By Mindy Tucker, Southern Methodist
Chief Executive Officer
It starts in August—the endless videos of collegiate sorority women. There’s hugging, dancing and balloons. The world loves to watch and have opinions about what has come to be known as “RushTok.”
Around this time, I know I will see a video from the front of the Tri Delta house at the University of Arkansas. On Bid Day—the day women find out which sorority they will join—all the chapter houses on that campus are decorated with an elaborate display, complete with balloons, banners, props and products.
There will be the typical chatter about how much the balloons cost and how frivolous it is. There will be snide remarks about sorority women, parties and outfits. It makes for great clickbait, and people love to watch and comment their thoughts.
I have learned there is much more to it than meets the eye.
Last year, I visited Tri Delta’s chapter at Arkansas for a few days during recruitment. At the ripe old age of 56, I get an energy boost from time spent with the young women who make up our organization. I’m always blown away by their intelligence, experience and approach to the world.
Our conversations revolved around their majors, plans for after college and what they’ve learned from their time in Tri Delta. My most interesting conversation was about how the chapter takes on the mammoth task of planning the Bid Day that you see on social media.
You may be thinking, “Don’t they just plan a fun party and make sure the balloons get hung on the house?” You could not be further from the truth.
According to the 2026 Job Outlook report from the National Association of Colleges + Employers, the top skills employers reported seeking in candidates include the ability to work in a team, problem solving skills, communication skills (written and verbal), technical skills and a strong work ethic. Think through this lens as I lay out the project plan and scope of work associated with these viral event displays.
Beginning in January, members take on the role of Bid Day chairs. These collegians begin by involving a production vendor partner to determine the theme for Bid Day. This theme must be relevant and exciting, reflect Tri Delta’s values and have an aesthetic that works not only for decorating the front of the house, but also for messaging and merchandise.
Once the team develops the theme, they present a pitch to the College Panhellenic Council, the leadership team of the governing body for all 12 of the National Panhellenic Conference organizations on campus. The council must approve the theme to ensure that each chapter has a unique presentation. With approval in hand, the team returns to their chapter leadership for final sign-off on the pitch.
Then, plans begin for budgeting, publicity, accompanying materials (ranging from merchandise to activations from brand partners) and ongoing team coordination throughout the spring term and summer.
With Bid Day scheduled for mid-August, the chapter comes back to campus a few weeks in advance to prepare. This includes the final presentation for feedback and buy-in on the theme. If you’re picturing a group of women in the living room practicing for a classroom presentation, think again. This involves more than 600 women from diverse backgrounds in a high-stakes environment needing to reach a consensus, with mere days to make any changes.
Presentation development and delivery, building consensus from a large group of stakeholders, budget responsibility, project management and event production. All of these skills would be impressive on a resume if you were looking to hire someone, right?
Deloitte’s 2026 Global Human Capital Trends research supports the idea that employers and decision-makers are looking for nimble, adaptive employees committed to perpetual learning. One of those employees is Addie Segal, Arkansas, a Tri Delta alumna who served as Bid Day chair in 2025 and recently started her career in software sales. She shared that her experience carrying out this effort felt like her “entire time in the business school wrapped up into one six-month project.”
So, where you see balloons, I see an incredibly valuable experience to bring to a future employer. The balloon display may be big, but the impact of the experience is much bigger.