CSC hosts Big Event’s ‘One Big Thanks’ conference

The CSC Big Event staff hosted the virtual One Big Thanks Conference on Saturday, hosting around 20 schools and over 200 participants. Topics discussed ranged from sponsorship, marketing, public relations, and the impact of moving to a virtual platform for The Big Event. 

According to the event itinerary, events included a Q&A panel for event planning during COVID-19, various informational seminars, and opening/closing speeches. 

Adviser Dr. Shaunda French-Collins, associate professor and department chair of communications, music, art, & theatre, Kaci Waugh, Big Event graduate student, and Emily Hansen, undergraduate senior staff member,  have planned for this conference since this summer, according to Waugh.

Waugh said that Big Event staff would meet weekly with Texas A&M to help plan the conference. Joe Nussbaum, former vice president of student government association at Texas A&M University and creator of The Big Event, gave an opening speech about motivation and encouragement to kick off the conference. 

Waugh said that the conference featured speakers from around the nation, being able to do so through Zoom. 

“It went very smoothly,” Waugh said, “We could not have asked for a better day. It was great, really.” 

Waugh said that it would not have been possible without the help of Dr. French-Collins and Emily Hansen. She also said that CSC IT was on standby to help with any Zoom issues, saying “We had a lot of good support for this conference.”

In a prepared statement, Dr. French-Collins stated, “The two of them (Waugh and Hansen) along with Texas A&M Big Event staff members Sarah Diebel and Sydney Duinick, worked tirelessly to provide a fantastic, educational experience for Big Event schools and students across the nation.”