\n\t\t<\/aside>\nBusiness junior Viveca Henry, REC\u2019s co-president, told The Daily she hoped the conference would address issues on the lack of opportunities for U-M students who are interested in careers in entertainment and film.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cInitially, when coming to the conclusion that we wanted to create this conference, it was because there was a hole in the market,\u201d Henry said. \u201cWe thought (the University) wasn\u2019t doing enough to bring film here, and we really wanted to put (the University) on the map as a place for companies, for the creative and non-creative roles all related to film, to recruit students.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
To prepare for the event, Henry said the REC team strived to recruit local film and entertainment professionals that would allow students to learn directly from those working in the industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur strategy was, \u2018Who is in Michigan, who\u2019s already here that we don\u2019t have to fly out?\u2019\u201d Henry said. \u201cWe researched different professors and different people that worked at the University. Second, it was, \u2018Who\u2019s an alumni that would have the means or would have the incentive to fly out here?\u2019 Talking to professors (and) talking to the film commissioner of the state of Michigan was actually one of the biggest helps in connecting us to people because she knew things going on in the state.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After listening to the speaker panels, Music, Theatre & Dance junior Molly Weisberg told The Daily she felt the conference provided her with information directly relevant to her future career aspirations.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\n\u201cI\u2019m very interested in learning more about the entertainment industry, network, grow and hopefully have some job in this industry, either as a performer or administrative services or a producer,\u201d Weisberg said. \u201cI found this conference very interesting because a lot of the topics that they\u2019ve been talking about so far have been really tailored to the field that I want to go into.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Weisberg told The Daily she had felt especially inspired when listening to Foster speak.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was very inspiring to know that someone just like us, who\u2019s in school right now, can also achieve those goals,\u201d Weisberg said. \u201cIt was also really reassuring to have successful people understand how important it is to take risks, because in the field that we currently are, we take risks all the time. My biggest takeaway is how important it is to just keep trying and keep putting yourself out there and take every opportunity that you think would be best fit for you.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Henry said the REC team is working to host more events in the future and is excited to bring more opportunities to students.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have big things in store,\u201d Henry said. \u201cWe think that no matter your background, no matter your major, you will be able to draw something from our conference. We\u2019re building a community, not just at the (University), but in the state of Michigan. Our visions aren\u2019t just sticking to (the Business School), it\u2019s for the greater Ann Arbor initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n