From March 10th to 13th, a group of Yale Conference & Events (YC&E) team members - Jen Zuccaro, Julianne Minuto, Joseph DiMaggio, and Renae Giard - attended the 44th annual Associate of Collegiate Conference and Event Staff Directors - International (ACCED-I) conference, held in Providence, RI. Also in attendance was Jessica Criscuolo, Event Coordinator for Yale’s West Campus.
Amidst a gathering of industry leaders, our team seized the opportunity to network, attend insightful sessions, and share knowledge with peers.
Among the enlightening sessions being offered, our team found most intriguing the sessions exploring emergency protocols and disaster planning for summer events, strategies for fostering inclusivity through venue setups and culinary selections, and the innovative integration of augmented reality in event experiences.
A highlight of the conference was the presentation delivered by YC&E’s Director, Jen Zuccaro, alongside Marje Lemmon, Yale University’s Risk Manager, Sam Florio, Associate VP of Auxiliary Services at Santa Clara University, and Mahal Flores, Director of Conference Services at Santa Clara University. Titled “Partnering with Risk Management - Wait, they said Yes?”, the session explored the mutually beneficial relationship between event planners and risk management in crucial areas such as campus safety, vendor collaboration, and insurance management.
YC&E Program Manager, Julianne Minuto, was in attendance and noted that “The talk opened with the credo, ‘we are all risk managers!’ That resonated with me because the concept of risk management was not on my immediate radar. It was helpful to learn how we can stop hazardous situations in real time. It is up to us to protect life, limb, property, assets, and reputation.”
Joseph DiMaggio, Program Manager, was also involved in ACCED-I as part of the hospitality committee, which helped raise funds and collect donations for House of Hope and organize meals for networking opportunities.
Kudos to Jen and Joseph for their hard work!
During the event, our team also visited nearby universities to explore their event spaces and practices, which included a tour of Brown University led by Kate Viellard, former YC&E Deputy Director. They also had an opportunity to reconnect with former YC&E Executive Director, Suzanne Shaw, and her team from Vanderbilt University. Special congratulations to Suzanne, who was awarded Mentor of the Year. Our team was there to cheer her on and can attest to her exemplary mentorship during her time at YC&E!
