Inside BT: Expanding a 300 Student Conference into the Digital Realm

The International Conference is one of Business Today's oldest programs and is in its 46th year of operation. During this episode, we chat with Felipe Bickenbach, the Director of this year's conference, on his experience transforming the flagship event into a weeklong digital event to serve three hundred students across the globe.

Description

The International Conference is one of Business Today's oldest programs and is in its 46th year of operation. During this episode, we chat with Felipe Bickenbach, the Director of this year's conference, on his experience transforming the flagship event into a weeklong digital event to serve three hundred students across the globe. Felipe shares the challenges and tribulations he encountered while also providing advice for students thinking about hosting digital events themselves. Inside BT is a series that was launched to reflect on how Business Today, a nonprofit that's entirely run by undergraduates, has adapted to the new digital normal created by COVID.

Time Stamps

00:00 - 00:53: Felipe speaks about how he first became involved in BT, and what he’s doing right now in the organization.
00:53 - 2:53: His two main goals for the IC: how he wants the IC to impact people’s lives from all over the world, and to expand on the international component of the conference.
2:53 - 4:23: Initial reactions to having a digital conference in the fall
4:23 - 5:46: Brainstorming with the team how to restructure BT’s strategy and goals for the new IC
5:46 - 8:13: Process of changing gears quickly; trying to integrate the most meaningful parts of an in-person conference into a virtual one
8:13 - 9:33: Choosing to rethink the whole IC; brainstorming and researching other similar programs
9:33 - 11:23: What excites Felipe the most about hosting this virtual IC in the fall, and what makes the IC so practical and impactful to student conference attendees