It can be terrifying to imagine going off into the real world after graduation to pursue one’s dreams and passions. One Iowa State club is trying to ease the transition with a one-day conference.

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 16 in Lebaron and MacKay Halls, the Iowa State Event Management Club will be hosting Collegiately Creative. Collegiately Creative is a new conference being put on to encourage students to follow their dreams.

As a newer organization, the Event Management Club wanted their own specialized event. Elizabeth Johnson, a senior in event management and president of the Event Management Club, said their ultimate goal is to make Collegiately Creative their signature annual event.

“We wanted to do something that could be our signature event,” Johnson said. “So hopefully with the success of this year, then it can continue for years to come.”

Collegiately Creative will focus on encouraging and giving students ideas to follow their passions. Joining the event will be a multitude of speakers who are all successful in their different fields. Many aspects of the conference will focus on entrepreneurship, professional branding, marketing, leadership and networking.

Speakers who are scheduled to come include Iowa State graduate Danny O’Neill of The Roasterie; Mike Draper, the founder of Raygun; Adam Benton, the creator of The Acts of Goods Journal; With Grace and Gold, a creative studio; Melissa Jones of Chief Encouragement Office, LLC; YouTube and social media strategist Sunny Lenarduzzi and a panel of event professionals from the Des Moines and Ames area.

Registration for the event closed April 13, but students who have discovered the event after that time and wish to be involved can email the group at [email protected] to register. The ticket for the event costs $25.

Upon registering, students will receive an email allowing them to choose two of the speakers they want to serve as their mentor during the event. During the event, there will be two 45-minute mentor sessions where small groups of students will split up to talk with the people they chose in the registration email.

The personalized mentor sessions will give students a chance to talk more in-depth with the speakers and form personal connections. It also gives the students who are more shy and tentative to speak in front of a large group the chance to ask questions and learn more.

Danielle Cross, a senior in event management and public relations and the social chair and talent director of the club, wants students to form those connections to aid in their future development.

“I just want to see those connections made and those relationships built,” Cross said.

Along with the mentor sessions and keynote speaker sessions, the conference will include a variety of amenities. A light breakfast, lunch and a snack will be provided for students. Also included is a gift bag with donated items that will be given to every attendee. There will be sporadic activities to involve the students and maintain their interest throughout the day as well.

Cross brought up the idea in the fall. The idea was voted on and approved and the club set to work to organize it.

Cross is hoping students are inspired to go off and work to make their dreams a reality.

“I hope students just feel inspired and motivated to go after their dreams or if they have an idea and want to pursue it out of college to go do it. You just need that spark in your life sometimes,” Cross said.

“It will be very humbling to know that that was what we did and we were able to pull it together and see all of the successful work of the committee members and the executive members,” Johnson said.

At the end of the day, both Cross and Johnson want people to be inspired to fight for their dreams.

“I hope that they leave the day feeling really inspired and they believe that their dreams are more attainable than what they thought,” Johnson said.