After having lived abroad in Nigeria, Norway, and now Canada, I have come to appreciate the impact of international issues on the local economy. As a student of business, nothing excites me more than to listen to world-class speakers discussing pertinent issues related to the challenges of international business, and to see the concepts taught in the classroom played out by multinational corporations on the global stage. Indeed, the strength of the International Business Conference is in connecting business students to the real world of business – giving students the opportunity to interact with industry professionals and hear about their experiences. With conference themes ranging from Strategies for Asia to the Olympics, IBC is constantly being tailored to the shifting trends of today. This variety and its relevance to my business career is what attracts me to this conference and, hopefully, what attracts the rest of the student body as well.

In order to create a theme that will attract the attention of both students and business delegates, I decided to take something relatable and simple and prove that it can be a complex decision for business professionals. Inspired by my International Business course, I chose the theme Leading a Global Brand, in which we can explore the fine balance between standardization and adaptation when an organization expands its products or services internationally. As consumers of many products, students can directly connect to the issue at hand; and for business professionals, they are given insights into the thought-process of these firms’ decisions.

I encourage you to make the decision today to join us this November in IBC 2009. Make the impact and know your world.

Sincerely yours,
Melissa Mills, Chairperson, IBC 2009