The following post was written by Andrew Smith, Digital Coordinator of the Commerce Students’ Association and member of both the 50th Annual Business Banquet and the 2016 National Business School Conference organizing committees. This is the first of two highlight articles from events this past weekend.
The Commerce Students’ Association had a busy weekend November 17th to 20th, 2016. Over 30 Asper students, including 15+ members of the Commerce Students’ Association Council, were involved in hosting the CSA’s two flagship annual events: the 50th Annual Commerce Business Banquet and the 2016 National Business School Conference.
The weekend started with the chance for the Asper community to ReConnect at the 50th Annual Commerce Business Banquet, held for the first time in the new south building of the RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg. In its semi-centennial year, the Commerce Students’ Association had the opportunity to welcome back 40+ Asper Alumni to this event, in addition to 300 students, 130 corporate sponsors, and numerous special guests.
During the afternoon, students at the Asper School of Business were invited to attend a question and answer period with Matthew Corrin, Founder and CEO of Freshii and keynote speaker at this year’s Business Banquet. This was an opportunity for students to gain insight into Matthew’s entrepreneurial spirit and the rapid growth of the Freshii brand.
Prior to dinner, alumni, graduates, students, and special guests each had the opportunity to mingle in the preceding reception, in addition to brushing up on networking skills, reconnecting with past peers, and creating new connections. Once everyone was seated, all in attendance were treated to a delicious meal prepared by the convention centre staff. Over the meal, attendees heard remarks from representatives from the Government of Manitoba, CPA Manitoba, the Associates and the University. Additionally, the 2016 Associates’ Student Enterprise Awards were distributed at the event; congratulations to Nate Anderson and Aaron Menon who were the recipients of this year’s awards. The dinner was also an opportunity for students to network with representatives from the many corporate partners for this event. The Commerce Students’ Association is greatly appreciative of the continual support we receive from our corporate partners.
Following dinner, students were treated to a fireside chat between Jaysa Toet, a 2014 Asper Grad and former president of the Commerce Students’ Association, and Matthew. Differing from a more traditional keynote format, those in attendance were engaged in a discussion of the many factors that brought Matthew and his company Freshii to where it is today. Topics of the evening included building a strong corporate culture, not giving up, and how the global presence of Freshii enables unique opportunities for new menu items. The night concluded with an after party at 441 Main, DJed by Asper student Andrew Chudley.
A few days after the event, we followed up with co-chairs K.T. and Sarah and asked them what their most memorable moment from the evening was. For K.T., there were too many to pick from to narrow it down to just one moment:
I honestly can’t pick a favourite part. I just really enjoyed seeing everything come together. The room looked absolutely beautiful. The food was amazing. All the speeches were interesting and engaging. There were so many students and Winnipeg business leaders that came to network. And, there were 40+ alumni that came to celebrate this momentous occasion. All in all the event was very successful and one of the biggest highlights of my Asper career.
– K.T. Werboweski, 50th Annual Commerce Business Banquet Co-Chair
Co-chair Sarah also found there to be too many memorable moments to narrow it down to just one:
I think it’s impossible for me to pin point my favourite moment as the whole evening was pretty remarkable. After spending several months planning for the event, it was so exciting to see it all come together. It has been such a blast working with K.T. and our committee that I could definitely say that was a highlight for me. I could talk for hours on what a great experience it was to be part of BB50, but a few highlights of the evening were definitely Matthew Corrin’s fire side chat, walking into the banquet room and seeing how beautifully decorated the banquet room was, and to meet so many new people that I would never met if it weren’t for this opportunity. It was an honour to host an event for Asper students, faculty and Winnipeg business leaders as well as having past Business Banquet co-chairs and Asper Alumni to join us as well.
– Sarah Olson, 50th Annual Commerce Business Banquet Co-Chair
The Commerce Students’ Association would like to extend a huge thank you to Business Banquet Co-Chairs K.T. Werboweski and Sarah Olson for their many months of dedication to the planning, organizing, and execution of this event. Additionally, an event like this is not possible without a team of individuals dedicated to making the event happen. Thank you to everyone who was involved!
Did you attend the 50th Annual Commerce Business Banquet? Share your favourite moments in the comments below!