A Broad tradition: Employee ice cream social and resource fair

At the close of each academic year in May, the Broad College of Business hosts an ice cream social and resource fair to celebrate its staff and faculty.

The ice cream social has been a Broad tradition for quite some time, but when the college’s Staff Leadership Committee was formed in 2017, members aimed to add another element that would make the social event even more valuable. The resource fair was created and introduced in 2019.

This year’s event will be held on May 11 in the Entrepreneurship Lab and Minskoff Multipurpose Room. In this Q&A, Daniel Spadafore, chief of staff, Nicholas Wujcik, event manager, and Brekelle Davis, business manager, share some background on this annual event.

Broad News: Why is it important to offer this kind of event for college employees?

Spadafore: The Broad College strives to create a culture and climate of belonging and success. We believe our employees succeed when they can bring their whole selves to the workplace. The resource fair provides connections to campus departments that can facilitate professional and personal growth and contribute to our sense of community, pride and belonging at MSU.

Broad News: What elements do you include in the event?

Spadafore: We feature departmental representatives from across campus. Over the years, we have featured the Broad Human Resources team, University Human Resources, WorkLife Office, Gast Library, MSU Museum, Wharton Center, Resource Center for Persons With Disabilities and more.

Wujcik: The Dean’s office provides MSU Dairy Store ice cream and a large variety of toppings. It is always one of my favorite parts about this fair!

Broad News: How many vendors do you invite? 

Davis: We invite from 15 to 18 vendors to table at the fair. Last year, we had 12 vendors participate, most of which were on-campus units. However, we are looking to include off-campus partners in the coming years.

Broad News: How do you decide which vendors to invite?

Spadafore: We welcome vendors and departments from across campus to join us and always welcome new participation and resources that may help our employees.

Broad News: How many attendees do you usually have?

Spadafore: We usually see 100 to 125 employees come out for the event.

Broad News: How is it received by employees?

Spadafore: Employees enjoy the opportunity to network with campus departments and one another. The Dairy Store ice cream bar is also a big hit!

The Broad College’s ice cream social and resource fair offers a chance for employees to learn about MSU resources available to them, as well as have fun and engage with colleagues once the spring semester comes to a close. We hope to see you there on May 11!