The Commerce Times

Ted Rogers Memorial Conference Day 1

The Ryerson University Commerce Society (RCS) hosted its first Ted Rogers Memorial Conference, from the 4^thto the 6^th of March in the Delta Chelsea Hotel and the Ted Rogers School of management. It was the first national conference ever to be held with Ryerson’s school of management. The conference had over 100 student delegates from universities all across Canada.

This conference had been in the works for many months and was approved and made official in October of 2009.

A number of keynote speakers, shows and social events were held at the conference to commemorate Ted Rogers’ contributions to Canadian business. The theme of the conference was TED, which stood for Taking Risks, Embracing innovation and Defying the status quo. The goal of the conference was also to teach entrepreneurial, leadership and management skills to current business students and alumni.

The Churchill Banquet Hall of the Delta Chelsea Hotel was filled with students from across the country ready to witness and participate in a conference that would alter the way they forever functioned in the business world. Students from Simon Frasier, Carleton University, Queens University, Wilfred Laurier University, University of Western Ontario, Concordia University, and the University of Alberta excitedly filled the seats as the first keynote speaker of the three-day event, Donna Messer, was about to take stage. Messer, President of Connect Us, is an expert on the teachings of networking. She has spoken in front of thousands of revering employees, including those of the Government of Canada, TD Price Waterhouse, Rogers, and Bell Canada.

“My hope is that they [students] keep doing the face to face practice of networking, and to remember ‘ not me, but we’” said Messer.

As she took centre stage  and introduced herself, her colorful glasses, gentle brown eyes, and bright smile welcomed the crowd into her world of friendly networking.

Her interactive approach to teaching students how to properly introduce themselves, the etiquette involved in exchanging business cards, and the “not me, but we” system of networking. Messer stressed the idea that the students in attendance are “as equally important and as valuable as the speakers.” She encouraged students to exchange business cards during her speech, while emphasizing that knowing as many people as you can will ultimately place opportunities right inside your pocket.

Messer focused on keeping her information current and pertinent to the students involved teaching them that “being a risk taker is about standing up and saying what you want,” and “an entrepreneur cannot succeed unless they have a team.” She concluded the evening with her methodology of networking, as it’s not simply just an art, but a science as well with the introduction of the W3: Who are you? , What do you need? and What are you willing to share?

Of course, even a business savvy expert such as herself couldn’t have started off at the top.

“The best advice I have was from family. My family always listened and they said, sounds good, now how are you going to do it,” said Messer.

She emphasized that having people in her life that simply listened to her ideas was the key to her innovative mind, and that networking isn’t a one size fits all method either. For the more timid business students, Messer recommends the following advice:

“Get the other person to be the movie. Ask the other person questions and let the other person make the moves.”

She suggests that it’s better that they spend their time listening, as this is also critical in networking.

As her time on stage came to an end, students felt challenged and accountable for their conduct, leaving them to focus on being intentional in how they present themselves.

Kim Chen, a fourth-year Human Resource student at Ryerson University, agreed that the speakers were wonderful.

“They gave practical advice that you can really apply. I’m walking away with the knowledge of the power of networking,” said Chen.