Adjustments have been made to the annual celebration that will allow AU to save over one million kroner. At the evening event at Concert Hall Aarhus, all guests will be given a seat in the Great Hall this year. The number of invited employees will remain the same, but there will be significantly fewer external guests.

2014.08.11 | Andreas G. Jensby

At Aarhus University’s annual celebration this year, the evening event at Concert Hall Aarhus will be changed significantly. By making these changes to the event, AU will be able to save more than one million kroner. While the number of AU employees including spouses/partners attending the celebration will remain unchanged, this year fewer external guests will be invited. This means that everyone attending the evening event will be gathered in the Great Hall for the concert, and it will not be necessary to stream the concert in the Symphonic Hall. A fine solution, says Rector Brian Bech Nielsen:

“All guests, employees as well as external guests, will be able to attend the concert in the Great Hall, and everyone will get the same great experience. I’m very happy with that. Also, in my opinion, it’s important for the university to keep this tradition of having both the events in the Main Hall and in the Concert Hall Aarhus, because it gives us all a chance to meet, under both formal and informal circumstances, with many of the people we work with throughout the year.”

Drawing lots

Rather than allocating seats according to the “first-come-first-served” principle of previous years, where you had to sign up within the first few minutes to have any chance of getting in, this year lots will be drawn for seats at the concert.

Lots for the draw will be allocated proportionate to the number of employees in the four main academic areas and AU Administration, so that everyone has an equal chance of getting a seat.

Registration for the annual celebration opens in August.

AU’s annual celebration 2014

• The annual celebration is held every year on a Friday close to AU’s birthday, 11 September 1928. This year, the event takes place on Friday 12 September.
• The afternoon event in the Main Hall includes speeches, the conferral of honorary doctorates and academic prizes and grants as well as a reception. The ceremony in the Main Hall will be half an hour shorter this year compared with previous years.
• The number of external guests will be reduced, so all who attend the evening event will be able to watch the concert live in the Great Hall.
• There will be no live streaming of the concert in the Symphonic Hall. Following the concert, all guests will be invited for drinks and snacks in the foyer. There will be no buffet this year. However, the external guests participating in the afternoon events in the Main Hall will be offered a light meal prior to the concert.
• The total savings achieved by scaling down the annual celebration are expected to exceed one million kroner.
• Registration for the annual celebration opens in August. Employees will receive a personal invitation to register by email in early August. Tickets for the event will be allocated by drawing lots among those who have registered.