An Interview With Simri Bautista - VP of Programs
Simri Bautista is the VP of Programs at UNLV AMA. This past summer, he had the wonderful opportunity to attend Marketing EDGE's 2017 Collegiate Summit in New York City. We at the UNLV AMA had the chance to ask him a few questions about his experience.
Hi Simri! I understand you had the opportunity to travel to New York City last summer for the Marketing EDGE summit. Can you tell me a little bit more about marketing EDGE and the summit you attended?
I indeed was lucky to attend Marketing EDGE’s 2017 Collegiate Summit in New York City. Marketing EDGE is a unique non-profit that's goal is to educate students perusing a career in marketing by providing them information regarding trends and career direction, directly from professionals in the industry. They also develop student’s skill through online courses and workshops. I would like to point out that Marketing EDGE helps students all over the country. Lastly, Marketing EDGE grows students and connects them to companies, firms, and organization with the purpose of helping them be prepared to thrive in their jobs.
The Collegiate Summit is a three-day summit full of guest speakers, workshops, and networking opportunities. The summit brings students from all over the country together with industry leaders and professionals.
And how was the experience? What did you learn?
The experience can be described in one phrase, a “one in a lifetime opportunity”. Not only did I get to experience New York City for the first time, but also got to attend the EDGE awards and meet people that inspired me. I remember the first day of the summit, we did a cruise on the Hudson River, where we saw the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge as the sun was setting, which is one of the most memorable memories of the trip.
I learned so much at the summit. First, I got to learn about exciting new approaches in the marketing industry, such as the future of artificial intelligence and marketing, the rise of content marketing, current polemic surrounding internet marketing and the key of marketing analytics. I also got to develop my skills when it comes to networking etiquette, perfecting the art of a resume and tips on how to grow as a member of the industry. Personally, for me, the biggest take away from the summit was learning that a career path is ever changing and full of opportunities and surprises. Before the summit, I felt lost, with no clear direction on which area of marketing I wanted to go into or how to get there. The experience at the summit gave me direction and reassured me that even though I might not have all the answers I’m on the right path.
Thank you for your time Simri! Lastly, what would you say to anyone thinking about attending the Marketing EDGE summit in the future?
I would tell them that attending the summit would be one of the best decisions in their career, as it had such an impactful influence in me and I’m certain it will have one on them as well.