The Seminole Campus hosted the second annual SPC’s Arts & Entertainment Event drawing in 30 guests, including faculty and students from SPC’s arts disciplines.  Speed Networking is a fast pace activity designed to engage participants by using key questions to encourage conversation and collaboration.

This type of networking works well with all disciplines but has proven to be extremely popular among students in the arts and entertainment field. Attendees sign-in and are randomly assigned to a table where they meet their first group of collaborators. All participants in the event are given one question to trigger professional conversation and promote their respective interest and career goals. And the clock starts ticking! At the sound of the bell – all participants scatter to their next table and start with a new question and a new group. The energy of the group builds – as does the noise.

Faculty engagement in the process provides an opportunity for faculty to learn about their students at a deeper level.  Barbara Hubbard, Chair of Digital Arts program, states “this event was so engaging…it offered us the ability to network and connect on so many different levels….you really “get it’ as its happening.”

Outcomes from the event include a more concrete understanding of the importance of networking and as in this case – the result of a job.

David James, husband of Gibbs professor Bonnie Kesler, and owner of St. Pete Music Factory, recently thanked me for the opportunity to attend the event.  He informed me that he hired an SPC MIRA student as his newest instructor after networking with him at the event.