The student Executive Board along with 10 members of The School’s chapter of the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) traveled to San Francisco, CA from March 2-6, 2018 for the 91st Annual CMAA World Conference. Their club advisor, Richard Bruner, accompanied them.
The students joined other student chapters and over 1,800 club management professionals from across the U.S. and internationally who attended the conference. Rachel Powell (BA ’21), Hayley Pegram (BA ’19), and Graduate Student Yusi Cheng (MS ’18) entered three posters on environmental sustainability, merchandising and retain, and renovation in the 2018 Club of the Future Student Chapter Award Program. This program is for students to “express their visions for the future of the club industry.”
Each day the students attended a number of educational sessions, many of which were designed specifically for students. Sessions such as: a Student Networking Event, Student Chapter Officer Roundtable, Making Any Job a Profound Work Experience, Musings of a Millennial Club Manager, Exploring the Supervisor/Subordinate Relationship, and Student Mentor Luncheon. Beyond the educational events, students were able to attend the Club Business Expo, Career Opportunity and Mentoring Showcase, tour the prestigious Bohemian Club, score tickets to the networking event at the St. Francis Yacht Club, meet alumni in the industry, and participate in an event with the Greater Michigan Club Managers Association.
One student shared her feedback about her first experience at world conference. Julianna Pannone said, “I’m so happy to have had this opportunity! I learned so much; my favorite session was by Gregg Patterson on how to make a summer job or internship worth your while. He provided insight to things I never would have thought of. As if attending the conference wasn’t enough, we were able to enjoy the culture and atmosphere of San Francisco. The best ending to a great trip was watching fireworks at the St. Francis Yacht Club right on the San Francisco bay while we networked with club professionals.”
Madison Skornicka, this year’s MSU Student Chapter President of CMAA (BA ’19), says it was “the best conference yet,” as she has attended three times, including this year. Part of the reason Skornicka appreciated this year over others was because CMAA began a World Conference Mentorship Initiative, which gave students a chance to meet with a specific manager to offer guidance for getting the most out of their experience at World Conference and beyond.
Special thanks to The School of Hospitality Business, the Greater Michigan Club Managers Association, and Matt Dossey, General Manager of the Patterson Club in Fairfield, CT for offering each student support in attending this year’s 2018 World Conference.
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