When planning an event – be it a birthday party for a few friends or an admitted student visit for hundreds of incoming students – there are a few things that Rachel Tatge says can take the experience from good to great: creating connection points among attendees, providing a smooth flow by minimizing pain points, and letting the heart and intention behind the event show.
In her role as the assistant director for events in the Office of Admissions and Recruitment (OAR), Tatge and her team of event professionals also prioritize another element: “creating a personalized experience in a very depersonalized environment.”
“We want people to leave feeling like they’ve gotten a great experience, they’ve been fed, they’ve been cared for, they’ve made those connections, and they feel like they could have a home at UW–Madison,” she says.
In an era when prospective students’ preferences can change quickly and they have the ability to tour campus virtually, those personalized experiences matter more than ever.
Exchanging ideas
Tatge joined OAR in late 2019. Since it was her first role in higher education, she sought the expertise of her peers through the Collegiate Information & Visitor Services Association (CIVSA).
The early insights she gained helped her calibrate her event planning skills for a new audience.
When planning campus events, the logistics can quickly become overwhelming.
“Do we feed [attendees]? Do we not feed them? Do we separate parents from their students at some point?” she says, listing off just a few of the rapid-fire questions that come with the territory. “Do we create an incentive for students to actually deposit at the event? What should those admitted student gifts look like? How many people should we try to put into a room?”
Faced with a million different ways to approach everything from pre-registration to check-in swag, she admits she was initially feeling in the dark about industry best practices.
Fortunately, connecting with CIVSA changed the game.
“What CIVSA was able to do was demystify that and give me access to literally hundreds of institutions and people doing the exact same work I’m doing,” she says. This network allowed her to connect with peers nationwide to discuss their successes and pitfalls. “I could try to glean as much of that as I can and take what is applicable to UW–Madison and apply it to our outreach programs, our prospective and admitted student events.”
CIVSA’s annual conference and the networking opportunities the organization provides offer opportunities to dive deep into every detail – from parking to signage – to help event planners elevate their guest experiences.
Two years after attending her first conference, Tatge made the jump from attendee to presenter. In 2022, she and her team presented on the benefits of hiring dedicated event professionals rather than relying on admissions counselors to plan events.
Because CIVSA brings together hundreds of unique institutions, the presentation sparked different, yet valuable, conversations across the board.
“A lot of people were like, ‘Wow, [I had] no idea that was even possible. I would love to take that back to my leadership,’” she recalls. Meanwhile, even those from campuses with established event teams walked away with new insights. “They were still able to take something from my presentation.”
In 2025, Tatge and a colleague from Marquette University co-presented on the institutions’ admitted student days. The session drew high praise for comparing and contrasting the different approaches two large universities – one public, one private – take in planning and executing their events.
While some details are kept close to the vest out of necessity, Tatge notes that CIVSA members are often eager to share successes and lessons they’ve learned with their peers. Some applications may not be universal, but they could still spark an idea for a new event at UW–Madison. One example, Tatge says, is a session she attended about a counselor fly-in produced by a small institution in New England. Despite the differences between the two institutions, Tatge walked away with some innovative ideas she would love to apply to an OAR counselor fly-in someday.
Giving back
With two decades of event planning experience across a variety of industries, Tatge has accumulated a wealth of wisdom.
Many of those lessons came from mentors throughout her career. Because of that, she feels called to serve that role for others.
“I think that it’s so critical, absolutely critical to give back,” she says. “I mean, that’s part of that idea of the Wisconsin Idea, right? That we’re giving back, we’re taking our knowledge, and we’re giving back, and I think that’s absolutely critical to do.”
CIVSA gives Tatge the opportunity to pay it forward. This year, she served as a mentor to a young professional at a smaller Midwestern community college.
“That was really great because this person was brand new to events and to the work of admissions, and even though we were at very different institutions, I was able to really build a relationship with her, talk about events, talk about working in higher ed, and it was wonderful,” she says.
In event planning specifically, Tatge adds, having a sounding board is especially impactful since organizing events may not be someone’s entire job.
She feels a strong sense of purpose when it comes to supporting newcomers to the field, whether they are fresh graduates trying to break into the industry or higher-ed professionals who suddenly find event planning added to their plates.
“Often, especially at smaller or under-resourced institutions, it’s people who’ve never thought about planning an event—who are reading applications or going on the road—who are also being tasked with planning their prospective or admitted student programming,” she explains.
Having navigated those complexities herself, she is eager to share her expertise with those who are still learning the ropes.
“Talking with them from that event lens, anything I can do to provide insight, tips, and help is something I want to do.”
This article is part of a series highlighting the Division of Enrollment Management’s contributions to higher education beyond the boundaries of UW–Madison, in keeping with the Wisconsin Idea and our Strategic Framework.