Rocky Mountain Business Seminar- My(Andrew’s) first hand experiences of what really goes on at business conferences.

Wow! I had no idea what to expect when going to my first business conference, but it was truly an amazing time. I met awesome people, learnt a lot, and could not have spent my reading week better. For those who have never gone to a conference before, I don’t recommend you go to one, I am TELLING you to!

Just read what I did for a week...

Day 0
Pack in a GTI with 2 others from Regina, and drive to Edmonton. Stay in our friendly billet’s house.

Day 1
Get on the bus and meet some new people!

Arrive at Jasper Lodge and get settled in. I roomed with Steve, the guy I drove up with. I didn’t know him very well before the trip, but now he is one of my favourite people. The room was pretty sweet, I mean, if you like lake-front and big beds.

First keynote – Jared Smith – The advice he gave was: when shaking hands, go crotch-to-crotch and look them in the eye. (I feel I should clarify that he refers to the area between the thumb and index finger as the crotch).

Monday Night Entertainment- A comedian…a little grossed out by some of the stuff he said but a pretty funny guy.

First hospitality suite- The breakfast club-The first thing I would like to note is free beer. The second, partying with people from all across Canada is always exciting. Different tastes in music, different attire, and different moves on the dance floor. What brings us all together though? Flip cup.

Day 2
Breakfast- A buffet every morning with everything you could ask for.

Keynote- Diana Wyley- She said to share information with people who have similar dreams, ambitions, and goals. She said a bank robber doesn’t talk to the police, they talk to another bank robber. She also said that big companies get flattered hearing that you want to work for them, so when you go for a job interview, tell them how bad you want to work for them (assuming you really do).

Case Competition- There are 6 people on each team, 6 teams in each room, and 3 rooms. We had 2 hours today and two hours tomorrow to come up with our recommendations, which we had to present in a 5 minute presentation. I was part of BO$$ Consulting, which, in my unbiased opinion, was pretty awesome.

Free time- A.K.A- The CMA Hockey Game- Really just a fun time playing a game of shinny. It’s not every day a Sask kid gets to play on a lake in the middle of the mountains.

Evening Keynote- HSBC Panel- What they said was that 35 of the 50 largest GDP countries in 2050 are still emerging, and are not in the top 50 right now.

Games Night- While dressed in our costumes for the “Under the Big Top” hospitality suite later that night, we competed in business events, like: Circus Jeopardy, Pictionary, obstacle courses, and of course, word searches and anagrams.

Hospitality Suite 2- Under the Big Top- Same as the hospitality suite the night before, except we ran out of beer sooner…

Day 3
Keynote- Sandra Johnston- She worked in qualitative research. She said if you want to get the truth from someone, create an environment where they are comfortable to tell you the truth. She said this is much more effective than asking them to tell the truth, or to try to determine if they are lying.

Case Competition- We finalized our recommendations and finished the PowerPoint.

Graffiti Night- Hit up the local Jasper bar and partied hard.

Day 4
Keynote- Paul McElhone- He talked a lot about vision and dreams. He said that dreams can be exciting or scary. Everyone has dreams that are exciting, but he says scary dreams are really important. They are the ones that push you out of your comfort zone, make you explore new possibilities, and make you a better person.

He also said you MUST have a plan… but don’t underestimate the power of serendipity. Be open to what is happening around you. And finally, pace and stamina will get you anything you want if you want it bad enough (I realize these probably just sound like what you would find in a fortune cookie…but I think they are really important).

Case Competition- It is really hard to fit a presentation into 5 minutes! My team felt we did well in the presentation, but we didn’t end up doing well enough to move on. We had one UofR guy reppin’ us in the top 3, though! Nicely done, Steve.

Casino Night- Play some games, make some fake money, and bid on some real prizes! I ended up leaving with $100 in prizes.

Last Hospitality Suite- School Spirit- Not too sure how it began, but made it home by 4:30 a.m. Enough said.

Day 5
The last day and finally a time to relax! We did random stuff: played pool, went swimming, and just hung out.

We got on the bus to go to Edmonton. The Regina gang was going to stay the night at our billet’s, but a nasty storm was in the mix for the next day. We decided to head back that night.

Like I said, an AMAZING experience. Do it if you can, because it will certainly be one of the best weeks of your life.