How a Two-Person Team Streamlined Commencement at Bradley University

Daniel Evans brings a perspective few event leaders have when planning commencement. When he first stepped into his role at Bradley in 2021, running a ceremony wasn't totally new to him. For 15 years prior, he served as the Event Services Manager at the Civic Center where Bradley hosted its graduation ceremonies. Daniel has seen commencement from both sides: The venue and production side, managing logistics, timing, and live event execution; and the institutional side, responsible for the full student and guest experience.

When he took over commencement, Bradley was already using Tassel, but with his operational mindset, he quickly saw untapped potential in the platform. “When I started, we weren't even doing an RSVP at that point. I started to wonder, ‘what else can we use you guys for?’”

That mindset led his team to begin leveraging more of the Tassel features they were already paying for, further streamlining their commencement processes and ultimately creating an even stronger, more seamless experience for students.

“I think the most memorable part for students is that moment they have crossing the stage and making that moment as special and as singular for them as possible,” he shared.

A two‑person team, using texting to keep students moving

At Bradley, commencement planning is lean. “It’s essentially me and my counterpart that do all of commencement. There's just two of us,” Daniel says.

Thankfully, Tassel stepped in to fill the gaps. Brandley uses the platform for RSVP, graduate communications, and name announcements. All components that not only streamline planning, but also play an important role in day‑of logistics for Bradley ceremonies. “We just started utilizing a lot more of the features that you guys had that we were already paying for.”

Early on, communication tools matter most—especially with students.

“We've really loved the text feature because students nowadays just struggle with opening and reading emails,” he says. And he doesn’t guess, he checks: “we can see that in our open rate which I can go in and see who's opened and who's clicked.”

Daniel shared a simple system that works: send an email, then use text to point students back to it.

“A lot of times what we do is we'll send a big informational email, but we'll also follow that up with a text that says, "Hey, be sure to check your Bradley email for an important update about commencement."”

And closer to the ceremony, it becomes a way to reduce confusion and stress:

“It’s nice to just send those little, ‘Hey, just a reminder, tomorrow is the grad fair to pick up your cap and gown and your reader card.’ And, ‘Hey, tomorrow's commencement. Let us know if you have any last minute questions or anything.’”

Accessibility & cost savings

Tassel’s stage crossing software played an important role in accessibility initiatives Bradley has at their live events. When exploring traditional captioning solutions, the cost was steep. As Daniel explained: “It was either pay a sternographer an astronomical amount of money or we use Tassel and get the recorded names with it.”

Choosing Tassel solved the accessibility challenge, but it also simplified live audio management in a way that reduced stress and technical risk during the ceremony.

“The benefit of having the recorded names is you don't have to worry about microphones or feedback or levels with the microphones or the reader turning their head. It's constant the entire time,” he explained.

Daniel also noticed improved pacing once they implemented scanning and automated name reading. He noted that a four‑to‑five‑second consistency per student helps maintain ceremony flow, minimize awkward pauses, and keep the production team aligned with cues and transitions. Even without calculating exact minutes saved, the predictability itself is a time‑management win.

And while the operational improvements matter behind the scenes, the impact is visible on stage. “Everyone's kind of blown away when they see it for the first time. You just scan it, and then the name pops up, and then it's read at the same time and they're like, ‘That's so cool.’”

In addition to reading the name, the display includes personalized details: “It's a really nice added touch that it puts up, you know, their degree and their honors as they're walking across the stage, it has all that information up there.”

What started as a financial and accessibility decision became something more comprehensive: fewer technical headaches, more predictable timing, and a more polished, personalized moment for every graduate who crosses the stage.

“It’s been really cool to see those moments and to be able to make them better,” he says. “We try to make little tweaks every year to make things a little bit better.”

Trying new products: video clips

This past fall, Bradley also participated in a new product trial for video clips for graduates. His takeaway was clear.

“I mean it was super easy,” he says.

He described how little work was required on his end: “I literally sent in my stage crossing list that I downloaded from Tassel and then a couple weeks later they're like, ‘Here you go.’ I saw a couple samples and it was great, and then they sent them off to the students” Daniel described.

With no extra lift for his small team, they were able to give graduates a memorable, high‑quality keepsake, completely free to students. The shareable video clips made it easy for grads to celebrate their moment on social media or with friends and family, extending the excitement of the ceremony far beyond the stage.

Would he recommend Tassel?

Daniel didn’t hesitate.

“I would totally recommend you guys to somebody else,” he says, “It just takes a lot of burden and worry off of me.”

And even for someone who admits that worry is part of the job, he’s clear about what matters most: making that crossing‑the‑stage moment feel right, for every student, every time.