Business & Management

DCTC 2011 Commencement Ceremony

Tuesday, July 12, 2011 | by Rosealee Lee

Making it Real – Making It Happen

Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) staff and members of the MPI-DCTC Student Club collaborated to produce DCTC’s 2011 Commencement Ceremony. Ten members of the MPI-DCTC Student Club were appointed to key roles in production of this approximate 3,000 person event. They were generously assisted by student, Anna Voight.

Shown here from L to R:

Rose Lindquist, Lobby Greeter Coordinator
Brittany Scott, Faculty Line-Up Coordinator
Cara Tuenge, Director
Denise Bauer, Stage Set-Up & Assistance Coordinator,
Dawn Nelson, Director
Katie Johnson, Graduate Check in Coordinator

Not shown: Starr Briggs, Production Script Coordinator; Rachel Lund, Student Usher Coordinator; Christina McCracken, Main Floor Usher Coordinator; Julie Retzer, Graduate Line-Up Coordinator; Anna Voight, Float

Each of the students learned first-hand about the “Rule of 50” discussed in coursework. Hospitality professionals, whether they are meeting planner, venue convention service, audio-visual contractor, set-up crew, restaurant host or server, bartender, hotel desk attendance, bell staff, or in the case of this Commencement held at Treasure Island Event Center, one of the casino staff, we all learn the rule. It goes something like this: “Whenever more than 50 people gather in one location, something will be a challenge that needs handling.” After all, if not for the “Rule of 50”, many hospitality professionals would be out of work.

The students orchestrated a great event and employed many concepts learned in the Meeting and Event Management AAS program. Flow diagrams came to life, meeting specifications became their foundation for success. Guest service techniques were employed and with approximately 3,000 attending guests, risk management knowledge was applied. Building relationship with the DCTC staff, venue and other vendors via professional communication methods were integral to the project’s success. ROO (Return on Objectives) became more than just a theory. These dedicated students put to good use the knowledge that many “R”s “live” in ROO “Land”. Terms such as ROI, ROR, ROL and ROA were rooted in the Commencement as they are in just about every event produced.

Adding to this year’s challenge was the utilization of a venue not previously booked for the Commencement. Treasure Island Event Center got high marks for great space and knowledgeable staff with a “make it happen” attitude. Since “make it happen” is also DCTC’s philosophy, this was a team to be proud of! Thank you to DCTC for making real experience happen for these students. When we as academicians can provide educational AND experiential opportunity, our marks go up as well.

All members of the MPI-DCTC Student Club are also members of Meeting Professionals International (MPI). MPI is committed to positioning meetings and events as a key strategic component of an organization’s success. For more on MPI, check out the following links: