This was the first professional congress I had ever attended and it opened up a whole new world to me. In reality, I did not know what to expect and my feelings about the trip were mixed. I was nervous yet ecstatic, but most of all I was curious about the entire ordeal. I did not know what kind of people I would meet, nor what experiences I would have. However, I knew that those attending had the same ideas and ambitions as I did, and this reassured me.
The second day of the JADE Spring Meeting started with a session of workshops. The one I attended focused on innovation and how to implement your innovative ideas. As constructive as this was, it was no comparison for the event that took place in the afternoon. After a quick lunch at HUB University, we made our way to the European Parliament where we would spend the remainder of the day. First of all we heard speeches from representatives from a selection of authorities on promoting Innovation and entrepreneurship within the young community of Europe. We were also able to hear form representatives organizations such as Microsoft and the European Commission, therefore gaining n understanding of how this issue is of importance to other large organizations. Following this was the panel discussion on Innovation and entrepreneurship. After a short break we had the opportunity to attend the Excellence Awards presentations where our fellow finalist JE’s advocating their case for their achievements in a variety of areas including “Most Entrepreneurial JE” or “Most International”. Following the EU we had the much anticipated Gala party at Espace 53 to celebrate the award winner and enjoy a nice meal with members of other Junior Enterprises. This day was probably the most challenging of the whole event; however, I felt it was one day that will not be forgotten soon.
This event allowed me to meet people from across Europe and share ideas. Personally, I was able to make network mostly with members from JADE Italy, Portugal, Tunisia, France and Poland. The learning experience alone was what rendered this event memorable, but the instance that stuck with me the most was the last workshop I attended, one on personality profiling. I believe this discipline to have a large role I ones understanding of their strengths and weaknesses and fin it a valuable tool within a company. By attending the workshop I was able to get a clearer understanding of the system on which it operates and its benefits towards both myself and the JE for which I work.
Although the timeframe allowed for little sleep, I believe the event was planned out with great efficiency and accounted for some delay. If I were to change something was to make the gala dinner the last party, to finish it all on a high note (LOL). My experience of JSM has set the bar for the following meetings as changes to learn, grow and network that will not only benefit me personally and professionally but hopefully WBC as well.
Ligia Moreno Soares, Business Consultant
Westminster Business Consultants 