| As a recent graduate I was unemployed (obviously). | | | | struggle. We needed somewhere professional, a |
| Times are hard for us graduates, we have massive | | | | good location, plenty of car parking, modern and |
| loans to repay, nowhere to live, and nobody beating | | | | impressive. We asked the University, but they said |
| down our doors with job offers. We have to do | | | | no, although they wished us luck and they put us in |
| something to stand out... we truly have to think | | | | touch with a number of conference venues in |
| outside the box. | | | | Newcastle that they use on occasion. |
| After a summer of feeling sorry for myself and | | | | The conference centre in Newcastle that we used |
| shoveling fist-fulls of my CV into post boxes I | | | | was first class, really, really impressive. All the facilities |
| decided that I needed to do something different. I | | | | that we wanted were on hand. Obviously we had |
| decided to host my own conference. | | | | never hosted a conference before and had no real |
| I have lots of friends in the same situation as me, all | | | | idea what we were doing, but these guys helped us |
| struggling to find work in different sectors, struggling | | | | every step of the way. And all twelve of us got a |
| to get noticed and running out of money fast. We | | | | job from it. Based on the experience I gained setting |
| needed to do something. Twelve of us got together | | | | up the conference, I was employed as an event |
| and stumped up £100 each and printed out loads of | | | | organiser - something I would never have thought of |
| flyers, invitational letters and tickets and hired out a | | | | doing, but it seems pretty good so far! |
| 500 seater conference hall. | | | | Conclusion |
| We decided that if we can't go to these managing | | | | The fact that we all got a job from our conference |
| directors with our CVs, they would come to us. The | | | | speaks volumes; that in itself tells you it was a |
| principle was simple: 12 of Newcastle's best 2010 | | | | success. However the success worked on many |
| graduates present themselves to you. Obviously that | | | | levels. We all got a massive sense of achievement |
| isn't enough to get these high fliers to attend, so we | | | | through our actions and we were celebrated in a |
| also offered a buffet and free drinks. Needless to | | | | number of business and graduate publications. It was |
| say, they came. | | | | a life-changing experience for all involved. |
| Trying to find Meeting Rooms in Newcastle was a | | | | |