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by Yogi Paturu -
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In August 2018, North Carolina State University (NCSU) Student Chapter commenced the new year with 157 new member sign-ups at their annual Welcome Back Picnic. Imagine two trays of barbecue, 10 pounds of potato salad, and 250 pieces of fried chicken laid out in the Court of Carolinas (pictured above). It’s no mystery how this draws a crowd of freshmen and sophomores.
Even more events this year
Corporate dinners, including the Welcome Back Picnic, are a staple of NCSU events. If you think their typical 15 corporate dinners are impressive, this year they are having 25 — in addition to other corporate events like plant tours and info sessions. “Our VP of Industry Relations, Rosalynn Phan, has an incredible work ethic,” applauds Elton Luong, Vice President at NCSU. “She’s been doing an incredible job!”
The VP of Industry Relations’s job starts in the summer by contacting companies to schedule events. Once company contributions and Chapter expectations are set, the details are worked out as the event date nears.
With long-standing corporate relationships, some events have signature sponsors. “We can’t pull off the Welcome Back Picnic without Albemarle,” explained Elton. “They’ve been the corporate sponsor since I was a freshman here.” Albemarle sends three to four representatives and pays for the barbecue and raffle items (e.g., YETI cooler, iPad). The leadership team advertises heavily up to the day of the picnic by making class announcements, putting up flyers, and distributing newsletters.
As one of their best-attended events, the Welcome Back Picnic gives the leadership team a strong morale boost. With its momentum propelling them into the year and a deep-rooted network of corporate partnerships, the team is set up for success in the year.