Taipei American School

For their big anniversary, TAS needed a platform that could handle a lot, and Composer, Finalsite’s content management system, proved more than capable of handling the demands. It became the perfect place to celebrate the past, present, and future of the school.

There were logistical needs, of course, like information for the kick-off event, student celebrations, and the multitude of alumni reunions, all culminating in the gala ball, but the website became the hub for all information related to the 75th anniversary: event schedules, photo galleries, video highlights, and historical timelines for all stakeholders to instantly access the latest updates, regardless of their physical location.

Moreover, the website served as a kind of digital archive by preserving the memories and achievements of the celebration for future generations.

Finalsite Composer is flexible enough that TAS could easily add everything from interactive timelines that took people through the school's history to embedded videos and photo albums that captured the excitement of their events.

For the entire academic year, they used it for sign-ups, sharing stories from alumni, and posting news with Finalsite Posts— everything they needed to get the word out and celebrate, they could do it right there on the site. "This was a team effort that focused on bringing as much of our community, past and present, together as possible. It's important to gather and celebrate, and the strategy behind this year was centered on the connections that make TAS an incredibly strong, vibrant community," shared Caroline Baugh, CAERO.

"This year was a chance for our donors to take stock of the last 75 years of legacy, and to see themselves giving to the future of the school," shared Katherine Wang, Development Officer. "It's just as important to honor our past as it is to envision the school's bright future!"

“The real focus of this year was to drive home the impact,” said Brooke. “We want to honor our community, honor our alumni to promote connection, and focus on our legacy, a flexible, impactful, beautiful thing that lets us celebrate the past while continuing into our next chapter.”

"We wanted to give Alumni the sense that TAS is more than their academic home, it's where they can always return to whenever they find themselves in Taipei," commented Elaine Liu, Alumni Relations Manager, and Donna Cheng, Community Relations Manager. "Once a Tiger, Always a Tiger!"

Bridging the Digital and Physical: Creating a Unified Experience

While much of the buzz of the anniversary was online, TAS also recognized the opportunity to bridge the digital and physical worlds. As Brooke pointed out, “We're parlaying a lot of the digital aspects into the physical world.” Content from the website was transformed into physical installations on campus, and vice versa, allowing those who interacted with the physical displays to then visit the website, learn more, and enhance the overall experience.

“We have a really strong website thanks to Finalsite,” added Brooke. “One of the things we've been working on this entire year is what it actually feels like, sounds like, and looks like to be in this community, to live and to learn here together. And the feeling that no one is left out. This is for everyone, and everyone is a part of it.”

The Tangible Celebration: Campus-Wide Festivities

Beyond the website's digital presence, TAS transformed its campus into a vibrant, tangible, grand “birthday celebration,” complete with 75th-anniversary swag, 3,000 decorated cupcakes for students, and a striking, 25-foot-tall birthday cake created by Upper School Art students.

Students and staff collaborated to decorate the campus, showcasing student artwork and festive decorations that adorned every entrance, and the morning arrival was enlivened by costumed staff and the school mascot.  "We tried to involve students and teachers at every step of the process," said Communications Officer, Fish Tung. "Their contributions to the decorations, art, and design of the student celebrations were, literally, front and center!"

A Unified Success

The TAS website became the digital heart of their 75th-anniversary celebration. More than a place to host pictures, dates, and times, the site served as a central hub for information, storytelling, community engagement, and brand reinforcement to extend the celebration's reach far beyond the school's physical grounds.

It became a place to reconnect its alumni family and celebrate more than seven decades of impact, capturing the spirit and community that’s defined TAS's remarkable journey.

“Never miss a milestone,” Brooke heeded. ”Whether you’re a school community of 600 people or 4,500, every milestone is an opportunity to make huge progress on your strategic goals as a community. Every event, every moment is an opportunity to engage stakeholders around the world.”