Once again Goizueta played host to a wealth of conferences this school year, drawing students, scholars, and business leaders to campus to discuss engaging and industry-changing ideas. In October, Goizueta hosted “Orchestrating Marketing in a B2B Environment” in conjunction with the Marketing Science Institute. Organized by Sandy Jap, professor of marketing, it brought together more than 60 academics and practitioners from around the world with a shared interest in emerging issues related to business marketing.
In February, the 16th annual Undergraduate Business School Leadership Conference (UBSLC) brought 60 students from 32 different schools around the world to campus. The event is designed to give student leaders the opportunity to share best practices and enhance their leadership development. This year’s conference focused on mission-driven leadership and featured a keynote by Seth Goldman, cofounder and “TeaEO” of Honest Tea. From the outset, his goal was both to create a less-caloric drink and help change the way Americans looked at healthy beverages, and the company has been financially successful by sticking to its mission. Says conference chair Raeesa Chinikamwala 15BBA, “If you really apply your mission, you can have a huge impact on the people around you and within the company.”
Also in February was the 10th annual Diverse Leadership Conference. Yussur Abrar, former first woman governor of the Bank of Somalia, gave the keynote address. She spoke of integrity as a vital characteristic of a good leader. “I was asked to compromise my integrity,” she told the audience, referring to corruption in top government positions. Although she held a prestigious job, she stepped down instead of participating in the corruption. “When you’re faced with an ethical dilemma,” she said, “will you be a part of the system? Or will you—can you—change the system?”
On March 20, the Emory Marketing Analytics Center Spring Conference brought faculty, alumni, and industry experts from companies such as The Weather Company, Bain & Company, AutoTrader, and Cardlytics together to discuss recent trends in marketing analytics. “The annual EmoryMAC Conference is the highlight of our year,” says Manish Tripathi, assistant professor in the practice of marketing and one of the conference organizers. “The analytics center is built on the principle of bringing together—and aligning—students, industry, and rigorous academic research. The conference is an example of this interaction in real time and an opportunity for audiences to network and share best practices.”
