NMGZ New York Trip

The National Millennial and Gen Z Community is a community that helps break down stereotypes of our generation, giving students an opportunity to get a step in the door and

understand more about PR, advertising and marketing, meeting with big brands like Amazon and NBC, and allowing college students to talk to people who have made it big in the industry. The NMGZ community is not just a professional development conference; It is a network bonded by business, culture, food, and shared experiences.

Business

The days were filled with boardrooms and presentations, and meetings with teams like Ogilvy, IW Group, Integral, Prudential, NBCUniversal, and Sylvain. The Ogilvy team went through past commercial campaigns, like CeraVe with Michael Cera … Ve, being a commercial not meant for the Super Bowl, but its response was so good that it was shown during Super Bowl LVIII. Sylvain was teaching us about standing with morals while choosing clients, understanding that sometimes your client will change their identity. That client may not align with your team goingforward, and that is OK because not everyone is a fit. These meetings are filled with people who excelled in positions that students dream of: senior vice president, chief executive, founder, and many more.

Lessons

The biggest lesson that we heard over and over is that you do not have to know who you are or what you are going to do right now. Many of the speeches told us about them graduating and going into a field that had nothing to do with their current position. They showed us that sometimes you have to live and learn, figuring out who you are as you go about your day and doing your best to be the best wherever you are.

When sitting in the meeting with NBCUniversal, we spoke with their Sr. director Sandy Sharp. One piece of advice we got from her was to know what is in your tea bag. When the water begins to boil and you are having to deal with the situation. What will leak out of you, will you be calm and controlled or will you panic. Knowing the tea bags of the people on your tea will help you when a crisis hits and you have to rely on others. Knowing you can lean on your team that is calm, organized, and prepared makes all the difference.

People & Experiences

Looking around the boardroom, it was filled with people who thrived in their positions. Yet I am not only talking about our speakers but also the other students — students who come from every background. Students from France, Germany, Thailand, New Mexico, Mississippi, New Jersey, and many other places. People who had no reason to come together, no reason to be friends. Yet when placed in the right place at the right time, a network of like-minded individuals comes together to experience the joys of NMGZ. A group of students who once never crossed paths, but now they know they are one call away. Knowing you have a trusted group of individuals all over the world who you can count on is something not many have. NMGZ gives us this opportunity, making connections with future internships or employers — and best of all, connections with people who you spent four days around and will remember for more to come.

Conclusion

Looking back at what NMGZ made possible: dancing in New York City at a karaoke bar till midnight; going to a Broadway show; random shopping sprees; getting lost in the subway; late-night walks; amazing food; and getting to see the NYC rats. So, to anyone who gets an opportunity to go on a trip with National Millennial and Gen Z, please go. It’s something that you will never forget.

If you haven't already, check out our previous blog post!