3 key event trends
to elevate student
recruitment
for 2021
Whether your goal is to recruit new
students in person, or make your
institution stand out in a crowded
online market, find ways to align your
recruitment strategy with our events
insights for the year.
www.qs.com/virtual-events/
Introduction3
1. Virtual recruitment events are proving their value against in-person events
4
2. Events that are content-focused are well positioned for engagement 5
3. Digital innovation in recruitment is here to stay
6
Conclusion7
About QS 8
Contents
3 key event trends to elevate student recruitment for 2021
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Introduction
The digital transformation as a result of the
coronavirus crisis continues to reverberate
throughout 2021, particularly for prospective
international students.
In 2020, QS hosted 306 student recruitment
events across 65 countries, generating nearly
100,000 student registrations and an average of
650 students per event.
The global health crisis has affected nearly every
step of the student’s decision-making journey.
Whether they are just beginning online research,
narrowing down their shortlist or ready to apply,
many students have put plans on hold and spent
more time in their research phase.
Looking at the year in review, QS partner
institutions adapted their recruitment strategies
to new market conditions quickly and efficiently
to attract, engage and retain prospective
students with a strong mix of virtual events, digital
marketing and other creative solutions.
Through 2021, deferments and delays to study
plans have become more commonplace, with
students increasingly expecting to begin their
studies in 2022 or later. Our ongoing survey
of international students seeks to understand
their study plans and perspectives during the
pandemic. Examining data from February to
November of 2020, the number of students that
planned to defer or delay their studies rose by 18%
with over half (55%) choosing this option.
Similarly, prospective students made a quick pivot
to the online recruitment landscape, extending
their research phase to include more one-on-one
meetings, recruitment fairs and engaging with
institutions’ online content like never before.
“Leads need to be nurtured longer”, says Katerina
Koderova, QS’ Head of Operations and Delivery.
“Students know that it may be a long time before
they can apply.”
As we reflect on how both students and
institutions have changed under this digital
transformation, we have identified three key
event trends for student recruitment. Read on
to discover these three trends and how your
institution can make the most of them.
For students that are early in their search, virtual
recruitment events have provided a convenient,
accessible format in which to learn about new
colleges and universities and engage more directly
with those they are strongly interested in.
To look back at how students adapted throughout
the year, see our December report, Higher
Education in 2020: How COVID-19 Shaped
this Year.
3 key event trends to elevate student recruitment for 2021
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1. Virtual recruitment events are
proving their value against inperson events
“ Speaking to multiple
people at once to
get your promotional
materials seen is far
easier to do at an
online fair. At an inperson event, how
many people will
gather around an
iPad and watch a
video? At a booth,
they can watch your
video at their leisure.”
As higher education remains a major and often emotional
investment, prospective students continue to seek out personalised
experiences to come to a decision—with relationship-building
interactions holding the key. The potential to make strong
connections with institutional representatives is a critical component
to many students’ research journey.
With virtual events, prospective students can easily be channelled
into receiving the information they need from the right staff person—
and at a much faster pace than if they were seeking out information
through various websites and forums. When a student is watching
an on-demand video, using a chat box to ask questions, or live
streaming an event that then triggers them to learn more, they can
quickly be directed to the relevant university representatives.
So, while institutions may miss out on the casual conversations and
face time with any number of students at an in-person event, the
trade-off is clear: highly targeted information gathering and more
communication options.
According to Simon Margolis, QS’ Head of Candidate Partnerships
for Events, “speaking to multiple people at once to get your
promotional materials seen is far easier to do at an online fair. At an
in-person event, how many people will gather around an iPad and
watch a video? At a booth, they can watch your video at their leisure”.
Simon also points out that the materials that students are downloading, viewing and engaging with are
being tracked through online fair platforms, allowing institutions to more easily identify which students
to reach out to post-event.
While QS’ own in-person recruitment events have provided strong value for client partners over time,
the Digital & Events team evaluated the return on investment (ROI) of its virtual events by surveying
student attendees after launching two new virtual seasons. The results revealed that:
•
82% of student attendees intended to apply to at least two institutions they had met at the event
•
75% of student attendees said the event helped them make a study decision
•
77% of student attendees met with universities they were not familiar with
Upon reviewing client feedback, the QS Digital & Events team found a great deal of insight that
continues to help them deliver behaviourally responsive event offerings throughout 2021 and beyond.
3 key event trends to elevate student recruitment for 2021
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2. Events that are contentfocused are well positioned for
engagement
It seems that everyone that has taken part in online webinars, held multiple Zoom meetings and
attended virtual conferences experiences online fatigue at some point. The dreaded “Zoom fatigue” is
sure to continue if lockdowns and remote learning and working continue. In order to make the most of
all parties’ time, events must find ways to fast-track conversations, ensuring that no time is wasted in
receiving the most relevant information.
For virtual fair booths, leading with strong content can make all the difference in making lasting
impressions on students quickly. Finding creative ways to attract students is vital, yet not as intuitive as
at it would be at a physical event. Colleges and universities have a challenge to increase engagement
with students through the content they offer. Novelties such as free e-gift cards, virtual giveaways or
even a quiz that students can take on arrival can make institutions stand out.
“You could be misspending crucial
marketing budget on
Better yet, events that are thematic and focused on particular
programmes can effectively connect highly motivated prospects to one or two obscure
the right institution.
programmes that
In 2021, prospective students from around the globe are defining
aren’t a match for the
study plans in line with longstanding trends and as a direct response
to the global pandemic. According to student data from QS events, region in which you
there was a 5% uptick in student interest in Computer Science,
are spending. With
Engineering and Biological Science from 2018 to 2020.
Our events data also suggested that prospective students are more subject-focused
open to online and blended learning options than ever. According
events, you can
to the QS International Student Survey (ISS) in 2020, 58% of all
prospective international students were interested in either pure
carry out more
online study, blended online study or Massive Open Online Courses
(MOOCs), up from 45% in 2018. QS launched virtual summits
targeted marketing
for both online business and STEM-focused students as a direct
response to these trends.
campaigns with the
assurance that the
According to Simon, subject-focused events are ideal for colleges
and universities with limited marketing resources: “You could be
right candidates will
mis-spending crucial marketing budget on one or two obscure
programmes that aren’t a match for the region in which you are
be drawn to your
spending. With subject-focused events, you can carry out more
targeted marketing campaigns with the assurance that the right
institution.”
candidates will be drawn to your institution.”
Institutions can also fast track engagement and draw in more
relevant prospects by participating in panel discussions, workshops
and other offerings that fall under a particular category, such as
‘Women in Business’ or ‘Adult Learner STEM Programmes’.
3 key event trends to elevate student recruitment for 2021
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3. Digital innovation in
recruitment is here to stay
Innovation is the key to adapting to the new digital-first landscape, with students anticipating virtual
open days and campus tours, online meetings with professors and counsellors and constant information
gathering through multiple online channels.
When prospective students choose virtual recruitment events, their online interactions become
behavioural data. This is an important factor for institutions in choosing virtual events for lead
generation, as many data sets that recruiters once relied on are no longer available.
“After the vaccines roll
out, and the ability
to travel opens up,
we still believe that
student recruitment
will have changed
forever.”
“Through virtual events, you can see which candidates downloaded
brochures or watched videos at your booth and save your chats to
refer to your conversation later”, says Katerina.
An increasingly large number of institutions have gone test-optional
during the pandemic, waiving traditional standardized tests like
the GMAT or GRE. Thus, the lists of prospective students that
had undergone tests such as these no longer exist, making it more
challenging for recruiters to obtain student data.
Beyond offering value by generating student data and new leads,
online recruitment events have also become instrumental in
developing connections.
“There are benefits to virtual recruitment that won’t go away”,
says Katerina. “This kind of remote engagement—whether through
webinars, online events and meetings—reaching an audience through a remote mechanism is
going to stay.”
With an eye towards the future, institutions must work towards supporting students through a postpandemic landscape that may require a blend of physical and digital solutions. Regardless of what
this landscape will look like, QS has witnessed first-hand how the pandemic has opened doors for
institutions to more effectively leverage virtual events and digital marketing.
“After the vaccines roll out, and the ability to travel opens up, we still believe that student recruitment
will have changed forever”, says Claire Whittingham, Managing Director of QS Digital & Events.
“Both virtual and physical recruitment events will continue to ensure strong ROI and prove
appealing from an accessibility perspective. Having the right mix of event products will only provide
more recruitment options across every region of the world to help meet candidate and higher
education needs.”
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Conclusion
The year ahead may show more disruptions to student mobility and learning delivery
mechanisms down the road but equipping your institution with the data and insights it
needs to make informed recruitment decisions will help steady the course.
Here are three recommendations for institutions looking to align their recruitment
strategy with QS Events insights:
1
2
3
Track and personalise
engagement with
prospects.
Leverage data insights
to drive recruitment
strategy.
Identify goals and attend
the right events for
your needs.
Since virtual platforms
allow for more tracking
opportunities of online
behaviour, use this
information in pre- and
post-event communications.
For example, if you have
attended a virtual MBA fair
and see that a number of
students have downloaded
a brochure about your
STEM programme, email
those students with more
information about the
department, graduate
outcomes or offer to
connect them with alumni.
As you develop strategies to
meet demographic targets,
utilise QS’ student data
per region or country to
identify the level of interest
in your institution’s locality,
programmes and postgraduate options, among
other factors. This datadriven approach ensures
that you institution will
maximise its potential at
QS events.
Before planning on
attendance to any QS event,
first identify recruitment
goals: brand awareness, lead
generation or late-stage
connections. QS fairs offer
more student data for lead
generation with a contentfocused platform to share
thought leadership and
promotional materials. QS
Connect events provide
access to pre-counselled,
late-stage candidates for
one-on-one meetings.
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About QS
QS Quacquarelli Symonds is the world’s leading provider of services, analytics, and insights to the global
higher education sector. Our mission is to enable motivated people anywhere in the world to fulfil their
potential through educational achievement, international mobility, and career development.
Our QS World University Rankings portfolio, inaugurated in 2004, has grown to become the world’s
most popular source of comparative data about university performance. Our flagship website, www.
TopUniversities.com – the home of our rankings – was viewed 149 million times in 2019, and over
94,000 media clippings pertaining to, or mentioning, QS were published by media outlets across the
world in 2019.
QS portfolio
•
QS Digital and Events provides prospective undergraduate, graduate, and MBA applicants with
independent guidance throughout their search and decision making. Our world-class digital
platforms include TopUniversities.com, TopMBA.com, and QSLeap.com which support search and
inform applications to programs matching their profile and aspirations. In parallel, prospective
students can meet, either virtually or face-to-face, with admissions officers of international
universities and business schools. For universities and business schools, it offers effective and
innovative digital and off-line student recruitment and branding solutions.
•
QS Enrolment Solutions supports higher education institutions to maximize their student
recruitment with a range of specialist services, from data-driven insights and high-quality lead
generation to optimized communications and student conversion. With over 20 years of experience
QSES has an unequalled understanding of international student decision-making. Our international
office locations (UK, Romania, India, Malaysia and Australia) enable us to operate across time zones
to deliver high value to our partners and exceptional services for applicants.
•
The QS Intelligence Unit is a leading originator of institutional performance insight drawing on
unique proprietary datasets gathered in pursuit of its published research. Best known for the widely
referenced QS World University Rankings, today comprising variants by discipline and geography,
the unit also operates a sophisticated, multi-dimensional quality standard; a comprehensive analytics
platform facilitating advanced benchmarking; and an in-demand consulting team. Our insights both
inform and are informed by frequent presence and digital conferences for educators, university
leaders, and policy makers.
•
QS Unisolution is dedicated to developing SaaS technology solutions to increase the efficiency
and effectiveness of international mobility, relations, and recruitment functions within education,
positively impacting the educational experience for the students, staff, and partners we serve.
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For more information about the QS services, please contact b2bmarketing@qs.com
To continue empowering motivated individuals and institutions across the world alike during the
coronavirus outbreak, QS’s response has included:
•
Moving its student recruitment events online, ensuring that universities and talented potential
applicants across the world are still able to achieve high-quality personalized engagement.
•
Expanding its range of digital marketing offerings, empowering student recruitment teams as they
seek to maintain outreach and enrolment efforts.
•
Launching a webinar series designed to enable university faculty and administrators alike to share
best practices as they transition their educational offerings into the virtual classroom.
•
Ongoing surveys of prospective students and institutions globally to analyze how the COVID-19
crisis is impacting them.
In 2019, as part of our commitment to sustainability, QS became a certified CarbonNeutral® Company,
reflecting our efforts to reduce our impact on the environment through a range of efficiency initiatives
and offsetting unavoidable emissions through a verified carbon offset forestry project in Brazil.
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