This March marked the 40th Anniversary of The Big Event. Since its introduction in 1982, The Big Event has become the largest one-day, student-run service project in the nation. Each spring, tens of thousands of Texas A&M students come together to say “Thank You” to the residents of Bryan and College Station. 

To help make this event a success, The Big Event team collaborated with the Division of Information Technology to acquire communication resources to run the day more efficiently. Sean Alexander, Chief VoIP Engineer, helped spearhead efforts to provide The Big Event staff with a call center platform they could use for the duration of the weekend.

The software allowed 20 different phone lines to operate under one main number. If people had questions or concerns throughout the event, staff could respond right away through an app installed on their phones. This seamless stream of communication between participants and employees was extremely beneficial for the execution of The Big Event. 

The Division of IT donated their time as well as any fees incurred for the platform. “We were very proud to dedicate time to helping this important event run smoothly,” stated William Posey, Director of Telecommunications. “The Division of IT is always looking for opportunities to help the community and students of Texas A&M innovate and accomplish their goals.”