of the Greenberg Conference Center. With a flexible floorplan, access to indoor restrooms and a back-up rain location, we can accommodate various groups and event types! For a limited time only. 

Learn more ⪼

Welcome new team members

YC&E recently added new hosptality coordinators to our summer operations team! Please welcome Grace Beaulac, University of New Haven ‘22; Kathryn Donati, University of New Haven ‘22; Aliveya Gebhardt, Albertus Magnus College ‘23, MA ‘24. 

Read more ⪼ 

Yale & Beyond

Add art back into your plans

 
Now is the perfect time to experience Yale;s breathtaking collections and brand new exhibits in person! The Yale University Art Gallery and Yale Center for British Art both recently opened their doors to visitors after being closed for many months due to the pandemic.
 
In addition to both being free and open to the public, both also offer free membership which includes discounted parking and complimentary admission to over 80 museums! 
 

From brick and mortar to virtual 

 
For more than 150 years, the Peabody Museum has been educating and fascinating visitors with its incredible exhibitions. And while many establishments are now opening their doors to in-person guests again, the Peabody will remain closed until 2024 while it undergoes a once-in-a-lifetime renovation. 

Although an in-person visit won’t be possible for some time, you can still explore some of its incredible collections with Peabody@Home.

 
 

Event Planning Insights

Making your virtual and hybrid events more accessible

 
Each month we will share some tidbits on accessibility and inclusion to help you better plan your events. 
 
This month’s topics explore the importance of using descriptive language when speaking and ensuring the use high contrast ratios in presentations and documents. 
 
 

Planning a successful hybrid event

YC&E recently assisted the Yale Cyber Leadership Forum with their hybrid events. In partnership with Yale Broadcast Media, we successfully ran three hybrid sessions which were live streamed to the general public, near and ffar, while also hosting in-person guests at the Greenberg Conference Center. 
 
Here are our top tips for planning a successful hybrid event! 
 
 

One More Thing

Celebrate the beginning of spring

Kick-off the beginning of spring by checking out the various activities going on in New Haven. Visit a farmers market, take in the sights at the Cherry Blossom Festival, attend a concert, and more! 

Explore ⪼

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