The Buzz of Belonging

When the news broke in my Direct and Interactive Marketing class that I would be one of the seven students representing St. Lawrence College at The Gathering Summit in Banff, Alberta I was excited about something for the first time in many months. All of the hard work had paid off and I could not help but feel proud of myself and my team for getting this opportunity.

As I packed my suitcase months later, it still all felt surreal. The thought that I would be in the presence of some of the most forwarding thinking brands gave me this immense sense of joy. Arriving at the summit was a whole other feeling. The feeling of belonging.

Getting to listen to all of these leaders of brands such as IBM, The North Face, Marvel, and Porsche was both the most surreal and enlightening experience of my entire young life. With each speech I somehow always had pages of notes, encapsulated with peals of wisdom and humour.

Having the experience of helping run a large scale event was a huge rush to the head everyday. Being in the atmosphere of so many groundbreaking individuals was intoxicating, like a drug that you would never want to come down from.

I plan to write more detail on my experience over the summer when I have more time to write. The Gathering was my calling card and I am so happy I picked up.