There was a big-screen TV for the match; lots of great Peruvian food (courtesy of Jarana); free NJIT swag; numerous step-and-repeat banners for social media pics, a DJ to keep things going and — perhaps most importantly — a “sold-out” notation at the end of the guest list.
NJIT was hoping to have a party Saturday night that served as a capstone event for the school’s numerous World Cup activations. It got all that and more as approximately 200 school officials, alumni and friends packed the La Plaza de Futbol special section at American Dream to watch England take on Norway in a World Cup quarterfinal.
Paul Attallah, president of NJIT’s Alumni Association who now teaches in the Martin Tuchman School of Management, said the gathering was all the school could have hoped for.
“It’s all about being intentional with our events, looking to see what people are really passionate about,” he said. “Whatever it is — current world events, community events — we want to make sure as an alumni community we align ourselves to that.”
The fact the event happened away from the school’s campus — where most alumni events are held — was noteworthy, too.
“This is a rarity for us,” he said. “We love our campus, but that change of scenery is always welcome. To see how people gravitated toward this event, and that it sold out, was amazing.”
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NJIT has had digital signage at various points inside American Dream throughout the World Cup. Its marketing efforts went much further.
Alan Kelly, senior vice president and president of the Foundation for University Advancement at NJIT, said the decision to bring NJIT to American Dream was easy.
“When we learned about the opportunity to have it here, it seemed like a no-brainer,” he said. “It’s right next door to the stadium, and there are so many different communities and nationalities represented, especially in the tri-state area. NJIT has a great reputation, but this gives us exposure we wouldn’t have been able to get any other way.”
Kelly noted the diversity of the patrons of American Dream – both the regulars from the areas and international fans who made it part of their trip to the U.S. – makes it a perfect fit.
“NJIT’s campus reflects that same diversity,” he said. “It makes so much sense for us to be here.”
The university’s efforts during the World Cup were everywhere.
NJIT showed up on shuttle buses running to and from World Cup sites, on ads inside NJ Transit trains, on signage at the PATH station at Exchange Place, and as the traffic report sponsor on 1010 WINS and WFAN.
Alicia Smith, associate director of digital engagement for university advancement, said the digital push ran on every channel the school has – and with every representative the school could muster.
“We’re doing radio, digital and print,” she said. “We have our soccer coaches and team here with us today and we have a sentiment metric that students in the business school developed. There are so many pieces of NJIT that are part of this.”
Smith said the location of the World Cup in New Jersey made NJIT hard to miss.
“Between the trains and the Parkway and the Turnpike, everything leads right here,” Smith said. “Whether you’re finding us on the radio, on social media, on our website, on LinkedIn — everybody’s coming right to the same place.”
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NJIT wasn’t the only organization to partner with American Dream during the event.
American Dream has played host to numerous organizations. Many were connected to the nations playing at MetLife: Sweden, Brazil, Panama, France all had watch parties.
And then there were watch parties for those playing elsewhere, including the U.S. and Mexico.
But it is the partnerships with local businesses and organizations that has kept American Dream booming every day of the event, American Dream Chief Marketing Officer Adam Petrick said.
“Our relationship with NJIT began with their sponsorship of our support of small, independent, local businesses during the “La Plaza Del Futbol” program,” he said.
“I believe NJIT saw the benefit of partnering with our location given our enormous volume of consumer traffic, as well as our elevated celebration of the soccer events taking place in the region this summer.”
They weren’t the only ones. The Arena, a spot American Dream created for parties, seemingly was going non-stop. Last Saturday, the New Jersey Youth Soccer Association had an event there.
Petrick said these connections and activations are a differentiator for the facility.
“We are not just a mall in the traditional sense,” he said. “We are a platform for businesses and brands to connect with consumers in a wide range of ways. We welcome businesses of all sizes to work with us at American Dream, whether it’s a new retail space, a short-term takeover of a space, or even a single day pop-up event.
“Our goal is to connect consumer audiences with business in our area.”
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NJIT got all that — and a little bit more on Saturday, as the 30 minutes of extra time in the England-Norway match meant more time to eat, drink and network.
Attallah, class of 2005 and 2015, said the night gave him a chance to catch up with friends he hadn’t seen in years.
And while the event began shutting down after England came away with a 2-1 victory, Attallah is convinced the connections will continue on. He felt the night was proof of a new concept more than a one-off.
“Alumni always tell us they want more opportunities for worthwhile engagement,” he said. “This is just a starting point of where we want to take this moving forward.
“Making every event intentional, with a purpose that resonates with our alumni community — that’s the mission.”
He wasn’t just talking about NJIT graduates.
“Alumni bring in their friends, their family to events like these,” he said. “So, it’s not just NJIT alumni that benefit, it’s the broader NJIT community.”
Smith said NJIT recognized this potential in its planning.
“Everybody comes together for soccer — or football, however you want to call it,” she said. “The World Cup brings everyone together. We thrilled we were able to take advantage of that.”
