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by Andrea Walls on May 12, 2020
by Andrea Walls on May 12, 2020
> Knight Connection > 40 Under 40: Beth Lawrence, CMP ’09
Bachelor of Arts, Individualized Concentration in Event Planning
Beth Lawrence Meetings & Events
Co-founder of the Industry Formula and award-winning international meeting planner
Philadelphia, Pa.
If it were not for my advisor, Dr. Shekhar Deshpande, and Professor Robert Kieserman, I would not be where I am today. Dr. Deshpande was the person who suggested I move toward an individualized concentration in event planning, and Professor Kieserman offered the option of planning a national marketing conference at Arcadia as a choice for a final project. As a result, I was able to gain firsthand experience and guidance prior to graduation. Professor Kieserman, to this day, is a huge advocate for me. He was one of the first people I called when I started my business, and he has been there for me throughout the years as a mentor and a friend. Had I chosen a different university, I likely would have stayed an English major and would have never realized my passion for event planning.
You don’t find success; you create it. Your education is one piece, and your résumé and experience are another. Upon graduation, you’ve been given all of the tools that a university can offer. What a university can’t offer, however, is the initiative to take your career into your own hands. If it were not for my efforts with networking, continuing education, and an ever-changing list of goals, I would not be where I am today.
Ironically, I’m great at setting goals but not great at celebrating successes. After getting laid off unexpectedly, I started my own event planning business and signed my first two clients two months later. I learned how to build a website, file a business and make it legally official, and run multiple businesses simultaneously. I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur, and I’m so proud to have made it happen.
If it were not for my efforts with networking, continuing education, and an ever-changing list of goals, I would not be where I am today.
- BETH LAWRENCE, CMP ’09