By Corey Boice

“When you go to a networking event, you walk in with a hot list,” proclaims Elisabeth Marino, President of Sales Best Practices Consultant at Sales Dynamo LLC, over the cacophony of conversations in the room during cocktail hour of the Buffalo Niagara Sales and Marketing Executive (BNSME) CEO Round Table event.

A hot list is something that one would throw together before heading to an event like this about making connections and networking. As an example, if an individual decides that she wants to add marketing to her hot list, it would be imperative that she find someone who works in marketing to network and make a connection with. In general, at this

In general, at this event, there were several conversations happening about the attendees’ businesses that they were representing, personal topics such as family–if the individuals really knew one another from past BNSME events–and several conversations that indicated that a new connection was being formed over the exchange of business cards.

Phi Beta Lamba members had the opportunity to enjoy this event through their club. The venue for the event was The Westin Buffalo, located at 250 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, New York. The Westin Buffalo was constructed in about eighteen months and looks amazing. From their public lobby, to their private quarters, The Westin Buffalo has it all.The Westin Buffalo was constructed through the Uniland Development Company, and they had a representative that attended the event as well. Jill Pawlik is a senior marketing manager at Uniland Development Company and was very excited to have the event at the hotel her company constructed. When asked how she felt about the event, Pawlik had this to said, “We are fortunate in the Buffalo Niagara Region to have so many reputable CEOs who are very generous with their time.”

The Westin Buffalo was constructed through the Uniland Development Company, and they had a representative that attended the event as well. Jill Pawlik is a senior marketing manager at Uniland Development Company and was very excited to have the event at the hotel her company constructed. When asked how she felt about the event, Pawlik had this to said, “We are fortunate in the Buffalo Niagara Region to have so many reputable CEOs who are very generous with their time and sharing their experiences and their leadership advice with us. It is actually quite difficult to narrow down the list of who we are going to ask, and we are very fortunate this year that we have the panel that we have, which I think represents a good cross-section between CEOs who have been in the community for a really long time, like Rhonda and Nancy Ware, and then some younger CEOs such as David Nasca and J. P. Bak.”

After the attendees had settled down from the cocktail hour and were seated at their tables, the main event began. The BNSME revealed highlights, such as money raised at a past event and the new members who had just recently joined the BNSME group. After all the awards were handed out, the salad and entrée were brought out for the attendees. Once everyone was done eating, the question and answer part of the event started with the CEOs being brought up on stage. The CEOs that the group picked previously before the event were J.P. Bak from BAK USA Technologies Corp, Rhonda Frederick from People Inc., David Nasca from Evans Bank, N.A., and Nancy Ware, EduKids Inc. Although there were many questions asked of the CEOs, the one that stood out the most was what is the single most important thing that is required of a leader. J.P. Bak responded with

After dinner, the question and answer part of the event started with the CEOs being brought up on stage. The CEOs that the group picked were J. P. Bak from BAK USA Technologies Corp; Rhonda Frederick from People Inc.; David Nasca from Evans Bank, N.A.; and Nancy Ware, EduKids Inc. Although there were many questions asked of the CEOs, the one that stood out the most was what is the single most important thing that is required of a leader. For Bak, it’s fact-finding; Frederick, compassion; Nasca, communication; and Ware, adaptability. All of their responses were great, but what made each of them stand out was that each quality is not only an important attribute of a leader, but also corresponded with each responder’s industry.

The event, as a whole, was a great opportunity both attendees and students. The members got to talk to individuals in the fields that they are majoring in. This allows students to set up possible internships in the future, get a first-hand look into what the job requires, and make a connection with someone who can later be a possible reference in the business world.

If anyone is interested in learning more about to participate in events like this, feel free to contact the Phi Beta Lambda President, Lauren Carlin, or the advisor, Amanda Recio. Follow Phi Beta Lambda on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!