A Look into My TakeOver Experience
Natalia Zigante
Over 800 attendees, 83 speakers, 3 tracks, 14 innovation topics, 21 sessions and one solid team…this is a recap of my TakeOver experience.
What is TakeOver? TakeOver Innovation Conference hosted by TribalScale, was a one day event held on October 2nd, 2017 that focused on the growth of technology and innovation in three tracks — Human, Economic, and Industry. The conference brought together intelligent minds to explore emerging innovation in our society today.
Behind the Scenes
I joined the TakeOver team about a month before the conference for my second co-op term. Leading to the conference, I was in charge of all speaker logistics, coordinating volunteer information, VIP & Speakers Dinner, keeping track of conference materials, and making sure every document was up to date (and there were lots of them!).
My first week of planning consisted of a small team in a small office. Over the next 4 weeks, we acquired a larger team and a larger office. The marketing team, designers, and sales folks joined forces to tackle tasks and make this conference come to fruition.
My TakeOver Takeaways:
- Anything is possible. It may sound cliche, but it’s true. As long as you have the right mindset and determination, you can accomplish anything. That’s exactly what every member of this team at TribalScale has and it is so motivating to be around everyday.
- Teamwork truly does make the dream work. Having each other’s support and sharing the same vision is what made this conference a success.
- There’s always room for improvement. Wrapping up the conference, we received excellent feedback and constructive criticism for us to consider for future events.
- The little details are what creates the big picture. Attention to detail is key in event planning and something as simple as background music can really make a difference.
- Embrace success, small or big, take in every little win. High five, give yourself a pat on the back, say good job or even hug it out. It makes you feel more motivated to take on the next challenge. Whether it was locking in a new sponsor, filling an empty speaker spot, or ordering new materials — we were excited over all of it.
- Keep exploring innovation. Our world is constantly changing and there is so much to learn.
Lastly,
“Do what you’ll love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life”
This couldn’t be more true. Those late nights at the office, tight deadlines and hurdles one would complain about, I enjoyed every second of it.
What Ruth and the TakeOver team created in only 4 months of planning was incredible. What TribalScale seeks to accomplish, is inspiring. I’m grateful to be part of the Tribe and being part of the first TakeOver Innovation Conference.
Check out more highlights from the conference:
Natalia is a third year student studying Sports and Business at the University of Waterloo. She is working as the Fall 2017 Events Support Intern. Outside of her internship, Natalia is part of the University of Waterloo’s Hyperloop team, Waterloop, for marketing, events and social media.
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