The
Anniversary
Forum – 11/19/26

World Vision: 75 Years of Belief

Lisa Reynolds and Jane Sutton-Redner will share how World Vision, a leading global nonprofit, planned and delivered its 75th anniversary through a cross-functional approach that brought together branding, storytelling, employee engagement, events, marketing, and public relations. Attendees will learn how the team worked within a limited budget and integrated anniversary activity into existing organizational initiatives rather than relying on costly stand-alone campaigns. They will also hear how World Vision engaged employees and longtime supporters, attracted new supporters, and used the milestone to strengthen connection to its mission.

The anniversary provided an opportunity to celebrate God’s faithfulness, share stories of global impact, thank supporters, and inspire new engagement. Lisa and Jane will discuss how the planning evolved, how anniversary resources were activated across the organization, the outcomes of the year, what worked, what they learned, and practical takeaways other organizations can apply to their own milestone anniversary planning.

Pratt & Whitney: 100 Years of Powering the Future

At 100 years, Pratt & Whitney chose not simply to look back, but to use its centennial as a catalyst for the future. Under the theme 100 Years of Powering the Future, the company created a global, year-long experience that energized employees, strengthened customer and partner relationships, reinforced community engagement and built pride across its 43,000+ employees worldwide.

In this session, Tizz Weber and Maureen Connolly will take attendees inside the strategy, research, planning, and stakeholder engagement behind the campaign. They’ll share how the team created a unified global vision, balanced consistency with local relevance, maintained momentum across a complex multi-year initiative, and used storytelling, events, and employee engagement to connect the company’s history with its future.

Attendees will gain practical lessons for building internal alignment, engaging stakeholders, sustaining enthusiasm and turning a milestone anniversary into a powerful platform for culture, connection, and long-term organizational impact.

100 Years, One U: Creating Alignment Amidst Change at the University of Miami

As the University of Miami approached its 100th anniversary, Jenny Hudak lead a 12-person working group spanning the University and UHealth system, bringing together teams across a complex organization around one shared celebration.

The work required building leadership buy-in, creating alignment across diverse stakeholders, and solving challenges quickly as plans evolved.

That adaptability became especially important when a presidential leadership transition occurred in October 2024, just months before the January 1 launch. Hudak will share how the team navigated change without losing momentum and created practical tools that empowered teams across the institution to bring the University’s 100th anniversary to life.

How One Idea Powered
100+ Creators

Most institutions don’t struggle to come up with a theme. They struggle to make it real.

For BYU’s 150th anniversary, the goal wasn’t just to promote a milestone, it was to create something people could actually take part in. Instead of centering the campaign on fundraising, the focus was on participation: helping students, employees, and alumni feel connected and involved.

In this session, BYU 150 Communications Director Natalie Ipson will share how that played out in practice.

She’ll talk through how the team…
• Created a framework that gave direction without being overly prescriptive
• Helped 100+ campus partners adapt the theme in ways that made sense for their audiences
• Built experiences (events, service efforts, and interactive elements) that invited participation instead of just attention
• Managed the tension between brand consistency and creative freedom

If you’re trying to scale storytelling across a complex organization, this session will give you a more realistic picture of what it takes, along with some tools you can actually use.

World Vision: 75 Years of Belief

Lisa Reynolds and Jane Sutton-Redner will share how World Vision, a leading global nonprofit, planned and delivered its 75th anniversary through a cross-functional approach that brought together branding, storytelling, employee engagement, events, marketing, and public relations. Attendees will learn how the team worked within a limited budget and integrated anniversary activity into existing organizational initiatives rather than relying on costly stand-alone campaigns. They will also hear how World Vision engaged employees and longtime supporters, attracted new supporters, and used the milestone to strengthen connection to its mission.

The anniversary provided an opportunity to celebrate God’s faithfulness, share stories of global impact, thank supporters, and inspire new engagement. Lisa and Jane will discuss how the planning evolved, how anniversary resources were activated across the organization, the outcomes of the year, what worked, what they learned, and practical takeaways other organizations can apply to their own milestone anniversary planning.

Pratt & Whitney: 100 Years of Powering the Future

At 100 years, Pratt & Whitney chose not simply to look back, but to use its centennial as a catalyst for the future. Under the theme 100 Years of Powering the Future, the company created a global, year-long experience that energized employees, strengthened customer and partner relationships, reinforced community engagement and built pride across its 43,000+ employees worldwide.

In this session, Tizz Weber and Maureen Connolly will take attendees inside the strategy, research, planning, and stakeholder engagement behind the campaign. They’ll share how the team created a unified global vision, balanced consistency with local relevance, maintained momentum across a complex multi-year initiative, and used storytelling, events, and employee engagement to connect the company’s history with its future.

Attendees will gain practical lessons for building internal alignment, engaging stakeholders, sustaining enthusiasm and turning a milestone anniversary into a powerful platform for culture, connection, and long-term organizational impact.

Making Milestones Matter

Anniversaries are more than a celebration—they’re an opportunity to reflect on past achievements and set the stage for future success. Whether you’re celebrating a 25th anniversary or a bicentennial, milestone events allow leaders and communicators to incorporate these moments into strategic growth plans.

Anniversary University offers guidance and the definitive resources to ensure you maximize this opportunity by accelerating and elevating the planning, starting with attending The Anniversary Forum.

As the founder of Anniversary University®, Lisa Alonge has gathered insights from hundreds of executives who’ve successfully navigated planning milestone anniversary campaigns. Across sectors, sizes, and budgets, certain best practices remain consistent. In her talk, Lisa will outline key strategies from her comprehensive guide, Milestone Anniversary Planning, and share how the “Anniversary Effect” can unlock transformative, lasting results for your organization.