At Quinnipiac University’s G.A.M.E. Forum, students from a variety of colleges and universities have the chance to speak with Tom Keene (right), editor-at-large at Bloomberg News.
AT MANY BUSINESS schools, students have
a chance to attend conferences where
they mingle with industry professionals
and gain insights into best practices in
the fields they might like to enter. But
there’s something different about the
Global Asset Management Education
(G.A.M.E.) Forum hosted by Quinnipiac
University of Hamden, Connecticut: It’s
almost wholly run by students.
The three-day event is held annually
in New York City and features leaders
from the investment and financial
services industries. In spring 2019,
about 1,600 students, faculty, and
professionals participated in the ninth
G.A.M.E. conference. The students, who
came from 154 schools in 50 countries,
had a chance to hear 148 professionals
who served as speakers, panelists, and
presenters. And 40 student volunteers
made the whole thing happen.
“The G.A.M.E. Forum provides an excellent
opportunity for business and finance
students from around the world to
come together near Wall Street and gain
insight from top industry professionals,”
says Osman Kilic, professor, chair of
finance, and managing director of the
forum. “G.A.M.E. also provides excellent
opportunities for students to network
and explore the career opportunities
that await them when they graduate.”
Participants spend a year planning
each G.A.M.E. conference. As faculty
director, Kilic consults with industry
professionals to choose the speakers
and work with the chair of the Student
Oversight Committee to build the team
of volunteers. But many other tasks fall
to students, who are assigned to committees
that handle seven key functions:
Student outreach gets in touch with
business club leaders at other schools to
tell them about the G.A.M.E. conference
and encourage their students to attend.
Registration creates and distributes
the conference packets, which include
the event’s program, and issues name
badges and credentials.
Logistics sets up conference rooms,
works with exhibitors, and places directional
signs at the hotel.
VIP relations attends to speakers’
needs, maintains the keynote ready room,
and makes sure sessions run smoothly.
Breakout kicks into gear on the
second and third day of the conference,
when students leave the main auditorium
and reconvene in small intensive
sessions. At any one time, there can be as
many as a dozen concurrent sessions.
Competition manages the judged
portfolio submissions, which are recognized
at the Networking and Awards
Ceremony on the second day of the event.
Public relations runs the conference’s
extensive social media presence
and student-to-student marketing work.
Students are assigned to committees
based on their preferences and expertise.
Within the committees, jobs are
awarded via a merit system—the more
committed students prove to be, the
more assignments they get. Sought-after
tasks, such as hosting the ready room
and introducing high-profile keynote
speakers, go to students who have been
volunteering for several years.
While students work hard to make
G.A.M.E. succeed, they also enjoy many
benefits. First, they get real-world logistical
experience running a large event,
which helps them develop team leadership
and project management skills.
They get a chance to talk with industry
leaders one-on-one before events and
engage them in the Q&A sessions held
after each panel, and they are exposed
to critical thinking from top members
of the financial community. Finally, student
volunteers are able to use G.A.M.E.
as a résumé builder, because involvement
in the conference demonstrates
initiative, commitment, and persistence.
Faculty who accompany the students
to New York for the conference also
come away with insights into the latest
on-the-ground thinking in the financial
community, and they incorporate these
insights into their teaching.
Organizers once worried that
students might skip the conference to
enjoy some of New York City’s tempting
distractions, but say it never happens.
Students remain committed to putting
on a high-quality event—and preparing
themselves for careers in business.
The 10th G.A.M.E. Forum at Quinnipiac
will be held March 26–28, 2020. Learn more.