Two colleges promoting events in unique ways with foursquare

Colleges are the perfect environment for foursquare. Mobile phone and social network use are rampant and the compact nature of a college campus makes it easy to walk to a place once you’ve found friends’ locations using the service. That’s why it’s no surprise to see colleges leading the way in promoting events with foursquare. There are two unique promotions kicking off in the next 24 hours, designed to drive students — and checkins — to events.

The first event takes place tonight at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, a school that has already partnered with foursquare for a branded page. They’re looking to set a record for the most simultaneous checkins at a single (real*) foursquare venue by encouraging more than 1000 students to check in at tonight’s Big Boi concert at the Greenspace. This number would easily unlock a Super Swarm badge (250 checkins), and organizers at the university are hoping there’s an even bigger swarm badge for 1000 or more checkins. They’ve also said that some businesses in Lincoln may be offering discounts to users who show their Super Swarm badge earned at the event.

Big Boi, known as half of the duo Outkast, will presumably be one of the checkins at the concert. He recently joined foursquare and began leaving tips.

Tomorrow morning, the University of Southern California will be using foursquare to encourage students to attend the inauguration of President Max Nikias. They’ll award 11 prizes (Nikias is the school’s eleventh president) to users who check in at the “USC Inauguration of President Nikias” venue tomorrow beginning at 10 am.

What do you think of these unique promotions? What groups other than colleges should consider using foursquare to promote events like this?

*On July 7, the NYC Heatpocalypse venue topped 1000 simultaneous checkins at one point shortly after noon.