Portola Business Club held its fourth annual student-led mini-conference on Oct. 21 in the Student Union, which attracted approximately 70 attendees from Irvine High and Portola High. The conference exposed students to different aspects of business, from marketing to entrepreneurship, according to conference head and senior Richard Guo.
The conference began with an introduction ceremony and then transitioned into roleplay, according to attendee and sophomore Blayze Borroto. Students played the role of either business marketer or manager and created business proposals to present in front of the judges. Following the roleplay session, students took a 50-question multiple choice test assessing basic business functions and entrepreneurship, according to Borroto.
“I actually had a lot of fun at the conference because I got to hang out with friends and learn more about what it would be like to compete in a business setting,” Borroto said. “I just really enjoyed working with my partner and figuring out how to problem-solve.”
The conference planning process began at the start of the school year and required a “multi-month effort” from a team of 20 students, according to business teacher and club advisor Katherine Dillon. Students were entirely in charge of the process, from organizing events to collecting funds, according to Dillon.
“I really hope that students value that experience of being able to present and communicate to an adult in a professional manner,” Dillon said. “Besides just learning specific business topics, it’s really good to just get those interpersonal speaking skills, and the communication skills, and the confidence to talk to somebody you’ve never talked to before on the spot.”
The purpose of the conference was to give students the opportunity to explore business and spread awareness of its applicability to the real world, according to Guo.
“If you just look around, the world is full of business, right?” Guo said. “Whether that be tech industries, restaurants, your internet, wi-fi, just run by businesses. And so, I feel like it was important to understand how stuff around you works.”
As the conference head, Guo assigned experienced students to lead event categories in order to help novice attendees succeed. He was also in charge of keeping time as it was necessary to adhere to a strict schedule, according to Guo.
“It was a lot of stress, but I did enjoy working together with a lot of people in order to meet the quick deadlines that we had to do during the actual event,” Guo said. “So, that was my favorite part as my role.”
In future competitions, business club members hope to invite guest speakers and offer presentation opportunities, as well as host prototype and marketing competitions, according to Dillon.
