How LSE averted an arrivals day crisis and navigated a city-wide lockdown on move-in day
When a major London race threatened to block every route to campus, LSE used Browzer Engage to turn a logistical nightmare into a seamless arrival.
Imminent Arrivals Crisis: Facing a major city-wide road closure just 11 days before move-in weekend.
Rigid Comms Channels: Struggling to bypass slow approval chains to get urgent, ‘un-glamorous’ info to students.
Potential Move-in Chaos: Risking severe delays and a stressful first impression for over 1,000 new residents.
The challenge
Eleven days before the 2024 arrivals weekend, LSE hit a massive roadblock: the Vitality London 10K.
The race route cordoned off huge sections of central London, directly blocking key access to student halls.
Without a way to instantly update arriving students and their families, the University faced a move-in day defined by gridlock and confusion.
Browzer Engage as the solution
Because LSE had already established Halls Life (their Browzer Engage platform) as the students' digital home, they had the infrastructure to react in real-time.
Our team acted as an immediate extension of theirs, publishing a comprehensive ‘survival guide’ the same day the crisis was identified.
The content included:
A map of the Vitality 10K route
Direct links to the race website and Transport for London (TfL) for live updates
Travel guidance and suggested adjustments to arrival times
Reassurance for new students navigating a potentially stressful day
A smooth arrival experience for new students
By meeting students where they already were, LSE turned a potential PR disaster into a masterclass in student support.
The update was seen by over 1,000 users in just a few days. Because the platform was already embedded in the pre-arrival journey, students didn't need to be told where to look, they were already there.
Despite the city-wide closures, there were zero reported issues on the day.
LSE avoided the move-in crisis entirely, ensuring students’ first day at university was defined by support, not stress.
Why it works
Agile Publishing: Forget slow approval chains or waiting on third-party web teams. Browzer Engage allows you to respond to real-time challenges instantly, keeping your team agile when it matters most.
Essential Messaging: Not every update is glamorous, but every update is vital. We make need-to-know information – like travel diversions or safety alerts – easy to digest and impossible to miss.
Stress Reduction: By providing clear, calm guidance in a familiar format, you turn student anxiety into confidence, protecting your team's reputation and the student experience.
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