Every year the Business Administration Marketing graduates host an industry networking event that attracts approximately 1850 industry professionals, faculty and students. The students raise all the money for event and it is designed to help students with their networking skills and obtain jobs.
Wendy Threader, Professor of Marketing and Management Studies, oversaw the entire planning process, guiding students and teaching them how to plan and execute an event and help perfect their networking skills.
Throughout her classes, and at the event as well, she kept saying to her students, “No clumping!” A strange thing to say, however it is meant to encourage students to breakaway from their peers and speak to professionals within the industry they have worked so hard to enter into.
Raising $7000 for the event, with 35+ students planning and preparing for the event, and over 1500 industry professionals attending, the environment was perfect. A very casual, yet appropriate, setting was created at Lago’s Bar & Grill on Dows Lake. Located in the upper conference centre, the room was full with students and professionals meeting and connecting.
Some of the feature industry professionals were representing Skyline, Nelson Publishing, Eyevero, Extension Marketing and the Better Software Company, and L Spark. CEO Steve Cody of the Better Software Company spoke at the event, telling students his story and some hardships he overcame in order to become successful.
Throughout the evening, professionals also got a chance to see a quick profile of each of the students in attendance. A slideshow featuring student names and photos played throughout the evening, expressing their role models, favourite quotes, dream job title and favourite pastimes. This gave the various professionals the opportunity to see a more personal side to the students, rather than their business profiles only.
As the evening went on, the wise words from Wendy clearly had an effect on her students, as the area remained “clump free”. Students were confidently walking up to industry professionals and making conversation, leaving industry professionals pleased and eager to hire these new graduates.
On behalf of the Algonquin College School of Business, we wish these new graduates the best of luck in their future endeavours, and hope to see you at future networking events in the years to come.