When Henry Angus first opened after the first stage of the new renovations, the CA Hall was a new and beautiful space for students to explore and enjoy. There was plenty of room to sit and chat at the Sauder Cafe or chill out on the black couches in the hall. But this space didn’t remain unexploited for long.
This is likely due to our business minds, but it wasn’t long before students realized what the central hall offered them: a high traffic area to aggressively promote clubs and events. Although I am all for involvement at Sauder, its my opinion that this oversaturation of information and opportunities is actually hindering ticket sales and student interest.
By crowding the promotional channels with too many messages and pressures from all sides, Sauder initiatives are actually catching themselves in a sort of prisonners’ dilemma: all inititatives are worse off if they all advertise, whereas they would be better off if neither advertised in this manner (in my opinion). Students are beginning to find these booths a nuisance and just a plain obstacle in their way, as opposed to being interested by them.
If clubs and conferences were to engage in more diversified promotional campaigns, focusing more on electronic communication, word-of-mouth and strategic placement of promotional material, I believe they would all be better off.
