Fresh Thinking Helps Conference Services Launch New Website

Wednesday, October 12, 2016 Fresh Thinking Helps Conference Services Launch New Website

Like many campus entities, Conference Services, a department within University Housing, needed to update an existing website into the 4.1 template in the fall of 2015. However, the team also knew the current website wasn’t meeting their clients’ needs. Rather than roll forward their current website and frustrations, the team committed to fresh thinking and a redesign.

Redesigned Conference Services webpage
The new homepage for Conference Services focuses on three critical elements for meeting planners: Eat. Meet. Sleep.

“The redesign was necessary from a practical standpoint to stay compliant with the latest web framework, but that afforded us a great opportunity to re-think the information that our clients want and need from us,” said Tony Rathgeber, assistant director of Housing Conference Services.

In the redesign process, the team initiated discussions with current clients to learn how to better serve their needs and meet expectations. While past clients most often found relevant information, the team learned that it was not always in the most intuitive location for users. Through navigation changes, rewriting descriptions and increasing the use of photos, the team hopes to improve understanding of all the services they have to offer. Initial feedback has been positive.

“Our valued, repeat clients are very familiar with us and our services, so they usually access our site for just one or two specific pieces of info. On the other hand, prospective clients are largely unfamiliar with us and our services,” Rathgeber added.

The most significant changes between the old website (designed in 2008) and the 2016 website are a simplified navigation bar and increased visual iconography on the home page. The navigation matches Conference Services’ marketing slogan which focuses on three critical elements for conference planners: food, meeting spaces and accommodations; or “Eat. Meet. Sleep.” Additionally, the page includes basic information about all the city of Lincoln has to offer, as it may be unfamiliar territory to many event planners.

“Most clients select us for the combination of great service and value. A perfect example is the Thespian Festival which will be at UNL for the 23rd year in 2017. They’ve told us our pricing allows them to put on an affordable event which has helped them grow, and that the service is better than what they’d received for other events at hotels.”

During the summer of 2016, Conference Services hosted 113 events and brought 14,328 guests to the University of Nebraska (11,409 for external events and 2,918 for internal events).

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