The following article was written by Laura Gilleshammer, Josef Miguel Quintana, and Hannah McCutchon who recently attended the Rocky Mountain Business Seminar held at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in Jasper, Alberta.
Laura
The Rocky Mountain Business Seminar (RMBS) is Canada’s longest-running student-organized business conference. The conference consists of various keynotes, break-out sessions, workshops, and a mini-case competition. This experience for me was invaluable. The conference gives you the opportunity to do things that are outside of your comfort zone and learn from those experiences.
The theme of this year’s conference was “Envision” and speakers focused on how to develop a clear vision for our future. I gained a sense of clarity in regards to both my professional and personal future. I now know how important it is to establish your values and what your goals are for the future. I hope I can help other Asper students find a vision for their life.
Networking with corporate representatives and other Canadian business students gave me a different perspective on the Canadian business landscape. It was interesting to learn about what opportunities there are outside of Winnipeg. There are so many interesting start-ups and tech firms in Edmonton that I would be interested in learning more about. I spent a lot of time speaking with corporate representatives which helped me to gain newfound confidence. The environment at RMBS allowed me to break out of my shell and ask questions when I needed to.
The case competition was also beneficial for me to learn how to successfully analyze a case and problem solve it. The other students I worked with brought different methods and practices for conducting case studies which allowed for a new perspective that I will be able to bring back to the Asper community. Presenting to a panel of judges also took a lot of confidence and was a really good experience.
Overall, the Rocky Mountain Business Seminar has been one of the highlights of my degree. I learned a lot that I will be able to bring back to the Asper community as well as forward in my career. I would highly recommend RMBS to any student that has the opportunity to attend.
Josef
I had the utmost privilege to attend this year’s Rocky Mountain Business Seminar. In its 55th year, RMBS stands as the longest-running student-led conference. Attending this conference has helped me grow from an academic, professional, and personal standpoint. Through the engaging and interactive breakout sessions, workshops and speakers, I was able to broaden my knowledge in the areas of self-awareness, career advancement, and the implications of artificial intelligence in the future. I was able to expand my network by making connections with top industry professionals in the Finance, Marijuana, and Retail sector.
With this year’s theme being Envision, it was only fitting for me to gain a better understanding of who I wanted to become in the future. To be someone who is willing to be vulnerable and remain curious in life. Someone who not only gives but learns when to take. Someone who tries different things in order to narrow the scope. I am thankful for all the incredible delegates and executive members I met and for the memories and relationships that I can truly say will last a lifetime.
Hannah
My experience at RMBS was very positive. I met many students from various universities that each brought interesting backgrounds and experiences into conversations and were consistently teaching me new things. Throughout the week, there is a mini-case competition where students from different schools work together towards a final recommendation, it was very fascinating to see the diverse approaches of students from other schools and learn how to collaborate effectively.
Over the course of the week, there were several keynote speakers who outlined how they got to where they are today and the lessons they learned along the way. A huge takeaway for me was to not be afraid to ask for help when it is needed, asking for help can be one of the best compliments you can give to someone by showing that you respect their thoughts. RMBS was an extremely productive and fun-filled week that pushes you out of your comfort zone.
My favorite thing about RMBS is that for every lunch and dinner there is a set seating plan that changes each meal. This gives students a chance to meet people that they might not have gotten the opportunity to interact with and ensures that students are challenging their comfort zones by not being able to just sit with who they know.
Lastly, in one of my workshops, there was an elevator pitch competition that required students in groups of five to create a marketing strategy for the Londonderry Mall in Edmonton. The hosts were two individuals who worked for the marketing department for Londonderry Mall and were employed by Cushman & Wakefield. My team was successful in our pitch and placed first where we were given gift cards to the mall, however as two of us were external delegates so the hosts arranged for us to get gift cards for our local malls instead. This was such a kind thing for these ladies to do and has helped expand my network and has given me a reason to keep in touch with these successful individuals.
RMBS was highly motivating and worthwhile and I would recommend any student wanting to move out of their comfort zone and have a great adventure to apply!