Hosting a Big Ten Conference takes many months of planning, collaboration, and teamwork to successfully execute. Since joining the Big Ten in 2014, Rutgers has had the privilege of attending and hosting many conferences spanning the vast shared focuses of Big Ten universities. Normally lasting a few days, these conferences are an opportunity for staff across all Big Ten universities to share ideas and practices.
In July, the Rutgers University Grounds team will be hosting the Big Ten and Friends Grounds Manager/Landscape Architect conference. This particular conference has been operating annually since 1972, and it is Rutgers first time hosting.
“The Grounds Manager/Landscape Architect conference is an opportunity for the host school to showcase what they do, how they do it, how they design their landscapes, and how they plan their campuses,” said James Erdogdu, Director, Grounds Operations.
He added, “It is a good opportunity for us to go over our strengths and weaknesses. We can communicate with our partners in the Big Ten and see how they are handling issues on their campuses that we are struggling with, and vice versa.”
Rutgers accepted the invitation to host this year’s conference in 2019, but planning began in earnest over a year ago.
Preparing for this event goes beyond just preparing and manicuring the grounds and landscaping. There is much coordination behind the scenes to ensure a successful event. Maps are needed for wayfinding, hotel blocks are secured for guests, daily meals need to be planned, sponsorships are acquired, transportation needs are arranged, and much more.
Stakeholders from across IP&O have come together to aid in the effort. Three different committees, including operations, marketing, and budgeting were formed to cover all planning and meeting requirements.
“I’m looking forward to my staff meeting other people from other parts of the countries who do the same things we do, but may have a different outlook or a different way of doing these tasks,” said Erdogdu, “Being able to share ideas is pivotal to our success.”
While this is the first Grounds Conference held by Rutgers Grounds, it was not the first Big Ten event, and it won’t be the last. In 2016, University Public Safety held the Big Ten Police Chiefs and Directors Conference, and in October 2025, Business Services is partnering with Residence Life to host the Big Ten Housing Conference. IP&O’s Parking and Transportation group was scheduled to host the Parking Big Ten in 2020, but it was canceled due to the pandemic.
“The planning was the heaviest lift, and I was dependent on my staff for that. Hosting an event like this really takes a team” said, Ken Cop, Vice President of Public Safety/Chief of University Police of the Public Safety Big Ten event.
The Public Safety event included a visit to the 9/11 Museum in New York City, trips to the Newark and New Brunswick Campus, keynote speakers, and round table discussions.
“A big takeaway is that it never feels like there is enough time,” said Cop, “There are so many issues and topics to discuss that you wish you had more time to fully dive into everything.”
Planning for the Big Ten Housing conference is underway. The conference is in 2025, and Jennifer Sousa, Assistant Director for Business Services, and William O’Brien, Assistant Vice President for Business Services, are among a handful of IP&O representatives working with Residence Life to ensure its success.
“We are still in the early phases of planning the housing conference but are expecting to host about 200 to 250 people,” said Sousa. “There is a lot to figure out, from budgeting to logistics to planning. We wanted to get the ball rolling early.”
“These conferences are a great opportunity to build a community and build relationships within the Big Ten network,” said O’Brien. “You get a chance to see what’s evolving in higher education across the country. Oftentimes, there are commonalities in struggles we share, and we often help each other to find solutions.”
Learn more about the conference IP&O Newsletter, May 2024.
