Here You Can Connect: A Networking Night for Sales & Marketing Pros
with NBCUniversal x FindSpark
On Monday, July 23, 2018, FindSpark partnered with NBCUniversal to plan and execute an exclusive networking event, “Here You Can Connect: A Networking Night for Sales & Marketing Pros” at NBCUniversal’s headquarters in New York City.
NBCUniversal was looking to build on its pipeline of diverse, early career candidates who have 3+ years of experience in sales, marketing, or a related field or industry, for roles within the Advertising Sales department and create a positive employer branding experience for Advertising Sales. Additionally, NBCUniversal wanted to provide a professional development opportunity to select high-potential members within NBCUniversal’s Young Professional Network (YPN).
To create a beneficial learning experience for both external candidates and internal team members, the FindSpark team and I:
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Handled the initial screening of external candidates, based on a pre-determined candidate profile by NBCUniversal
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Created an event web page featuring information about the NBCUniversal Advertising Sales and Client Partnerships department and event speakers, and the event attendee application process: findspark.com/nbc-admix-ypn
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Promoted NBCUniversal to FindSpark’s community of 30,000+ members and FindSpark Educator community of 6,000+ subscribers via email marketing campaigns
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Published two dedicated branded blog articles featuring NBCUniversal on FindSpark.com
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Advertised the event on FindSpark’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn handles before, during and after the event
Additionally, NBCUniversal’s Talent Acquisition team selected six high-potential Advertising Sales team members to sit on a panel and share professional development and career insights.
The Results: FindSpark exceeded its program goal of curating 30+ external event attendees, who connected with NBCUniversal employees to learn more about careers in advertising sales and be considered for future openings.
The event met/exceeded the expectations of 100% of the attendees.
External Attendee Statistics:
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49 total accepted applicants
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38 total in-person attendees
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27 females
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31 people of color
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Average Year of Graduation: 2014
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6 new candidates introduced into NBCUniversal’s applicant tracking system
Additional Notes:
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25+ key NBCUniversal team members from the Talent Acquisition, Corporate Diversity, and Human Resources departments were invited and engaged with attendees, creating a meaningful community and pipeline building experience.
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40+ members of NBCUniversal's Young Professional Network were selected to network, connect, and speak with FindSpark members and NBCUniversal leaders.
Testimonials:
"I thought it was a great event and I felt completely comfortable every step of the way. I loved the panelists and meeting other attendees."
— Attendee
"I think it's really great that NBCUniversal decided to invite other people inside the company and talent to this type of event. It’s really appreciated when an event like this is happening. You can meet other people and trade tips, along with figuring out “how do I navigate my career as a young professional. I met a lot of great people and look forward to following up and nurturing our relationships."
— Bunmi Onitiri, NBCUniversal Panelist
"I enjoyed listening to the speakers share their experience. I think this was a great curated panel. Also, I loved that a photo booth was incorporated to encourage sharing the event on social media. I liked that the event wasn't so large that it could feel overwhelming to both speakers and attendees. It was just the right amount of people."
— Attendee
Live Event Social Media Coverage - Twitter
