BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
X-WR-CALNAME:27isbs
X-WR-CALDESC:Event Calendar
METHOD:PUBLISH
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
PRODID:-//Sched.com 2027 Independent School Brand Summit//EN
X-WR-TIMEZONE:UTC
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270210T200000Z
DTEND:20270210T210000Z
SUMMARY:Radically Relevant
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:KEYNOTE
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:158016426513b7f92f010e6dbee646e4
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/158016426513b7f92f010e6dbee646e4
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270210T210000Z
DTEND:20270210T213000Z
SUMMARY:Break - Exhibits Open
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:BREAK
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:808a064b4646bbf752af4500779a3177
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/808a064b4646bbf752af4500779a3177
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270210T213000Z
DTEND:20270210T223000Z
SUMMARY:Omotenashi: Unreasonable Stewardship for Lifelong Giving
DESCRIPTION:In Japan\, omotenashi means genuine hospitality: anticipating someone's needs before they are spoken and caring for details they may never see but will always feel. Restaurateur Will Guidara built the world's top-ranked restaurant\, wrote a best-selling book\, and started a movement on a parallel idea. In a world full of competence\, how you make people feel is the last great differentiator.\n\nWhat happens when an advancement office adopts this philosophy? Through a reimagined donor journey and a fresh approach to stewardship and community care\, this session shows how one team used anticipatory\, unreasonable hospitality to build the trust that inspires lifelong engagement and legacy generosity. Leave with a hospitality audit for your own program\, along with three practices you can implement as soon as you return to your team.
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT SESSION
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:35d20f3bee28d2cd75f9b7da532f49b0
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/35d20f3bee28d2cd75f9b7da532f49b0
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270210T213000Z
DTEND:20270210T223000Z
SUMMARY:The Yield Signals Hiding in Plain Sight
DESCRIPTION:Every enrollment leader is already reading signals that predict yield: a family's tone on a tour\, a placement director's tip\, a "tell" picked up over years on the job. They just don't call it data. \n\nThis session shares what surfaced from in-depth conversations with five enrollment leaders across day and boarding schools of every size: the signals that actually drive enrollment decisions but live outside any data system and why "fair" means two different things to enrollment leaders with budget pressure forcing those two meanings to collide.\n\n Attendees leave with a practical way to name what their team already notices and an optional framework for evaluating whether a predictive or AI tool would even be worth considering down the road.
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT SESSION
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:0b899627e8dcdf75b7b0e2bea6618262
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/0b899627e8dcdf75b7b0e2bea6618262
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270210T213000Z
DTEND:20270210T223000Z
SUMMARY:Why Should Families Choose You?
DESCRIPTION:Every private school believes it offers a transformative experience\, but convincing prospective families of that before they ever step on campus is the real challenge. The landscape is shifting fast: fewer school-age children\, heightened cost consciousness\, and parents demanding evidence that your institution delivers measurable\, distinctive value. Surviving isn't enough. The institutions that will flourish are the ones that learn to articulate what makes them irreplaceable.\n\nThis session dives into the strategies gaining traction right now: moving your narrative beyond where graduates attend college\, turning your own data into a compelling story\, and leveraging the authentic voices within your community as your strongest recruitment engine. Regardless of whether your enrollment is in the hundreds or the thousands\, you'll walk away with an actionable playbook for refining how you communicate your worth without losing sight of your identity.
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT SESSION
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:0ec462f6d12356fd02762fc36728bddd
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/0ec462f6d12356fd02762fc36728bddd
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270210T213000Z
DTEND:20270210T223000Z
SUMMARY:Your Employer Brand Is Your School Brand
DESCRIPTION:Independent schools invest heavily in attracting prospective families\, but today's educators are evaluating schools in much the same way. Your website\, careers page\, social media\, job postings\, and candidate experience all shape your employer brand long before an interview is scheduled.\n\nIn this session\, you'll learn how leading schools are applying marketing principles to faculty recruitment\, creating stronger candidate experiences\, and building employer brands that attract exceptional educators. Through real-world examples and practical strategies\, we'll explore how marketing\, communications\, HR\, and school leadership can work together to strengthen recruitment.\n\nYou'll leave with actionable ideas to improve your careers page\, tell a more compelling employment story\, and position your school as a destination for top talent.
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT SESSION
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:57b2075d0b3a99965ee097451e155ee0
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/57b2075d0b3a99965ee097451e155ee0
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270210T223000Z
DTEND:20270210T233000Z
SUMMARY:Reception - Exhibits Open
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:MEALS & NETWORKING
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:863f16446cfbf3fd46ce28255c681d75
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/863f16446cfbf3fd46ce28255c681d75
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T130000Z
DTEND:20270211T140000Z
SUMMARY:Breakfast - Exhibits Open
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:MEALS & NETWORKING
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:4a43efe0a8503e875af34aa5647918b6
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/4a43efe0a8503e875af34aa5647918b6
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T140000Z
DTEND:20270211T150000Z
SUMMARY:Ignite: Brand Story Through Storytelling
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:KEYNOTE
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:0d29355c759b059e2e51cc92db8d2d16
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/0d29355c759b059e2e51cc92db8d2d16
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T150000Z
DTEND:20270211T153000Z
SUMMARY:Break - Exhibits Open
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:BREAK
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:fbb63bd4c524147745069511d2e8e739
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/fbb63bd4c524147745069511d2e8e739
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T153000Z
DTEND:20270211T163000Z
SUMMARY:Building a Million-Dollar Giving Day Together
DESCRIPTION:What happens when marketing and advancement work as one team? In five years\, Lipscomb Academy grew its Giving Day from approximately $85\,000 to more than $1.1 million by combining compelling storytelling with intentional fundraising strategy. \n\nThis session will explore how video\, social media\, coordinated messaging\, donor outreach\, and strategically structured matching and challenge gifts helped create momentum and inspire participation. Presenters Eric Adams and Libby Alvarez will share practical lessons from both the advancement and marketing perspectives\, including how they plan campaigns\, identify stories\, engage key donors\, and build urgency throughout the day. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas for strengthening collaboration between departments and developing a Giving Day campaign that connects with donors\, expands participation\, and increases results.
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT SESSION
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:095aa45d8c666d6bf6e5ee2006ecd569
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/095aa45d8c666d6bf6e5ee2006ecd569
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T153000Z
DTEND:20270211T163000Z
SUMMARY:Capital Campaign Communications: From Vision to Grand Opening
DESCRIPTION:A capital campaign is one of the most complex communications challenges an independent school can face and one of the most consequential brand moments it will ever have. Done well\, it deepens relationships with every constituency simultaneously. When done poorly\, it fragments your message and makes your biggest institutional moment feel smaller than it should be.\n\nThis session delivers a replicable\, field-tested playbook built from the largest capital campaign in Summit School's history— one that exceeded goal by over $2 million. Presenters walk through the full arc from pre-campaign awareness through grand opening\, sharing the framework\, sequencing decisions\, and templates that drove cohesive storytelling across every constituency.\n\nAttendees will leave with\n-A comprehensive campaign communications framework.\n-A channel-by-constituency matrix.\n-Sequencing principles for managing multiple audiences without message fatigue.\n-Editable templates for key campaign touchpoints.\n-A planning checklist for aligning communications\, philanthropy\, and enrollment.
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT SESSION
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:23d0d4b90c8e71c4d5ea6bab52ca808e
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/23d0d4b90c8e71c4d5ea6bab52ca808e
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T153000Z
DTEND:20270211T163000Z
SUMMARY:How AI Is Transforming Enrollment\, Advancement\, Marketing\, and Communications
DESCRIPTION:Artificial intelligence is changing how the smartest schools work\, but AI is only as effective as the understanding and data behind it.\n\nToo often\, enrollment\, marketing\, communications\, and advancement operate from different assumptions about the families they serve\, resulting in disconnected messaging\, inconsistent experiences\, and missed opportunities throughout the school relationship. The schools seeing the greatest success are taking a different approach: combining AI with rich parent intelligence to understand not just who their families are\, but why they make decisions.\n\nIn this highly interactive 90-minute workshop\, participants will discover how behavioral audience intelligence and responsible AI can create a shared understanding of families across the entire school lifecycle: from first inquiry and enrollment through retention\, alumni engagement\, and philanthropy.\n\nThrough real independent-school examples\, live demonstrations\, and interactive hands-on exercises\, attendees will learn how parent intelligence uncovers motivations\, decision-making styles\, communication preferences\, and philanthropic tendencies that traditional demographic data misses. They will then see how AI can transform those insights into personalized messaging\, enrollment strategies\, advancement campaigns\, communication plans\, and cross-functional workflows that strengthen every stage of the parent experience.\n\nThis presentation is designed to equip school leaders with practical tools that allow them to spend less time guessing and more time engaging families in ways that are relevant\, authentic\, and meaningful.\n\nParticipants will work through a realistic school scenario\, collaborate with peers\, practice using AI on their own devices\, and leave with their own custom parent persona\, actionable prompts\, frameworks\, and strategies they can begin applying immediately.\n\nThe session is led by Andrew Esparza\, founder of Kingdom Analytics\, and Dr. Andrew T. Weller\, dean of admissions at Birch Wathen Lenox School and chair of the Admissions Directors Institute. Together\, they bring both the strategic and practitioner perspectives\, combining nationally recognized expertise in parent intelligence\, behavioral segmentation\, and AI with the day-to-day realities of leading enrollment at one of the country’s premier independent schools. Their work has been featured at national independent-school conferences\, where they have delivered standing-room-only keynotes and repeat presentations focused on helping schools make smarter\, data-informed decisions that strengthen enrollment\, communication\, and long-term family engagement.\n\nParticipants will leave with\nA custom AI-ready parent persona tailored to their school’s market.A library of proven AI prompts for enrollment\, marketing\, communications\, and advancement.A practical framework for aligning departments around a shared understanding of families.Ready-to-use messaging and campaign ideas they can adapt immediately.A roadmap for implementing AI responsibly while protecting privacy and preserving their school’s unique voice.A 90-day action plan to begin transforming how their school recruits\, engages\, retains\, and inspires families.
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT SESSION
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:37773b59e6dcdc43473624cabb5e6962
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/37773b59e6dcdc43473624cabb5e6962
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T153000Z
DTEND:20270211T163000Z
SUMMARY:Work Smarter\, Not Harder: A MarCom Strategy Framework That Fits Any School
DESCRIPTION:Independent school marketing & communications professionals are constantly reacting to the immediate needs of the day\, leaving little room for proactive strategy or an honest assessment of what’s actually working. Whether you are a team of one or a department of 10\, this fast-paced\, practical session cuts through the noise to help you audit your current baseline and build a repeatable framework you can implement immediately.\n\nCo-presented by a school-based MarCom director navigating a live strategic overhaul and a veteran independent school consultant\, this session bridges the gap between high-level strategy and Monday morning reality.\n\nAttendees will work through three critical steps that can move a team from big ideas to execution:&nbsp\;\nDefine a focused annual mission that your entire team can align behind.Conduct an audit of where your MarCom actually stands\, including current channels\, messaging\, and capacity.Translate findings into action steps that are realistically calibrated to your school's unique size\, staff\, and resources.You'll leave this session with a simple MarCom audit tool you can put to work the following week.
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT SESSION
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:759e52f789a61a9c93ae855e083ca60e
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/759e52f789a61a9c93ae855e083ca60e
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T163000Z
DTEND:20270211T173000Z
SUMMARY:Lunch
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:MEALS & NETWORKING
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:9c59955e5d3968f8cd6baf1a8c244f47
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/9c59955e5d3968f8cd6baf1a8c244f47
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T173000Z
DTEND:20270211T183000Z
SUMMARY:Change the ROI Conversation\, Prove Enrollment Growth
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT SESSION
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:60e1bbf8cb7b33da380ebb8c74d0a0dd
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/60e1bbf8cb7b33da380ebb8c74d0a0dd
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T173000Z
DTEND:20270211T183000Z
SUMMARY:From Admission to Alumni: Building Parent Engagement That Lasts
DESCRIPTION:Parent engagement is not a series of disconnected events\; it is a relationship journey that begins in admission\, deepens through development and volunteer partnership\, and continues through senior year and beyond. \n\nThis interactive session will examine how schools can intentionally welcome new families\, strengthen belonging\, activate parent volunteers\, and cultivate parents as advocates\, ambassadors\, and philanthropic partners. Dennis Ring and Phil Higginson will offer practical strategies for aligning admission\, development\, communications\, school leadership\, and parent volunteer structures around a coherent family-engagement experience. \n\nParticipants will explore ways to move parents from attendance to participation\, from participation to leadership\, and from leadership to lifelong institutional connection. The session will also include a “best of” idea exchange\, allowing attendees to share successful parent engagement practices and leave with immediately usable strategies for strengthening parent community and school advocacy.
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT SESSION
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:ed0076bfa842804dcc9ff5d63b68812c
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/ed0076bfa842804dcc9ff5d63b68812c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T173000Z
DTEND:20270211T183000Z
SUMMARY:Give Them More Than a Mail Merge: Personalization at Scale That Drives Giving
DESCRIPTION:Today’s donors expect personalized experiences that reflect their relationship with your institution. But how can independent schools create meaningful\, individualized engagement without adding hours to an already full workload?\nIn this session\, Nathan Watts\, assistant head of school for institutional advancement at Houston Academy\, and Jed Shireman-Jones\, senior solutions engineer at Varsity Consulting\, will share Houston Academy’s two-year journey using constituent data\, AI\, and digital giving tools to transform annual giving campaigns.\n\nAttendees will discover how personalized messaging\, segmented outreach\, customized giving forms\, and empowered parent advocates helped increase annual fund revenue over a three year period from $72\,000 to $210\,000 while growing parent participation from 23% to 83%. Participants will leave with practical strategies they can immediately implement to create more meaningful donor experiences.
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT SESSION
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:871c6187e2828e8e9dd1496d23cadcec
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/871c6187e2828e8e9dd1496d23cadcec
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T173000Z
DTEND:20270211T183000Z
SUMMARY:Wired to Enroll: The Behavioral Science Behind How Families Choose Schools
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:BREAKOUT SESSION
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:effe8b49bef6f1b1b61709feaa2098f4
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/effe8b49bef6f1b1b61709feaa2098f4
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T183000Z
DTEND:20270211T190000Z
SUMMARY:Break
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:BREAK
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:59f40eb7bccd667d1ec6f70f9de3bd4b
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/59f40eb7bccd667d1ec6f70f9de3bd4b
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T190000Z
DTEND:20270211T203000Z
SUMMARY:Expert Intensive: Admissions Focus
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:EXPERT INTENSIVE
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:25e2b3dd621ad3abedd9c374ff9a073b
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/25e2b3dd621ad3abedd9c374ff9a073b
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T190000Z
DTEND:20270211T203000Z
SUMMARY:Expert Intensive: Brand Audit
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:EXPERT INTENSIVE
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:3d93052de430c5b31c4eb256023ca3d6
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/3d93052de430c5b31c4eb256023ca3d6
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T190000Z
DTEND:20270211T203000Z
SUMMARY:Expert Intensive: Marketing Focus
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:EXPERT INTENSIVE
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:58b46debe6ce3796eec638ab7cad43c1
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/58b46debe6ce3796eec638ab7cad43c1
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260921T083142Z
DTSTART:20270211T190000Z
DTEND:20270211T203000Z
SUMMARY:Expert Intensive: Philanthropy Focus
DESCRIPTION:\n
CATEGORIES:EXPERT INTENSIVE
LOCATION:TBD
SEQUENCE:0
UID:671a7543d8de4811939eed35b54ff517
URL:http://27isbs.sched.com/event/671a7543d8de4811939eed35b54ff517
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR