Learning by Simulation

A major project that I still remember fondly is the Event Simulation project, where we are provided a prompt from an imaginary client to host a business function. I loved this assignment because it was not just about logistics – we were provided a budget and a venue to actually execute the event! With a team of four, we were partnered with one industry professional who observed our every step and would provide us a thorough evaluation after the event. Our team was fortunate enough to have been assigned Michael Vaughn, Executive Chef at Omni San Diego.

 

While some details were already set with the prompt, we still had to choose a theme and itinerary for the event. During the brainstorming process, we also assessed each other’s strengths and considered how we could leverage each individual’s expertise to our advantage. We also had to be creative with such a limited budget and eventually had to choose what aspects of the event we can afford to sacrifice without taking away from the guest experience. As with any event, execution was not exactly as planned (we had some difficulty with crowd control), but we learned the art of going with the flow. It was the closest experience I had to generating an event from scratch and working with the finer details of planning that I had not even considered in the past (such as client communication plans, event scorecards, and post-event follow-up activities to name a few).

 

However, what truly sets this project apart for me is its impact beyond the assignment. Our team bonded with Chef Vaughn; and not only did we make a close industry connection, we were fortunate enough to be toured around the Omni San Diego by the general manager himself and personally served lunch by Chef Vaughn. A few weeks later, one of our teammates started working at the Omni per Chef Vaughn’s recommendation. It demonstrated to me how impactful it is to form and maintain genuine connections within this industry.