Newly developed: A conference in virtual space
The first virtual IMC alumni conference on 26 June, 2020 was more than just a network meeting. It was a creative solution for an online event with successful graduates from many different study programmes and fields of study who gave lectures on the latest topics. Live streaming and MS Team Meeting provided the right conference atmosphere. The aim was to show the radiance of the professional alumni management of the Krems University of Applied Sciences and to send a strong signal of cohesion. The focus was on future digital trends, innovations and forward-looking business ideas, career prospects and success stories. Sustainable topics and challenges were also part of the program. Thanks to the digital implementation, more than 200 alumni from all over the world were able to participate from Sydney to Boston, from Baku to Berlin without having to fly hundreds or thousands of kilometers to get there and back.
Keynotes, workshops and job offers
A total of 13 graduates from Barcelona, Munich, Dublin, Hamburg, Linz and Vienna volunteered as keynote speakers or workshop presenters. The special plus for new young academics was that many of the speakers added value to the conference with current job offers from their companies.
Alumni Ambassadors & Alumni Chapters
Worldwide, the so-called "Alumni Chapters", i.e. alumni groups in 40 metropolises worldwide, in which anyone with or without a connection to IMC FH Krems can participate, ensure networking, knowledge transfer and input into the development of the study programmes. The corona pandemic could not stop the networking meetings of IMC Alumni - they were simply converted into online meetings. "IMC Alumni Ambassadors" - the leaders of these groups live on site, organize networking meetings and support new alumni.
Barbara Rannegger, tourism management graduate of IMC Krems is one of them. She moved to Spain in 2006 and is IMC Alumni Ambassador for the Madrid Chapter. "The Madrid Chapter consists of IMC graduates as well as former Erasmus students who like to look back on their time of study in Krems. We form a local community with an international background and especially for new alumni there is a direct network to easily make contact in a new environment - not only in the private but also in the professional area", explains Rannegger.
How the success of alumni work is measured
The daily alumni work not only includes "networking", it is also a kind of "profiling". And this succeeds with the social professional network LinkedIn, where over 7,000 alumni have created a profile. Through these public profiles, alumni can be identified and contacted. Be it for working on research projects or for a part-time teaching position, a guest lecture or a specialist seminar. Furthermore, regular surveys are conducted and there is a close cooperation with the "Career Center" of IMC FH Krems in the mentoring program for students in their final semester.
The engagement rate - a key performance indicator
The "Engagement Rate", an alumni success indicator, can even be used to measure how successful alumni activities are. It measures alumni loyalty, connections and success, such as the number of meetings and event participations, the courses offered or the reach and interaction in the social media channels. The key figure consists not only of quantitative but also qualitative factors. Alumni contribute practical and professional experience, offers for internships and jobs, they strengthen the community and solidarity and thus support future generations - and this is of great value for colleges and universities.
Appreciation as a success factor: special achievements are rewarded
The university Krems appreciates the commitment and success of its graduates. Special achievements are made visible and awarded. The IMC Alumni Award is awarded in five categories every year. For special commitment to IMC Krems, in the field of sports/arts/culture and CSR, for extraordinary scientific achievements, for a special professional career and for entrepreneurship, start-up and innovative business ideas. 34 alumni have already been honoured with the Alumni Award.
Overview of IMC alumni relations services
