Strategic Events

Events are one of the most powerful ways we bring the Boxer Spirit to life. Whether hosting a lecture, an academic conference, a regional community event, or an alumni celebration, every event held on a Pacific campus shapes how the world experiences our university.

In 2026-2027, as part of Pacific’s reorganization, we are beginning a transition of our events model. We are moving away from traditional facility rentals toward a strategic partnership model, and the Events Team has moved within University Advancement and Marketing & Communications. 

Our first priority is ensuring that campus facilities and staffing resources are focused on our core mission: our students’ academic and cocurricular experiences. Simultaneously, we prioritize executing high impact events for our alumni, donors, and external community that directly elevate Pacific’s brand, strengthen recruitment, and support that core academic mission.

We appreciate your patience during this transition as we evaluate capacity, priorities, and processes for campus events.
 

Event Categories

Pacific plays host to a wide variety of different events, on and off campus. To ensure that all of our university activities represent our brand and steward our participants in a way that amplifies the Boxer Spirit, we have identified five event categories and outlined roles and responsibilities for each. 

These are not necessarily discrete categories, and identifying the best planning model for a given event may involve a discussion of audience, capacity and goals. Please contact us early to start planning any campus events, particularly those with an external audience.

Signature University Events

Signature University Events are those with the highest visibility. These may include commencements, major donor or alumni events, high-profile lectures, etc. Planning, logistics and promotion of Signature University Events are led by the events team, with collaboration with appropriate cross-campus partners. 

Unit-Sponsored Public Events

Unit-Level Public Events are hosted by an academic or administrative unit with an external audience. This may include academic celebrations, like White Coat Ceremonies, targeted low- or medium-profile guest lectures, etc. Planning, logistics, and promotion of Unit-Level Public Events are led by a unit-appointed planner, and the events team provides strategic liaison support and promotion guidance. Contact us early at marcom@groups.pacificu.edu for support.  

External Partner Events  

Pacific partners with external organizations with deep institutional and/or mission alignment on a variety of events, from professional development courses and conferences to high-profile community activities. 

These partnerships extend beyond simple facility use; they advance the mission and profile of both the external partner and the university. We prioritize partnerships with external groups who:

• Collaborate directly with Pacific academic and cocurricular programs or healthcare clinics.
• Provide direct experiential learning, internships, or networking opportunities for Pacific students.
• Uplift our local communities in alignment with Pacific’s priorities around education, healthcare, and workforce development.

External partnerships may originate in a specific unit or at a university leadership level, and centralized event support will be determined based on visibility, mission alignment, audience, and team capacity.

As we re-evaluate university events in 2026-2027, external partner opportunities may be temporarily limited. Please contact us at marcom@groups.pacificu.edu to learn more. 

Internal Events

Academic and administrative, as well as student clubs and organizations, may reserve campus space for internal events serving students and/or employees. These events are fully managed by the planning unit and typically do not include support from the events team. NOTE: Events planned by this group that include any external audience do not qualify as “internal events;” connect with the events team to determine the appropriate category. Learn more about room reservations and campus catering.

Special Considerations

• Facility and IT support: Like the events team, the Facilities and UIS teams prioritize resources to focus on our primary academic mission. Support for external events is not guaranteed. For event categories where the events team is a designated liaison, we can help coordinate available support.
• Fundraising: Events that include a fundraising component carry additional responsibilities and considerations. Events with a fundraising component — at any level — require additional consultation from Development/Annual Giving.