The following article was written by Stephanie Kalo, Andrew Martin, Brennan Ball, and Eric Wankling. Steph, Andrew, Brennan, and Eric recently attended the Rocky Mountain Business Seminar through the Commerce Students’ Association’s Conference and Competition funding program.
From February 18-22, the four of us were lucky enough to represent Asper at the 54th annual Rocky Mountain Business Seminar (RMBS) in the beautiful mountains of Jasper, Alberta. From start to finish, this conference exceeded our expectations and left us inspired and motivated to apply this year’s theme of “momentum” to our everyday lives.
Prior to the conference, we were told by many friends who had previously attended RMBS that it was the premier conference in Canada and that it would create long-lasting friendships, experiences, and memories that we would never forget. After experiencing it ourselves, the four of us could not agree more.
Before arriving in Jasper, external delegates like ourselves were paired with students from the University of Alberta to billet overnight in Edmonton. These billets quickly became close friends, and gave us a head start when socializing at the conference. The night before we left for Jasper, all externals and billets met at Central Social Hub to share a drink and introduce ourselves. Little did we know at the time that the friends we made at this conference would become our family for the rest of the week.
The conference was kicked off with a powerful keynote address from Jared Smith who talked about his time training and completing Navy Seal “Hell Week,” as he likes to call it. His keynote emphasized momentum, such as the momentum needed on his more than year-long journey to complete Hell Week, even when it seemed impossible.
The days were filled with phenomenal keynote speeches, workshops, breakout sessions, and a thrilling case competition in which we presented our recommendations to real company executives. In the evenings, we participated in organized competitive activities and ended each day with a different theme night that allowed us to bond with our peers.
From learning about negotiation, tutorials on how to build our personal brands, and sessions on mastering key interview skills, we came home with so much more than we arrived with. More than anything, the people we met were what made this week-long conference as incredibly special as it was!
Overall, we were blown away by the stories and insights of the keynote speakers and breakout sessions, as well as the effort and attention to detail put in by the organizing committee from the U of A. The conference provided a valuable opportunity to network with both delegates and gracious corporates and University of Alberta Faculty members who volunteered their time to join us.
The takeaway from the conference was twofold. First was the development of our personal momentum. This experience inspired us to push beyond what we think we are capable of and challenge ourselves to try new things, no matter how impossible they may seem. Second, and perhaps more importantly, were the people we met. The executives were down to earth and more than willing to talk and share their knowledge with us .The students were extremely welcoming, whether they were from the University of Alberta or others schools around Canada.
After reflecting on RMBS 2019, we came to realise that it wholly satisfied every aspect you look for in a conference. Firstly, when attending a conference, the goal is to leave with more knowledge and insight than when you arrived. Second, as much as conferences are about learning, they are not complete without a full range of social activities and a chance to bond with students from across the country. RMBS provided many hours of quality social events daily and all four of us made friends that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Finally, one aspect that sets conferences apart from others is the icing on the cake. The icing on the cake in our case was waking up each morning surrounded by the beautiful Rocky Mountains. There are very few places that offer these world class views.
With most of us still having a few years left in our degree, we hope to apply the “momentum” we gained from this conference to our lives and empower ourselves to achieve greatness in our personal and professional lives.