Learning and connecting with others is one of the main goals attendees at the Future Leaders Forum, jointly run by IMEX and MPI, wanted to achieve while attending WEC.
“I would love to find mentors to help me with my career,” said Melissa Amado from Madison College.
Career help is always a needed skill, and forum attendees were offered several mini sessions covering the topic. Renea Anderson of MeetingMatrix International Inc. challenged the delegates to find their significance and to ask themselves, “Why not you? Why not now?”
Miguel Neves of Synaxis Meetings and Events showed the value of social media in careers.
“Social media is the No. 1 activity on the Internet,” Neves said. “Your social media skills are valuable, and more companies are looking for those skills.”
Additionally, Randy Crabtree, MPI membership marketing manager, advised the group on how to maximize MPI resources available to the student community. He also explained the post-graduate, student-in-transition dues structure; onsite WEC resources; and discussed the career center.
“For me, WEC is about meeting people, getting my foot in the door, especially in such a competitive job market,” said Brynne Rosenberg from The George Washington University.
In the afternoon, students had the opportunity to speak to experts in various MICE industry roles to see if they are interested in entering into these roles as a future career.
“I’m curious about other meeting and event industry careers, such as sports management and tourism management,” said Alan Kleinfeld, CMP, CMM, from Experient.
By the end of the day, attendees were not only well prepared for their future leadership roles, they expanded their professional circles of influence.
“WEC, and the Future Leaders Forum is a great place to strengthen connections and network,” said Dani Rickert with Kinsley.