Association Participation
HSMAI (Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International.)
On March 21st, I attended an association by the name of HSMAI (Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International.) Before attending the association, I set some important goals:
1) My biggest goal was to network with industry professionals and hear about the experiences they’ve had over the years.
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Did I meet this goal? Before attending HSMAI, I thought I was going to network more than I actually did. I felt like most people in HSMAI were chatting about things other than their careers which is the reason why I did not network as much as I wanted to. I did not particularly meet this goal the way I wanted to, however, I found an alternative goal that I met. I made sure to introduce myself to at least two industry professionals in which I did. I talked about my career and what I want to do as an event planner in the next couple of years
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How can I improve? I need to step out of my comfort zone and give myself the chance to let other professionals get to know me and know who I am more. I need to also remind myself that if I am capable of presenting in front of many students in class, then I can at least chat for a short amount of time with industry professionals because you never know who may be your employer will be one day, it could be these people you meet as associations.
2) While networking and talking to some industry professionals, my second goal was to describe how much I’ve benefited from the Kaleidoscope Competencies and ask industry professionals about the competencies as well.
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Did I meet this goal? Yes, I met this goal. The reason why I chose this as one of my goals was because the Kaleidoscope Competencies have been a huge part of my success specifically for this semester, therefore, I wanted to share what I’ve learned and ask industry professionals about some of the most competencies in their opinion and which one they use the most in their daily lives. One of the women I spoke to said that time management was the most important competency that matters the most to her, especially as an event planner. Mrs. Jameson told me that as an event planner, time is the most valuable source and we need to constantly remember that.
3) My third goal before attending HSMAI was to collect business cards from industry professionals.
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Did I meet this goal? Yes, in fact, I collected 3 business cards which were all from event planners. The reason why I wanted to accomplish this goal was because after graduation, I will be looking for a job and I know it may be difficult to find one, therefore, collecting business cards from industry professionals may help me in my future career. Following up after networking with specific individuals is important as well, and the reason behind that is because they will most likely remember you in the future and you will have a better chance of getting the help you need from them to get a job at the organization they work for.
Experimental Learning- HTM 201
HTM Couches
I could not make it to the Scripps Cottage back to school lunch but I was able to go and sit on the couches for an hour. On September 19, I went and sat on the couches and I could easily say it was very peaceful and relaxing to go there and finish up my upcoming assignments. Unfortunately no students came around but I sat and had a conversation with Mr. Carl Winston, the information he provided me with were very informative and important to know. Mr. Winston told me about the trip he had in Baltimore a few days ago and the different kinds of conferences he attended. He has been in this field for years so going there and hearing the amazing experiences he's had in this industry is very inspiring. The purpose of providing the “couches” to HTM students is to make them realize they can go there and meet other students who are majoring in the same field, ask questions, and learn more about the program. I think having this area for HTM students is very important because it helps them grow as a person, the more you go and sit on the couches and ask questions, the more familiar you will be with the program, students, faculty and staff. In addition, I specifically asked Mr. Winston about internships, he briefly explained all the different kind of internships SDSU has to offer. There are plenty of great opportunities for students to take advantage from and realize what San Diego State University has to offer. The greatest thing I learned today was to get involved and not be afraid to go out there and be yourself.
MESA Board Meeting
This MESA board meeting was nice to learn about because it shows all the different kinds of things that students discuss such as sharing ideas with one another and the various kinds of ways students could improve in this field. In this meeting, the showcase for fall 2016 was mainly being discussed. The team discussed planning the showcase and what to include in it such as decorations, marketing, student organizations, sponsorships, and all the different kinds of things that make a team successful. One thing I learned is to always be organized if you are going to work with the team that decorates, coordinating such a big event like the HTM showcase is not a small event, therefore, detail is a big factor that will make an event successful. The team also discussed how they have to go shopping to get the supplies needed in order to stay on track. One thing that caught my attention is the way that these students think, for example, they mentioned how to pay attention to budget and spend their money wisely. For marketing, they discussed who was going to hand out the flyers, send the emails, etc. In addition, they suggested ways to help students participate in donating money and have multiple kinds of cool and fun raffles! A significant thing I learned from this meeting is communicating with your team, communicating with one another is a super important factor to have successful team members. Another thing I learned is to never procrastinate. For example, the MESA members decided to go shopping to get the supplies for the showcase beforehand in order to plan the event earlier and make sure everything is on track. I loved the fact that these members communicate not only on campus, but outside of campus as well. The MESA team have a group chat specifically for the HTM showcase; not only do they have meetings, but they also message each other anytime for any additional information or questions as well. All in all, I would be interested in participating to plan an HTM event in the future and have an awesome team to work with!
SWOT Analysis
At the beginning of the semester, we completed the SWOT analysis to determine our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The SWOT analysis I completed in the beginning of the semester have not changed in the “weaknesses” area and remained the same in all the other areas. I will use my SWOT analysis for the future as a reference to see what I need to work on to better myself as a person, especially in my academic career.
In my SWOT analysis, I selected “being sensitive, overthink things, a perfectionist, an over analytical person and focusing on pleasing others before myself”. I need to remind myself a few things such as:
1) I can be sensitive, but I shouldn’t be too sensitive to let it affect my personal and academic life.
2) Overthinking things will only expand the actual problem.
3) I do not have to a perfectionist, completing my work will be enough.
4) Over analyzing things will create a problem even if there isn’t one from the first place.
5) I need to always please myself before others because that will help me succeed. Success always starts with YOU.
As a student, a healthy mind is very necessary, therefore, those five points relate to my career goals in many different ways. For example, if I overthink things in a class I’m doing good in, it may create a false imagine in my head, therefore, I would tell myself there is something wrong when in reality, there isn’t. Another example would be being sensitive. In this industry, I am going to meet people who might have different personalities than my own, therefore, I cannot let myself become sensitive over small situations and let it affect me. Avoiding these five main points will help me succeed academically and as a person in general. Event planning requires effort and determination, therefore, if I want to continue pursuing this career I have to consider all those facts.
There are many different opportunities I, as a student could definitely take advantage from. Although I may have a job at a hotel right now, I can always apply for other/higher positions and see what goes next. At the end of the day, I will only know if I take a chance and try. I also live near SDSU, which means there are plenty of hotels surrounded around me.
The school of HTM offers many different opportunities for their students and truly care about their future careers. They are also many different resources for students that could help them succeed and I definitely need to take more advantage of that. I am super proud that I have found my passion and I cannot wait to keep pursuing it!
