Imagining More: How We're Renewing Student Excitement for Imagine RIT

Written by: Addie Carr

Every spring, Imagine RIT transforms RIT’s campus into a buzzing hub of creativity, innovation and inspiration. It’s a day dedicated to bringing to life projects, prototypes and performances from every corner of RIT. It is a day that is meant for more than just prospective students, and visitors. It’s for us, the students who bring this creativity to life every day.

Yet, in recent years student engagement has dropped, partly due to a lingering perception that Imagine RIT is more for outsiders than it is for insiders. This year, we are setting out to change that perception, with a campaign that is built by students, for students.

Why We’re Doing This

Many students mistakenly believe that Imagine RIT is mainly for visitors, overlooking the fact that it’s actually a celebration of their work and ideas. But if you take a closer look, Imagine RIT reveals incredible opportunities, such as career connections, the chance to showcase your work and experiences that can truly shape your future.

We want every student to recognize that Imagine RIT isn’t just a showcase, but a celebration for us, our ideas and our future.

Our Goals

We set four clear goals to guide this campaign:

• Increase Awareness: Make sure students know that Imagine RIT is not just worth attending, but a can't-miss part of their college experience.

• Drive Pre-Festival Engagement: Get students excited and involved even before the event starts, building momentum across campus.

• Boost Festival Attendance: Fill the sidewalks, the booths and the halls with student energy and exhibits.

• Gather Feedback: Learn what works, what doesn’t and how we can keep making Imagine RIT even better in years to come.

How We’re Doing It

We’re focusing on what resonates most with students today:

• Peer-Led Content: We’re featuring student exhibitors on social media to make the festival feel more relatable, real and inspiring. By putting students front and center, we’re creating a space that feels authentic.

• Career Focus: We’re highlighting how Imagine RIT can open doors, whether it’s networking with industry leaders, enhancing a portfolio or impressing future employers. It’s about showing how this experience can connect directly to students' future ambitions and goals.

• Scavenger Hunt: To encourage exploration and interaction throughout the festival, we’re launching a campus-wide Scavenger Hunt (yes, with prizes!). It’s a fun, low-pressure way to get students moving, discovering and engaging with exhibits they might otherwise look past.

• Strategic Social Media: Our content is tailored to our target audience who are students that are fun, high-energy and full of personality. From behind-the-scenes looks to quick interviews with student innovators, we’re capturing the excitement of the festival on the platforms students love most.

The Message We’re Sharing

At the heart of everything is our core message, "Imagine More: Innovation, Creativity, and Opportunity Await."

It’s about showing students that Imagine RIT is more than just booths and demos. It's a celebration of potential, progress and possibility. We’re bringing an energetic, encouraging tone to all our platforms, making sure everything feels informative but fun, professional but still relatable.

Why It Matters

Imagine RIT is about connecting, growing and looking at what’s possible when we bring our talents together. By revamping the way we market the festival to students, we're not just trying to boost numbers of attendees, we’re trying to build pride, spark new collaborations and remind students why innovation matters, both inside and outside the classroom.

This year, we’re not just attending Imagine RIT. We’re owning it. We’re imagining more. And we can’t wait to see you there.