April 20, 2011

Drucker Career Road Trip 2011: Las Vegas

Over the recent Spring Break, The Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito School of Management gathered a group of 14 students for the School’s first ever Drucker Career Road Trip. The trip, which took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, was aimed at giving Drucker students insight into a diverse array of career paths.

Throughout the four-day Career Trip, students from The Drucker School had the opportunity to learn about a wide variety of careers from seasoned professionals. Students interested in marketing and operations had the opportunity to hear from Drucker alumnus Mr. Dan Stark ‘92, Vice President for Corporate Marketing for Boyd Gaming.

Those interested in arena management heard from Darren Davis, the Executive Director of the Orleans Arena, and sports management enthusiasts heard from Billy Johnson, President of the Las Vegas Wranglers hockey team. Those interested in government were privileged to speak to Karen Coyne, Chief Officer for Public Safety for the city of Las Vegas, while future entrepreneurs received great advice from Lincoln Spoor, Chief Executive Officer of Westward Dough, LLC., a franchisee of Krispy Kreme and other food chains.

Students interested in arts management were not left out, as the trip also contained a visit with Clark-County Museum Administrator and Curator, Mark Hall-Patton, who spoke about museum management.

Additionally, students enjoyed tours of the McCarran Airport and Zappos.com. During these tours, students gained valuable insights into public affairs and marketing management, as well as corporate social responsibility and corporate culture management. Besides enjoying Fremont Street and the Strip, students also were treated to a Wranglers Hockey game in a VIP Suite.

Overall, students were pleased with the trip, calling it “both entertaining and enlightening!” Others stated that the trip hosted a “great selection & variety of speakers” who taught them that the key to success was “continuous learning and always challenging yourself.” Finally, one student said “not only did I have a great time with classmates in Las Vegas, I got to meet some very important people whom I plan on contacting for career advice.”
The positive feedback from students has undoubtedly resonated with the Drucker administration, which is currently planning a similar road trip next year.