Posts Tagged ‘Business Around Us’
Vancouver Celebration of Light: A Big Business
Posted by: ryan-schmidt in Student Life on July 28th, 2010
Every year near the end of July, Vancouver experiences a 4-day fireworks spectacle that rivals most international fireworks competitions. Since 1990, the residents of Vancouver and the Metro Vancouver have been able to look forward to this incredible show, as they line the beaches, parks, and hills that surround Vancouver’s English Bay to catch the show. As a matter of fact, it brings nearly half a million people, from all over Vancouver’s Lower Mainland (Metro Vancouver, 2010 Est. population 2.7M). The fact of the matter is that for retail businesses in the West End, English Bay, and Kitsilano, the fireworks mean a huge boost in sales. Further, corporate sponsorship of the event changed drastically in 2008 when HSBC withdrew as the principal sponsor, forcing the event to look at a multiple sponsor model.
While for most students of SFU Graduate Business these four shows spread over two weeks mean four nights off and some great entertainment, others see it as an opportunity to have something in common with a local Vancouver business. The Vancouver Celebration of Light is sponsored by companies such as The Keg, London Drugs, HSBC, Concord Pacific, FCV (an up and coming interactive agency), BC Hydro, and the YVR airport. With such an impressive sponsor line-up (these are BIG BC businesses) it would be wise for a newly minted MBA student to get involved as a volunteer with the logistics and organization of such a huge event. The SFU Business’ Career Management Centre highly encourages volunteer involvement with local events and charities. This is one of the easier ways to gain exposure and come across as a hard worker in the eyes of potential hiring managers.
Another example of a great event to get involved with is the Vancouver Canary Derby. The Canary Derby is a soapbox race, held in Burnaby’s Deer Lake Park, that raises money for research toward early cancer detection. The race teams consist of local Vancouver companies, many of which are in growth phases and rapidly hiring staff. The extra exposure in a volunteer situation may just give someone that boost of a familiar face once the interview comes. For others it may provide an interview opportunity where one might not have previously existed. To read more about the Canary Derby or get involved you can visit the Official Canary Derby Site. I also encourage you to read this past post by A Few Good Minds MBA Blog.
Ambush Marketing: Do They Teach This Stuff at Biz School?
Posted by: ryan-schmidt in Student Life on July 13th, 2010
We live in a world where organizations pay billions of dollars to have their logo front and centre during the most watched sporting event of all time (The FIFA World Cup). For the most part, this money is well spent, especially when you’re a company that will see a million-dollar plus revenue boost with as little as a single percentage in market-share increase. These are companies like Adidas and Nike, Budweiser (Anheuser Busch InBev) and Miller (SABMiller), or Microsoft and Apple. For smaller companies looking for a big increase in sales, events like the super-bowl, world-cup, and the Olympics are out of financial reach for prime sponsorship coverage; enter ambush marketing. Depicted in the video above, several beautiful women with the promotional colors and logo of a small Dutch brewery called Bavaria NV dance, strip, and get escorted from the stadium by police… Sounds odd until you learn that Budweiser is an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup, and these girls were getting a lot of attention. This is the definition of ambush marketing, and like the guy that strips down naked and streaks across the field with the web address for an online gambling casino, it can receive a lot of attention. The SFU MBA Program in Vancouver has two professors that are particularly interested in this type of marketing, so much so that they’ve published a paper about it. Read the rest of this entry »
Tips for Sustainable Business Planning
Posted by: Jessica Oman in Sustainability on May 14th, 2010
More than just a buzzword, sustainable business is going to become the norm. It has to. Every business has a social, an environmental, and an economic impact. To remain profitable all companies have to focus on sustainability, however the choose to define it.
If your company is interested in being more sustainable, you must first choose what aspect of sustainability – social, environmental, or economic – is most important to the business. Then, choose a pathway that is realistic and achievable. Sustainability activities, like any business activity, should be carefully planned, appropriately implemented, and regularly assessed, or it won’t be successful. So, set goals, create deadlines, and stick to them to gain credibility in the eyes of both internal and external stakeholders. Read the rest of this entry »
Avatar for MBA’s – A Graduate Business Perspective of Ethics and Sustainability
Posted by: ryan-schmidt in Student Life, Sustainability on February 17th, 2010
“If you set your goals ridiculously high and it’s a failure, you will fail above everyone else’s success.” – James Cameron
I’ll do my best not to spoil the movie, however if you haven’t seen it, do so… today. How I view Avatar is a great example of how the MBA has changed the way I perceive and think about the world around me. Beyond the classes specifically devoted to topics of social responsibility and ethics, most every class in the SFU MBA program, from Finance to Graduate Marketing, addresses these important issues. Read on for a brief look at how the Ethics and Sustainability sections of SFU’s Full-time MBA effected my analysis of the movie. Read the rest of this entry »
Graduate Business MBA and Your Personal Brand – Authenticity
Posted by: ryan-schmidt in MBA Experience, Student Life on February 10th, 2010
This post is part-one of a multi-part series from the international branding expert Christof Appel. Christof was born and raised in South Africa, and has been consulting with individuals and groups on their online brands for over 5 years. In this series Christof will write about personal branding techniques which can be used by current and soon-to-be Graduate Business students.
Students at SFU’s Graduate Business School have the unique ability to be involved with his “Mastermind” program. This is an elite group selected to be involved in an ongoing online workshop with Christof, building their own personal online brands. As newly minted Graduate Business students in Vancouver, this online presence is critical for networking and job seeking. Be sure to read Christof’s first article below, and feel free to comment or email for more detail. Read the rest of this entry »
Podcasts for MBAs (Not Just Graduate Business)
Posted by: MBAStudent in Student Life on February 8th, 2010
Long commute to B-school? These Podcasts will help pass the time. Best of all, you’ll arrive a little smarter and be warmed up for the day’s MBA learning experience. Below are a series of links that will take you to podcast “channels” suited well to graduate business students, or anyone keenly interested in business.
Many of these Podcasts can be listened to and easily understood buy non-business students.
BC Hydro MPID Program – Lindsay’s Second Management Rotation
Posted by: Lindsay Angelo in Student Life on February 5th, 2010
A crucial element to the MPID program is the field rotation, a rotation that exposes you to the bare bones of BC Hydro, which is of course the generation of electricity. Although we have an array of functional areas at Hydro, generation is the core of what we do. For this reason, it is important to learn as much as possible in the MPID “field rotation”.
My field rotation at Burrard Generating Station was one-of-a-kind. I spent these precious months familiarizing myself with operational processes at the Plant while trying to learn how a Thermal Plant actually operates. My project portfolio included developing several tools to help the Plant better prepare for major outages (where the Plant will shut certain equipment down in order to perform work). This project was aimed at improving workplace safety and reducing risk. Read the rest of this entry »
BC Hydro MPID Program – Lindsay’s 1st Management Rotation
Posted by: Lindsay Angelo in MBA Experience, Student Life on February 3rd, 2010
Having worked in business for the majority of my career and as a newcomer to BC Hydro, I was unsure what to expect entering a rotation in Engineering, Aboriginal Relations and Generation. In general, since I had just finished my MBA, I had was excited and nervous to begin my career here in Vancouver. Would this new graduate business degree make a significant difference in my post-mba job? I was pleasantly surprised at the diversity of experiences I gained during this rotation. From managing a $3.3 million Capital project to developing an Organizational Impact Assessment for a large project aimed at improving Project Delivery practices and processes, I wore many hats in this role – each one an entirely different style and colour! I was fortunate to work with two amazing project teams and a manager who provided mentorship, coaching and overall, a great introduction to BC Hydro. Read the rest of this entry »