After the resounding success of the virtual format for Open Day 2020, Macquarie was planning a mix of online and on-campus experiences for this year’s event on Saturday 14 August. Now with Sydney in extended lockdown once again, the team has made the decision to take Open Day 2021 completely online.

But don’t worry – the Future Students team has got this. Along with colleagues across Group Marketing, the team has been working very closely to bring together a world class Open Day event and have switched the focus and redirected resources quickly and efficiently to an entirely online format.

Last year saw the Future Students team having to get creative with how to deliver their largest recruitment event of the year in an online format. Through clever innovations and rapid upskilling of our talented student ambassadors, the team was able to deliver an exceptional virtual event.

Around 6000 prospective students logged in to Macquarie’s virtual Open Day and ‘Open Day on Demand’ following the event – a platform that allowed students to access the content for a month afterwards.

“After the success of last year’s online format, we had already planned for Open Day 2021 to be a hybrid event, with some online components,” says Director of Undergraduate Future Students, Maria-Kirkpatrick-Jones.

“Now with the event fully online again, we’ll be improving what we did in 2020 to create greater opportunities for students to speak one-on-one with academics and find out everything they need to make decisions about their future.”

Open Day is not the only way for prospective future students to experience the campus. In a new campus tour video produced just this month, students can get a sneak peek into campus life, even though they’re unable to visit at this time.

“We’re planning to offer campus tours as soon as we’re safely able to,” says Maria. “Coming to campus is a big part of the decision-making process when choosing a university and there will be opportunities for students to get the Macquarie vibe before commencing study in 2022.”

Even though the Open Day event is fully online, it still involves academics and professional staff across the university, and Student Ambassadors in the led up to Open Day and on the day of the event.

“We are working on providing an exceptional online experience for our prospective students for Open Day 2021 and we thank all the Macquarie staff involved in this event for their patience, understanding and ability to change with us as we pivot to deliver an entirely virtual Open Day.”

The Open Day 2021 website is now live, check out the program at openday.mq.edu.au.