The JV Experience: Event Planning for Student Conferences

Kellogg holds 12 student conferences during the year, and the students and JVs that want to participate as part of the organization can apply. Last year, the LAHIMA group of Latin American and Hispanic students opened the application for the Latin America Business Conference (LABC). I applied, was selected and started to work on the marketing team as the only JV in the whole group!

We started to work five months before the event, as the marketing team was responsible for all communication about the event internally, outside of Kellogg and online. I was responsible for the announcement here in Kellogg. This year, the conference theme was “Introducing the Real Latin America,” and we had 14 speakers that dug into what is actually happening in Latin America across a few key themes, including e-business, family business and the transformation of Latin American industry. It was such a good opportunity, and almost everybody said that was it was a great learning and networking experience.

In Brazil, I used to work in an event agency, but I have to say that this experience was different. I am in another country, so I had to overcome my fear and do all the tasks in English. It was not easy to attend all the meetings and express my ideas, but I got it. I did my job, made some friends, improved my English and did something that I love to do: event planning.

A lot of people tell me that I have to take advantage of what I have here, and it’s true. I always have to go out of my comfort zone and do something new and challenging. I need to push myself every day, but it is good. After that, I felt so proud and happy for accomplishing it. Now, I am enthusiastic to take on other new challenges that the JV experience will bring!

Thaleya Freitas is the Joint Venture of Felipe Godoy ’14. Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, Freitas worked at an advertising and event agency before moving to Evanston with her husband in 2012.