🎙️ The Liminal: Tassel Trends — The Data Behind Participation, Pride, and the Perfect Moment

In this episode, Staci Matt-Beal and Chase Rigby dig into the findings from the inaugural Tassel Trends report—an industry-first deep dive into what drives commencement participation. From data-backed insights to heartwarming stories, this episode explores how small decisions can lead to meaningful moments for every graduate.

📝 Topics Discussed:

* Why Tassel created the first comprehensive report on graduation trends

* The real reasons only ~60% of eligible students attend graduation

* What moves the needle on participation (hint: it's not budget)

* The 30-point boost from a simple name pronunciation feature

* Why emails and texts matter—and how many to send

* The shift from printed programs to digital-first experiences

* How small schools are setting the standard for inclusive ceremonies

* What higher education teams should consider when planning 2025 ceremonies

📌 Episode Highlights:

[01:10] Why participation matters—and how it impacts alumni affinity[03:12] Launching Tassel Trends: what it is, why it matters[04:45] Surprising stats: more emails = more students walking[08:25] The impact of timing: when and how to open registration[11:44] Pre-recorded names = more students attending (and less stress)[17:00] Parents and students react to hearing names pronounced right[20:40] Budget ≠ participation: what actually drives turnout[23:57] Schools embracing digital tools to save money and improve experience[28:02] What's next: future metrics, time savings, and user-submitted questions

Have feedback or want to suggest a topic for next year’s report? Drop us a note.

This episode of The Liminal is brought to you by Tassel – the all-in-one platform modernizing graduation. From registration to name announcements, ticketing, stage displays, and analytics, Tassel powers stress-free commencements for every type of school.

✨ Give grads their perfect moment → tassel.com