Smurfit Society

irish.rugby.fan

Hi all,

I am entering into a masters course in Smurfit in September.

I was thinking of setting up a Smurfit Business Society and I was hoping to get some of your opinions.

The society would mainly be based around putting on high profile guest speakers from the business world.

These talks would take the form of a breakfest briefing, where the society would put on a free breakfast for all those who attended the event, or an afternoon talk to be followed by drinks and nibbles.

Numerous high profile business people have already agreed to participating in the talks.

Later on in the year the Society may organise a few careers talks from companies people are interested in joining, and the plan would be to also hold presentation/public speaking workshops, and interview preperation workshops later in the year.

My only worry about the whole thing is that students will not be interested enough to attend the guest speakers, which I feel would be a great shame, as any business speakers Ive gone to, be it by Foresight in Trinity, or QSoc in UCD have always be very interesting and worthwhile.

Id love to hear your opinions and any other activities the society could par take in.

irish.rugby.fan

Humm, my thoughts exactly...

the evil lime

Sounds interesting. Do you know all the procedures you have to go through to set that up?

I know you need a certain number of signatures (30 or 50 or somesuch) and then you have to be recognsied by the committee.

Stabshauptmann

A society will only take off if it builds up a core base, people who get to know each other and people to continue it next year. The things you're talking about while possibly interesting or useful dont offer much to bond over.

If you would think this is would be something worth organising I think you should contact Qsoc. They'd be happy to fill their quota of academic events and focus on the night club events they want to have.

irish.rugby.fan

Kaptain Redeye wrote: »

A society will only take off if it builds up a core base, people who get to know each other and people to continue it next year. The things you're talking about while possibly interesting or useful dont offer much to bond over.

If you would think this is would be something worth organising I think you should contact Qsoc. They'd be happy to fill their quota of academic events and focus on the night club events they want to have.

There is no issues in relation to setting up this society administration or sponsorship wise.


Captain Redeye, I fail to see your point about the society not offering much to bond over. The society will attract people attracted to the business world, and those who take their careers seriously to go and learn from the best from various industries. The society will form a great base for students of like minds to network together.

The C&E was the biggest society in Ireland two years ago, can you tell me what that offers students to bond over.

Why would I contact QSoc in relation to this. I'm not looking to hold these events in the Quinn School and so that society is irrelevant to my situation.

I wish to hold these events in Smurfit for Smurfit students.

Économiste Monétaire

Maybe take a scan through the MiM thread and send some of them a PM about the society. I'm guessing that's your target market.

irish.rugby.fan

UCD_Econ wrote: »

Maybe take a scan through the MiM thread and send some of them a PM about the society. I'm guessing that's your target market.

Yeah thanks, great idea.

A good start, but I'd like to target all programmes.

nellybelly

This is what the C&E did before it descended into its current role.

I think only targeting smurfit students would prove useless. Most students are only there for one year, which would almost guarantee the end of the society after the first year (or that it won't be approved to begin with).

I think it's a good idea, but i think it wouldn't be possible to have it entirely student-run. Most students in Smurfit are generally quite busy, and the others are generally not the type that would be motivated enough to lend a hand to this kind of project. Also, many individual courses already attract guest speakers.. mainly as a thinly-veiled recruitment presentation.

The school and the alumni people do organise this type of thing (such as the 'IFSC 2.0' and property events last year) and I'm sure they'd be amenable to greater student involvement. Inviting alumni (for a fee of course - that's the smurfit way!) helps with numbers and may help attract bigger and better guest speakers.

mloc

Could be difficult due to the transient nature of students there. Even QSoc have deteriorated significantly and they have a stronger core group (WhoSoc?). Times are tough for societies and I'd think you'd need to be quite innovative to get a system that works.

irish.rugby.fan

I understand that continuity of the society is going to be a major issue.

From the start I had always imagined alot of staff involvement, be it with the marketing staff for Smurfit or the people to take care of the alumni.

I have ran a large society before so I know what faces me in terms of being innovative enough to attract the crowds.

Thanks for everyones responses.

Not exactly the responses I was hoping for, but to be honest the responses I almost expected.

Another route Im thinking of going down is just bringing in speakers without having to set up a society.

To be honest its just something I wanted to do rather than be able to look back in 10 years time and say I started that.

Stabshauptmann

irish.rugby.fan wrote: »

There is no issues in relation to setting up this society administration or sponsorship wise.

Yet you've stated that you've no plan / interest in continuity. :rolleyes:

Captain Redeye, I fail to see your point about the society not offering much to bond over.

My name isnt a spelling mistake.

The society will attract people attracted to the business world, and those who take their careers seriously to go and learn from the best from various industries.

No, Smurfit will attract those people. How will you're society help people get to know each other, become friends or network?
How will the society be continued?

The C&E was the biggest society in Ireland two years ago, can you tell me what that offers students to bond over.

Wacky and original booze flooded social events.

Why would I contact QSoc in relation to this. I'm not looking to hold these events in the Quinn School and so that society is irrelevant to my situation.

Ah close minded and stubborn, you'll go far in business.
For the reasons stated, they need to do what you're suggesting, they have the resources and the capacity, but not the will.

Me thinks you're just looking for a CV filling exercise tbh

I wish to hold these events in Smurfit for Smurfit students.

And Qsoc restrict membership / events to quinn students? :rolleyes:

irish.rugby.fan

Kaptain Redeye wrote: »

Yet you've stated that you've no plan / interest in continuity. :rolleyes:

No its just that continuity of it isnt a massive need of mine.

Kaptain Redeye wrote: »

My name isnt a spelling mistake.

No need to be a smart ass. It was honest mistake.

Kaptain Redeye wrote: »

No, Smurfit will attract those people. How will you're society help people get to know each other, become friends or network?

Through the business breakfasts, drinks receptions after speakers and the workshops.

Kaptain Redeye wrote: »

Wacky and original booze flooded social events.

Debatable

Kaptain Redeye wrote: »

Ah close minded and stubborn, you'll go far in business.
For the reasons stated, they need to do what you're suggesting, they have the resources and the capacity, but not the will.

Dont really consider myself close minded. I am well aware of the activities that QSoc carry out, I just dont see how they tie into what Im trying to do here anymore than the C&E, BnL, LawSoc etc

Kaptain Redeye wrote: »

Me thinks you're just looking for a CV filling exercise tbh

Hardly, already have a contract with what is widely considered the top tax practice in Ireland. This is purely something I want to do out of interest.

Kaptain Redeye wrote: »

And Qsoc restrict membership / events to quinn students? :rolleyes:

No but have you ever seen them do an event outside Quinn, apart from a nightclub of course.

Their mission statement says, "A society set up by Quinn students, for Quinn students".

You even have to be a student of QSB to run for auditor.

Stabshauptmann

All the best with it.

ed6hellsfresh

I think that the smurfit society would be a great idea, and tbh I have long thought that the three "business" societies were complete jokes.

I have gone to some of the enterprise boards entrepreneur talks held in ucd last year and they were really great, maybe you dont get wasted, but at the end of the day some of the stuff discussed was very interesting and useful. I think to have a society set up around stuff like this and conducted in a more mature manner would be a great service to Smurfit.

Fiona44

As a current MIM student I unfortunately don't see this society taking off for a couple of reasons.

1. Smurfit already host talks and lunch/drink receptions with top speakers from the business world on an almost weekly basis. Speakers are also regularly brought into us to speak during lectures.
So there really isn't any gap for what you would be offering.

2. Everyone in Smurfit is VERY busy. I don't see many people having the time to get involved with a society in the way that you can at an undergraduate level.

3. The target base of Smurfit students is ALOT smaller than the main UCD campus, yet even the biggest societies on Campus only manage to retain a small number of active members. Again this will just result in a VERY small number of people getting involved.

Societies at a postgraduate level are very difficult to keep afloat unless they offer something very interesting/useful. What you are proposing is to offer something that we already have to time-strapped students.
I just don't see the point and, even if it does get approval from Butler, it definitely won't work.

irish.rugby.fan

Fiona44 wrote: »

As a current MIM student I unfortunately don't see this society taking off for a couple of reasons.

1. Smurfit already host talks and lunch/drink receptions with top speakers from the business world on an almost weekly basis. Speakers are also regularly brought into us to speak during lectures.
So there really isn't any gap for what you would be offering.

2. Everyone in Smurfit is VERY busy. I don't see many people having the time to get involved with a society in the way that you can at an undergraduate level.

3. The target base of Smurfit students is ALOT smaller than the main UCD campus, yet even the biggest societies on Campus only manage to retain a small number of active members. Again this will just result in a VERY small number of people getting involved.

Societies at a postgraduate level are very difficult to keep afloat unless they offer something very interesting/useful. What you are proposing is to offer something that we already have to time-strapped students.
I just don't see the point and, even if it does get approval from Butler, it definitely won't work.

Hi Fiona,

Thanks for the reply. Didnt know that there were guest speakers brought in weekly so thanks for that.

Interesting that you say that, "It definitely wont work", that is almost the title of a new KPMG book ("That'll Never Work") about very successful private Irish businesses.

Ideally, as I said before, we like these talks to take the form of breakfast briefings, so Im assuming most students eat breakfast so really we'd just be adding half an hour to their breakfast.

I wouldnt really be looking to get a large number of people involved in the actual running of the society, since it doesnt need much, participation is what the goal would be.

To be honest, it was something that I regretted not doing when I ran a society in UCD and just thought that since people are taking the time to do the masters in Smurfit, that this might be something they would be interested in.

Some of the speakers who have agreed in principle:

Dermot Mannion - CEO AerLingus
David O'Reilly - CEO Chevron
Dermot Desmond - Self explanatory
Patrick Kennedy - CEO Paddy Power
Johnny Ronan - Treasury Holdings