EXHIBITORS
We are back in action planning for Open House 2024 - the largest recruitment event of the year - thanks to the involvement of exhibitors like you! Help prospective students find their purpose at the U of A by booking your exhibitor booth and planning your programming now.
Date: Saturday, October 19, 2024
Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Butterdome, Van Vliet Complex
Registration is required by Friday, June 24, 2024.
Contact us at openhouse@ualberta.ca with questions.
Important Dates & Deadlines
| Monday, June 24 | Exhibitor Registration Deadline |
| Monday, July 22 | Program Content Deadline |
| Monday, September 9 | Guest Registration Opens |
| Friday, October 18 | Butterdome Exhibitor Set-Up (begins 6 p.m.) |
| Saturday, October 19 | Open House 2024 |
| Saturday, October 19 | Storage Removal Deadline (end of day) |
Why Be Part of Open House?
At Open House 2024 we anticipate welcoming thousands of attendees who are considering future studies at the U of A. This event primarily attracts high school students from across Western Canada. However, a cross-section of attendees from various demographics, including mid-career learners, teachers, parents, counsellors and the general public will also be in attendance.
Media & Promotion
We are working on an Open House Marketing Strategy to inspire and reach prospective students and to continue to grow the reputation of the university and its faculties through creative social media and digital marketing campaigns. We will also leverage press releases and media to generate a buzz about Open House 2024 and the University of Alberta.
Marketing resources will be emailed to all exhibitors on September 16 for you to promote the event across your channels to your audiences.
Make the Most of Open House
There are a number of other ways to reap the benefits of having so many prospective students on campus. Check out our top tips for exhibitor enhancement:
| Booth | Resources such as signage and booth equipment rental are available through Exhibitor Installation Services (see below for more details). |
| Variety of Representatives | Provide a mix of current students, professors, upper administration, alumni and program/recruitment staff to offer a variety of perspectives and knowledge to answer all questions. Ensure your booth is staffed at all times. |
| Interactivity | Find ways to interact with your guests! Games, experiments and dynamic elements will draw attention to your booth. |
| Memorable Take-aways | Interesting promotional items can offer an incentive for those who visit your booth, are a proven traffic booster and will help the guests remember you after the event is over. |
| Layout | Ensure your booth layout allows for conversation, easy flow of traffic and access to your information, resources and take-aways. If you would like to enhance your booth, review the Exhibitor Installation Services manual below to explore equipment rental options. |
| Beyond the Booth |
You are not limited to the booth fair at Open House! Consider scheduling presentations / special events for guests to experience your programs beyond your booth. Include information about your presentation, special event or tour with your registration and details will be added to the Open House program. Information Sessions: Faculty and department information sessions / presentations are a major highlight for Open House participants. This is your opportunity to showcase your programs to a large group of interested guests in a focused, quiet atmosphere. Consider unique ways to format your sessions, such as involving current students and panels. Presentations should last a maximum of 45 minutes in order to allow for travel time. An attendance sheet will be placed in all presentation rooms. Ambassadors will pick up the attendance sheets from the rooms at the end of Open House. Special Events: Demonstrations and other interactive opportunities are an excellent way to engage guests. All special events will be a drop-in format, where guests can come and go any time between the hours indicated. If you are planning to host a drop-in showing of a facility, please list this event under the special events section. Guided tours can be listed in the facility tour section. Facility Tours: All guided tours will require registration. A centralized registration system will be organized by the Open House team. Guests can pre-register online at uab.ca/openhouse or day-of (50% of tickets will be available prior to the event and the rest will be released day-of). All guided tours will begin at the Tour Departure Zone in the Butterdome. It is your responsibility to lead your group from the Departure Zone to the start of your tour. This is to help avoid guests getting lost or confused as to where to meet for the tour. All guided tours will be 45 minutes in length. If you require more or less time for your tour, please discuss this with the Open House team by contacting openhouse@ualberta.ca. It is your responsibility to arrange/coordinate/book locations for facility tours and ensure buildings are open for locations included in the tour. The Open House team will follow up with those planning to host a facility tour to provide further details about this process. If you are planning to host a drop-in style showing of a facility, please list this underneath the special events section. |
Additional Details
Building cleaning costs will be added to any spaces requested for presentations outside of ECHA.
Faculties using specialty buildings for faculty tours and special events will be responsible for organizing the cleaning of spaces. Email us if you have any questions at openhouse@ualberta.ca.
Additional accessories and decor (such as signage, tables, televisions, couches, foliage, etc.) can be rented through Exhibit Installation Services (EIS). You will be billed directly from EIS; your additional order will not be included in your invoice from the Office of the Registrar.
Steps to ordering additional booth items:
- Review the EIS Exhibitor Manual and follow the link for the online order system.
- Register to discover items to enhance your booth and place an order. We recommend doing this prior to September 27, 2024 for advance price discounts.
- Fill out the appropriate order tabs and follow payment steps.
New this Year: Exhibitors can start setting up their booths on the Friday before Open House (October 18) from 6 - 10 p.m.!
The morning of Open House will still have exhibitor set-up time available from 7 - 8:30 a.m. so you can choose the option that works best for you.
Materials can still be shipped to the Team Room 1 in the Van Vliet Complex for storage on Friday, October 18. All items must be removed immediately following the conclusion of Open House on October 19.
| Set Up & Tear Down Times for Open House 2024 | |
| Set Up |
Friday, October 18, 6 - 10 p.m. |
| Doors Open to Public | Saturday, October 19, 9 a.m. |
| Tear Down | Saturday, October 19, 3:15 - 4:30 p.m. |
Note: The Office of the Registrar will not be held responsible for lost or damaged items.
Additional information: Dollies to assist with moving will be available on a first-come basis at the west doors of the Pavilion.