What is a social media expert? Someone who is an expert in
posting funny jokes on facebook? An expert at taking silly photos with
Instagram? What many people don’t realize is what an important tool social
media is for a business! Kemp Edmonds from Hootsuite sure does understand what
it can do and how to use it. Lucky for all of those who attended The Suite
Mingler, we learned some of those things!
Many of students probably think they know how to use social media. I sure realized while I was listening to Kemp that 'Yes, I know about social media, but not to the extent of all its capable of!'.
Lucy Liu presenting Kemp with a thank-you gift
We learned about how different it is using social media for connected with friends and family from using social media for business. Kemp made it very cleat that it is very important to keep those two aspects of social media separate!
Megan, Nina and Leslie mingling!
Tyler, Chris and Albert mingling!
Event Director Adrienne Regier and President Jennifer Wong
The event was great being both educational and entertaining! We hope to have Kemp back sometime in the future!
To get more involved with social media and MPI BCIT, like us on Facebook and follow us on twitter! @mpibcit
Networking with the Stars is a student-hosted event sponsored by the MPI BC Chapter aiming to connect students and members of industry to make meaningful and lasting connections! 48 determined tourism students dedicated time out of their busy BCIT schedule to plan and implement this event.
The event was started off by Darcy Rezac, CEO of AnaPacific Consulting and author of "Work the Pond". He discussed the importance of positive networking in the business industry, and gave the students tips on how to make talking to people easier. He was an enthusiastic & engaging speaker, and the students felt it really helped prepare them for the evening ahead.
Industry members began arriving right after the workshop, so the mingler started fast and strong. The food and atmosphere was prepared and set up beautifully, creating an elegant environment for students and industry to mingle and connect! As guests roamed the room and checked out the silent auction, violinists and a harpist played melodies that created a peaceful atmosphere.
Mary Ann Liu, Adrienne Regier, Megan Krentz, Megan Mascia, Carmen Merola, Maeghan Tuckey
Many students (and i'm sure some industry too!) were nervous to approach others, what should we talk about? Because of this, a networking activity was created where students had a famous landmark and industry had a corresponding location where the landmark was located! This let students and industry have something initially in common, a game they were both involved in.
We would like to thank all the sponsors that helped facilitate the success of this event:
It was such an honor to attend the BCIT Awards ceremony with
all my peers! It was a wonderful thing to see all the students dressed up with
their family by their sides to accept their recognition for greatness!
These awards were given out for academic excellence as well
as leadership and service.
Congratulations to all who received an award!
The BCIT Foundation gratefully acknowledges the generosity
of our donors who make these awards possible. With your support, BCIT is able
to recognize student success and academic excellence.
The following four MPI executives received awards:
Have you ever tried a spoonful of milk and cookies? How about a chocolate chip cookie atop a chocolate milk bubble that bursts upon scooping into your mouth? Well I have, and that rather creative take on a classic was one of the many scrumptious and delightful hors d'oeuvres served at last weekend's Crème de la Crème wedding showcase. Put on by the one of Vancouver's most sought after event planning companies, Countdown events, the show epitomized the luxury and grander that is the Vancouver wedding scene. A strong and bustling industry for Vancouver, the clever event had hooks and tools had all attendees Brides-to-be or not enthralled.
Jennifer Wong and Nina Davidson
In addition to the never-ending array of tasters and treats, some of the season’s hottest gowns from Vera Wang, Nicole Miller, Alvina Valenta, and Oscar De La Renta strutted down the flower be-decked main hall. Free photo shoots and prints, manicures, hair stylists and drinks lined the network of rooms allocated to the show at the downtown Four Seasons Hotel. After being primped and preened each bride left with a gift packet with enough swag and magazines to last her until the special day. One of the cleverest giveaways being a pair of freshwater pearl earings from Jeweliette Jewelry and the cheerful tag line: “Keep Calm and wear Pearls”.
Bride or not, the production of the entire event seemed to come off flawlessly and was an excellent opportunity for BCIT students to volunteer and get a taste behind the scenes of one of Vancouver’s most thriving and colorful industries.
Colleen Smith, Chanelle Gale, Shivani Mukerji, and Leslie Lessard
On Sunday, November 4, 2012, four members
of MPI BCIT competed in the 6th Annual Link BC Case Competition. The
BCIT team, consisting of Chanelle Gale, Leslie Lessard, Shivani Mukerji, and Colleen Smith, placed first in their category, competing against five other teams. The
event took place during the HOST BC conference, and brought together students
studying in tourism and hospitality programs across BC.
Competition Awards during the Premier and Cabinet Luncheon
All of the teams were asked to come up with
packages and marketing plan that could be implemented at one of the 18 Coast
hotels across BC. The teams only had five hours to complete the marketing plan once given the location of the hotel and the official question. The locations were randomly drawn. The BCIT team created four
packages for Coast Hotel & Convention Centre Langley City included a
mancation, a family cultural experience, and a romantic couples getaway grouped
together with the phrase “Relive, remember, and renew at BC’s best coast.”
You can check out all of the presentations at slideshare.net/LinkBC (BCIT's presentation is the first one).
In
mid-October, five members of MPI BCIT were given the opportunity to fly down to
Las Vegas and attend the IMEX-MPI-MCI Future Leaders Forum at the IMEX America Exhibition.
The lucky students who attended the conference were Jennifer Wong, Leslie
Lessard, Vivek Punwani, Joanna Lam, and Albert Yee. All of the attendees from
BCIT are either an MPI BCIT executive member or in a director position.
The MPI BCIT members with Jordan Clark
Day One
The first
day of the conference didn’t have any activities for the Future Leaders Forum,
but we were invited to attend the tradeshow floor and see what IMEX America was
all about. The conference took place in the Sands Expo and Convention Center at
The Venetian and The Palazzo.
We were all
excited to the see the very prominent Vancouver booth on display. While, we
ended up missing out on the bike powered blended beverages that were being
given away, it was great to see Vancouver coming up with creative ideas to
entice buyers to visit the booth.
Other memorable
exhibitors included Meet Minneapolis, who had a Prince impersonator walking
around and performing, and Korea who capitalized on the recent popularity of
Psy by playing his hit song, Gangnam Style, on repeat.
It was a
great opportunity to be able to walk around the exhibition and meet people from
all over the world and discover their career paths.
The Vancouver booth at IMEX
Day Two
On the
first day of the Future Leaders Forum, we enjoyed a Welcome Breakfast in one of
the beautiful conference rooms at the Venetian/Palazzo Congress Center. Dale
Hudson and Miguel Neves, from IMEX Group, and Charles Massey, from Synaxis
Meetings and Events, were the moderators for the forum. They were all very
personable and captivating. One of the first things we did was to scatter
ourselves around the floor to make sure we weren’t sitting with anyone we knew.
We got to
hear from a lot of different and amazing speakers throughout the first day.
Each speaker truly brought something unique and different to the table. Some of
the topics included a Visionary Showcase, The Future of the Meeting
Industry,What Employers are
Looking for, and Five Things Professors Haven’t Told You.
Hotel staff
took us on a behind the scenes look at the Venetian’s “Heart of House,” where
we were able to see the great benefits that the hotel offers its employees and
how it makes it all run smoothly.
We finished
off the day with a reception, where we were able to connect with the students
who we had spend the day with and many of the presenters.
The MPI BCIT members on the final day of IMEX
Day Three
The final
day of the forum provided us with more great speakers and topics. I really
enjoyed the sessions on Social Media Etiquette, and How to Make Sustainability
Happen.
One of our
last activities was a guided tour of the tradeshow floor.We broke off into groups and conducted
a scavenger hunt on the floor. It was a great way to push ourselves into
talking to more companies on the floor and learn about what they offered.
The IMEX
America Exhibition offered a shuttle from the event to the airport, which was a
nice way to end the trip.
The Future
Leaders Forum was an amazing experience and we are all glad that we were given
the opportunity to attend the event. We hope to make it a recurring event and
continue to send MPI BCIT members each year.
EXECUTIVE BOARD 2012/2013 President: Jennifer Wong Vice President: Tyler Newton VP of Finance: Leslie Lessard Secretary: Joanna Lam VP of Member Relations: Vivek Punwani BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2012/2013 Director of Events: Adrienne Regier Director of Sponsorship: Albert Yee, Tina Nguyen Director of Marketing Communications: Megan Krentz First Year Liaison: Nina Davidson
Here is her tweet: @mpiBCIT
#myfabouriteplace is Beachcomber Island, Fiji. You can walk around it
in 10 min, trade beer for cava and sweat your shorts off.
MPI BCIT wants to know where your favourite place in the world is. Where is the one place that you really want to travel to or which is the best destination you have visited?
Let us know and you will be entered in the draw for two Vancouver Aquarium tickets!
You have THREE chances to win.
1. Comment on this post below with your favourite place.
Are you a First Year BCIT Marketing Student?
Do you want to know what to expect throughout the coming year?
MPI BCIT's first event of the year will be the First Year Panel. Former First Year Students will give advice and answer questions.
The First Year Panel is a way for the BCIT Marketing Students to help each other. The program can be very intense at times, so it is helpful to hear what the experience is like from someone who has already gone through it. Former First Years will share their past experiences, give advice, and answer and questions about the school year. The event is also a great way for the students to meet and connect with each other.
The MPI Forum is a way to bring industry leaders on a focused topic
together in an intimate setting. The attendees are broken up into
several groups to allow each guest to address a smaller audience and
create a more memorable experience. This allows for greater learning
and understanding from MPI BCIT members. Attendees are able to establish
valuable connections through the stationed discussions and breaks.
The first MPI Forum focused on Social Media. Five experts
graciously accepted MPI BCIT's invitation to connect with the students
and valued guests.
Check out more pictures from the event on our Facebook Page. And read MPI BCIT's Director of Social Media, Miko Bryson's account of the event.
