As part of my final project for my event management certification, I worked with 15 other students planning and executing this event, and I am proud to say that all of my teammates were a joy to work with.
Our client, Anna Droste-Glowinski, and our professor Erica Shonkwiler, MBA, CMP, challenged our team to increase participation and interest from students and employers. I suggested using the idea "This is Not Your Parent's Career Fair." The class took to this suggestion and quickly incorporated it into the event's overall design. We successfully achieved positive feedback from the employers and students who attended the carrier fair by reimagining the theme as a relaxed networking event.
After the initial meeting with our client, our team held an all-day planning workshop using the Event Canvas™Methodology. This method allowed the team to identify our major stakeholders, analyze their incoming behaviors, identify the desired outgoing behaviors, and create a plan to reach the intended goal. This workshop began my journey to earn my Event Design Certificate Young Professional Program.
This team was divided into six groups:
Attendee and Worker Management
Finance, Supplier, and Crisis Management
Partner Management
Marketing and Graphic Design
Logistics and Technology
Strategy, Project, and Content Management.
Mary Barr and I were on the Finance, Supplier, and Crisis Management Team. Our team oversaw placing all orders, managing the event budget, and creating a crisis plan. I coordinated with the partner management team and the client and worked with the catering company on two food and beverage orders. One for the Employer Empower Hour Lunch and one for the Future Jags prospective student lunch. I worked with the marketing and design team and placed orders for all event signage. On the event day, I oversaw all aspects of the food and beverage, working closely with the onsite catering representative. The biggest lesson learned from this group experience is to vet contracted vendors to ensure they are reputable and will honor their contracts on time.