Megan Reed, Campus Carrier News Editor
Berry will be hosting the second annual National Student Enterprise Development Conference, featuring guest speakers from UPS and Jackson-Spalding, on Feb. 7 and 8.
Berry College Student Enterprises are student-operated businesses which include Viking Furniture, the Oak Hill Gift Shop and the Guest Cottages. The program is designed to provide students with opportunities to learn how to manage a business.
120 Berry students work with these enterprises, which are also advised by faculty.
About 150 students involved with similar programs at schools including the University of Georgia, Warren Wilson College in North Carolina and five high schools are expected to attend the conference, senior Mary Chambers, director of Berry College Student Enterprises, said.
The purpose of the conference is to “encourage students to develop an entrepreneurial spirit and also to teach practical business skills,” Chambers said.
Rufus Massey, dean of student work, said students will have an opportunity to network with business leaders and make useful connections which will help them as they enter careers in business. The panels and sessions at the conference will cover all aspects of running a business, including accounting, strategic planning and marketing and branding.
Senior Emily Collum, who does business planning and process management for Berry College Student Enterprises, said students from other schools will return from the conference having learned how to “further their own enterprises.”
The guest speaker Friday night will be Paul Tanguay, the director of talent acquisition for UPS. Tanguay has been working for UPS since 1985 and now oversees the recruitment of candidates for the company. His recruitment strategy focuses on the use of the Internet and social media.
Glen Jackson, co-founder of Jackson-Spalding, will be speaking on Saturday. Jackson-Spalding is a public relations firm based in Atlanta whose clients include Publix supermarkets and the airline Delta. Jackson has been in the field of public relations since 1985.
Representatives from other companies including Coca-Cola and Chick-Fil-A will also be attending.
Chambers, along with Massey and the student enterprises team, has been planning the conference since October. Berry also hosted the conference last year.
Berry’s student enterprises will be presenting and selling their products on Friday night.