Khushboo Singhania

R040112002

MBA Event Management

University of Technology and Management

Shillong

World Business Forum October 1 & 2, 2013

At Radio City Music Hall

New York City

USA

1 | P a g e

ABSTRACT

This document is about the knowledge and the learning I acquired during the four day visit to New

York City for the World Business Forum held on October 1 and 2, 2013 t Radio City Music Hall. I was

sponsored by my university to attend the forum and represent it at the global platform. The entire

experience was very enriching and memorable and the learning I received from being a part of the

event has widened my horizon and scope to develop, expand and explore the bigger and better

surrounding. Leadership skills, apart from networking, competence and knowledge are some aspects

I very importantly learnt in this visit. I observed and enriched my knowledge.

2 | P a g e

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I wish sincere thanks to the faculty members of School of Management, University of Technology

and Management, Shillong for selecting me to attend the World Business Forum, 2013. I am happy

they found me competent enough to be able to represent UTM at a very well-known global event.

I would want to show my heart felt appreciation to Laureate International Universities and its staff

for giving me a chance to be a part of an amazing group. Amongst all Laureate staffs, I would like to

especially and humbly thank Emiliano Diez (Vice President), Carolina Boquin and Monica Mayen

(Event administrators), Emely Jimenez (Creative Services Producer) and Paola Méndez (Senior Media

Producer - Products & Services) And Two other special people, Megan Jack and Cathrine Almqvist

(Kendall College, USA, interning with Laureate International Universities). Without their help,

support and most importantly a warm welcome, this trip would not have been as memorable as it is.

I would like to thank and appreciate all the new friends I made from other parts of India and the

world, for making the experience a wonderful one.

Last but not the least; I would like to express my deep sense of gratitude to my parents for always

being a constant source of inspiration. I thank them for letting me go to New York and having faith

and belief in me.

3 | P a g e

PREFACE

Two days live in NYC – 365 days of inspiration

This report is about the experience I gained by attending the World Business Forum, a premier global

business summit held each year at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, USA on October 1 and 2,

2013. The event brought together a completely new group of experts and practitioners who are

shaping the future of business and offering an incomparable amount of knowledge on the latest

business trends, strategies and innovations from all over the globe.

Laureate being an active participant helped us to connect, share, learn and hear from the brightest,

most imaginative minds from around the world. 27 universities sent their students to be a part of

this forum.

Speakers at the WBF included renowned academics with the capacity to convert theories and

metaphors into new, challenging perspectives; business icons with the experience and charisma to

share success stories and instill best practices; and global leaders who are convinced that the best

way to learn and grow is to put ideas into action.

I got a chance to witness live-talks by great leaders like Jack Welch (Former Chairman and CEO of

General Electrics), Samuel Palmisano (Former Chairman and CEO of IBM), Steven Lewitt and Stephen

Dubner (Co-authors of the award winning bestseller Freakonomics and its sequel Super

Freakonomics), Maggie Wilderotter (President and CEO of Frontier Communication), Denise

Morrison (President and CEO of Campbell Soup), Ben Zander (Acclaimed Musician and Orchestra

Director), Gordon Brown (Prime Minister of UK-2007 to 2010), S.D. Sibhulal (Co-founder and CEO of

Infosys), among many others.

I live-interviewed Mrs. Shideh Sedgh Bina, the founding partner of Insigniam, an international

consultancy firm. I also got a chance to ask a live-question to Sam Palmisano and Jack Welch, during

the question-answer session after their talk. The platform gave her an opportunity to expand,

connect, unite and multiply ideas from student representatives from all over the world as there were

participants from Mexico, Peru, Chile, China, Malaysia, Panama, Spain, Ecuador, Thailand, United

Kingdom, Cyprus, Turkey and Morocco.

The experience of totally delightful and enriched with learning that has broadening my perspective

and giving me an edge over others in today’s world full of competition.

Khushboo Singhania

4 | P a g e

CONTENTS

Abstract

Acknowledgement

Preface

Table of Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 5

WOBI ................................................................................................................................................ 6

Laureate International Universities ................................................................................................. 7

World Business Forum 2013 ............................................................................................................ 8

About the speakers and their keynote addresses .................................................................... 9 - 18

My experience and learning .......................................................................................................... 19

Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 20

Bibliography ................................................................................................................................... 21

5 | P a g e

INTRODUCTION

When conference keynote leaders like Jack Welch, Samuel Palmisano, Maggie Wilderotter, Denise

Morrison and others take the stage, their remarks are filled with references to achieve what is

possible, pushing people and organizations to the very limits of their true potential. In order to truly

ascertain the opportunity that exists to inspire people to better business results, such leaders

motivate individuals to ensure they are measuring up and helping to create a better environment

around them.

The lessons learned and shared with leaders in this forum go a long way to helping shape the

executive leadership mandate at a time when people are looking to leaders more than ever for

answers.

The topics discussed at this year’s World Business Forum at Radio City Music Hall in New York City

included new ways of thinking, new approaches, new trends, new paradigms, innovative skills and

contemporary knowledge to apply and enrich professional and personal lives and more. The

speakers shared a wealth of stories, backed by years of experiences and research. They offered their

insights on what must be expected of leaders and how they can meaningfully put their own personal

style of leadership into action — for the betterment of the enterprise, the customers it serves and

even the wider world we share.

6 | P a g e

ABOUT WOBI

World of Business Ideas is a home of actionable ideas from

people shaping the business world. They discover the latest

trends, the most up-to-date thinking, and the inspiration to help

you and your company grow. They travel the world to seek out

and connect you to the leaders, thinkers, actors and disruptors

who are shaping the future of business. They do this by their

four media options:

WOBI Events

WOBI TV

WOBI Magazine

WOBI.COM

We are inspired by a conviction that the world has an ever greater need for simple and powerful

ideas, constant inspiration and exciting, new visions of the future. Their motto is Building better

businesses, better people, a better world.

WOBI Events: They constitute of transformational live experiences for thousands of business

executives. They organize events like the World Business Forum to focus on key management topics

including World Innovation Forum, World Leadership Forum and World Marketing Forum which

these are must-attend events for decision makers in the global executive community. From cities

around the world they gather business icons, global leaders, brilliant minds, and legendary CEOs to

discuss the issues and trends that are shaping the future of business.

WOBI TV: It is a unique blend of challenging, inspiring and entertaining programming. Reaching more

than 16 million homes, WOBI TV presents business as one has never seen before. They telecast

documentaries, special reports, reality shows, and interviews featuring the leaders, entrepreneurs

and experts who are shaping the business landscape; the companies that are pushing boundaries

and leading innovation; the hottest topics on the business agenda.

WOBI Magazine: It is Latin America's leading management publication. Published bi-monthly for the

past 17 years, WOBI Magazine features practical case studies; cutting edge ideas from the world’s

leading experts; stories of “doers” from all corners of the planet.

WOBI.com: An online platform that lets one watch the world’s most influential business thought

leaders from the ease of home. On WOBI.com one can find all the conferences from WOBI Events on

demand; more than 1,000 video shorts featuring ideas, insights and practical tips from experts on

every area of business; over 2,400 articles from WOBI Magazine; the best programming from WOBI

TV.

WOBI has now partnered this journey with the La Nación group and Laureate International

Universities.

7 | P a g e

ABOUT LAUREATE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITIES (LIU)

LIU are a leading international network of

quality, innovative institutions of higher education. They have a

network of more than 72 accredited campus-based and online

universities offering programs to more than 780,000 students

around the world. The students are part of an international,

academic community that spans 30 countries throughout the United States of America, Europe,

Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The institutions offer hundreds of career-focused, undergraduate,

master's, and doctoral degree programs in fields including architecture, art, business, culinary arts,

design, education, engineering, health sciences, hospitality management, information technology,

law, and medicine.

Every institution in the network operates as its own unique brand, guided by local leadership,

proactively involved as a member of the community in which it operates. Relationships and

connections between and among all the institutions in its network are enriched with

shared curriculum, degree programs, faculty, and student exchange opportunities.

At the center of the vision is value — defined by the students and those who employ them.

Professionally-oriented curriculum and in-demand degrees are delivered with an international

perspective to help every Laureate student achieve a return in the global marketplace on their

education investment.

LIU’s community is vast and diverse, embracing Laureate students, faculty, alumni and families. With

a passion for innovation and excellence, Laureate International Universities are making a positive

difference in communities around the world. When the students succeed, countries prosper and

societies benefit.

8 | P a g e

WORLD BUSINESS FORUM 2013

WBF is a transformative experience dedicated to building better

businesses, better people and a better world. The innovative,

dynamic and comprehensive World Business Forum is a platform to

expand, connect, unite, distribute and multiply ideas; a space

dedicated to democratizing knowledge, best practices and cutting

edge insight and a global meeting point for those who strive to

create, grow and accomplish. It is indeed a powerful network of

businessmen and women who belief in the transformative potential of talent, enterprise and

endeavor.

This year, the World Business Forum was organized on October 1 and 2, 2013 at Radio City Hall in

New York City. It brought together a completely new group of experts and practitioners who are

shaping the future of business and offering an incomparable amount of knowledge on the latest

business trends, strategies and innovations from all over the globe.

The conference allowed Laureate participants to connect, share, learn and hear from the brightest,

most imaginative minds from around the world. The objective of the event was to expose students

and faculty members to new ways of thinking, new approaches, new trends, new paradigms,

innovative skills and contemporary knowledge for them to apply and enrich their professional and

personal lives, regardless of their disciplines.

9 | P a g e

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Jeb Bush and his talk on leadership on the move and global influencers:

Jeb Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American politician who served as

the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is the second son of

former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush.

Coming from a family that has committed its life to public service, Jeb Bush is

determined to shape the future of America. He is the former Governor of

Florida. Throughout his talk, he spoke about how it is important to not say

what plans one has for his people, but to state clear objectives and actually do them. When

participating in a campaign he states that the agenda should not be high dreams and aimless

objectives, but rather concrete achievable goals like business men state.

“If you don‟t have the courage of your convictions, or if you don‟t have a

clear will to do things, it is very hard to accomplish it.”

He mentioned 5 main leadership qualities that are needed in today’s arena. The first step in

leadership is to have the courage of your convictions and to say with honesty what you plan to do,

so that people believe in you and only then will they follow it. The second is to set aspirational goals.

Goals that is big but achievable. Then he mentioned asking the question “why not” in times of

constant change to facilitate growth. He also spoke about the need for the leaders to be humble and

good listeners.

10 | P a g e

Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt talk on ‘Beyond Super freakonomics’:

An award-winning author, journalist and media personality, Stephen Dubner is the co-author of

Freakonomics and Super Freakonomics with economist Steven Levitt.

Steven David "Steve" Levitt (born May 29, 1967) is

an American economist known for his work in the field of crime, in

particular on the link between legalized abortion and crime rates. In

April 2005 Levitt published his first book, Freakonomics (coauthored

with Stephen J. Dubner), which became a New York Times bestseller.

Levitt and Dubner also started a blog - www.freakonomics.com. Levitt is an honorary professor

at McGill University.

Originally published in 2005, Freakonomics began a cultural phenomenon and spent four years on

The New York Times bestseller list, selling 5 million copies in 35 languages. Its sequel

SuperFreakonomics continues to apply economic reasoning to a wide range of real-world questions.

The literary side to the Levitt-Dubner combination, thanks to Dubner’s contributions the

Freakonomics enterprise lives on through their award-winning blog, documentary film, and public-

radio project.

They believe in debunking the conventional wisdom- wisdom that has been passed on to us since

generations that our moms always thought was right, are not necessarily wrong, but they sure are

conventional.

They take interest in controversial topics, getting super freaky with topics like what prostitutes,

suicide bombers, and global cooling have to do with economics. Thinking outside the box has always

been their approach for solving any issue, be it economical or business. At WBF 2013, they spoke

about “Unpredictable thinking about an unconventional economy.”

Levitt says,

“There is no such thing as „You can‟t‟, it is just about how much money is

somebody going to pay you for the thing you don‟t wanna do”

They opine that we believe more on the barriers that we think exist than on issues to actually solve

them. If we always spent time thinking that a task cannot be done, it never has been done and it will

not be done, then we should instead set back and rethink about these superficial barriers that are

merely in our minds.

Dubner says:

“Redefine a problem you are trying to solve. Don‟t accept barriers. They

can be artificial.”

Also, they mentioned that a good leader is one who admits not knowing all the answers. If you don’t

know the answer, once or twice simply admit it; so that when you actually know the answer, people

will believe in you more than they believed in you earlier when you acted like knowing all the

11 | P a g e

answers. Lastly, they spoke about how important feedback is in any kind of communication or

action. Business should have a mechanism to measure their actions by regular feedbacks.

Throughout their casual talk, they related economics to daily life’s simple observations. Practicing

and learning by observation is an important way to analyze oneself and his actions.

12 | P a g e

Denise Morrison and Maggie Wilderotter talk on leadership, personal traits and

education:

Denise Morrison is an American business women executive who

serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Campbell Soup

Company. Named the 21st Most Powerful Woman in Business

by Fortune Magazine, Morrison was made the first woman CEO in

August of 2011. She is also the founding member of the Healthy

Weight Commitment Foundation, an initiative to combat obesity in

places of work and schools. Previously, she was Vice President and

General Manager of the Snacks and Confections division at Kraft Foods. She has occupied leadership

positions at Nabisco, Nestle and Pepsi-Cola. She is Maggie Wilderotter’s sister, the CEO of Frontier

Communications.

Fortune named Wilderotter one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business; she has contributed to

growth of the telecommunications industry for over 30 years and she is a fan of constant change and

learning. Before becoming President of Frontier Communications, she was senior vice president of

Microsoft's Worldwide Public Sector and CEO of Wink Communications.

At the WBF, Denise’s talk revolved around how they believed adopting business leadership qualities

at a young age helped them in establishing and achieving goals today. The leadership model for

success was possible only by developing confidence and how important communication was for

strengthening strategies. Maggie, on the other hand spoke of technology and communication and

the advantage of the changing industry, passion for the consumer is the competitive advantage that

will make you unstoppable and great people do great service for great consumers.

Denise Morrison says:

“You have to make your own opportunities and see around corners”

Both the sisters believe in profits and making a difference. They believe that a lot of what they do

today as CEOs has to do with their upbringing. Corporate Social Responsibility is not just for

portraying a good image to society but to actually help the employees of the company who live in

those societies. It is important to believe in what we do and apply them to business. The experiences

from one’s day-to-day live is more enriching than learning then from books that only teach you what

the authors of the book felt or learnt.

“Our parents didn‟t allow us to use the words „I can‟t‟. They said it‟s not

you can‟t but how can you”

From their life’s lessons, they recall being taught to taking risks at a very early age. When they were

asked to try something and if it didn’t work, try something new. This practice helps them even today

when they have to take big business decisions about acquisitions and market share. But they

remember their parents always supporting them by not stopping them but being prepared in their

risks – which today they call calculated risks in the business world.

13 | P a g e

Having a disciplined approach to taking a decision is very important. And discipline should never be

confused with bureaucracy.

Maggie Wilderotter says:

“Leadership is more about saying no and having the courage to say so”

They both talked about creating one’s own opportunities. There is innovation in choosing your

career too. Taking cross functional assignments teaches you a lot about all the various fields thus

giving you a larger picture of things. They also play a key role to mentor the women of the next

generation and believe that there are more openings than seen for women. Everyday their strive to

set good examples and become role models for the women of today.

14 | P a g e

Jack Welch and his talk on winning in times of uncertainty:

Jack Welch (born November 19, 1935) is an American business executive, author

and chemical engineer. He is the former chairman and CEO of General Electric

(1981 and 2001). During his tenure at GE, the company's value rose 4000%. In

2006, Welch's net worth was estimated at $720 million. When he retired from GE

he took a severance payment of $417 million, the largest such payment in

history.

In 2009, Welch founded the Jack Welch Management Institute, a program at Chancellor

University that offered an online executive MBA degree. The institute was acquired by Strayer

University in 2011. Welch has been actively involved with the curriculum, faculty and students at the

online business school since its launch.

“Once you have become a leader, it‟s no longer about you; it‟s about

them, the people you are leading”

At the WBF, he spoke about challenging management fundamentals, transformative leadership

practices by delivering innovative but sustainable results and recruiting, developing and retain the

best people. When dealing with negotiations, he starts off by saying that rules should be same for

all. We cannot have on group earn more than the other in a negotiation because that gives space for

more options and eventually brings to the downfall of the entire negotiation in the first place. One

has to demonstrate leadership though constant transparency and give purpose to the job.

He spoke about generosity gene at length and suggested that leaders today have energy, edge,

executive skills and passion; but most importantly they have the generosity gene - a person who is

happy to see others getting promotions, a person who is excited to take an idea from others and

build a strong team.

“Without generosity, you don‟t build great teams”

His take on online education as a new and affective approach. Executive MBA as opposed to

traditional practices allows one to apply the learnt methods in the same week than after two years

of completing the course. It sure has its weaknesses with being less sociable, but improving

technology is going to eliminate this missing link.

15 | P a g e

Sam Palmisano and his talk on Leadership, legacy and continuity:

Former CEO of IBM, Sam Palmisano’s leadership transformed the company into a

globally integrated enterprise. During his 39-year career with IBM, Palmisano

helped the organization become the largest IT company in the world, successfully

leading change in a competitive tech market. Palmisano's goal was to reestablish

IBM as a standard-setting company. He was influenced by the company founders

who "always defined I.B.M. as a company that did more than sell computers.

“You have to reflect on where you want to be, not where you have been”

At the WBF, he spoke about putting the enterprise above the individual, developing quick

organisational reflexes to encourage innovation and ‘learning by listening’ concept. These he said

were the most important leadership lessons. If answers to the three W’s of management: What

makes you unique? Why work for you? And why invest? are known to leaders, it cannot stop them

from building a healthy work environment and a strong business. Being a good listener is essential to

be a good leader, which will help one to collaborate with your team.

16 | P a g e

Ben Zander and his talk on the art of possibilities:

Benjamin Zander is the conductor of The Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and a

guest conductor around the world. With London's famed Philharmonia

Orchestra, he is recording the complete cycle of Mahler symphonies for Telarc,

recordings which have been received with extraordinary critical acclaim and

several awards. Their latest recording of Bruckner’s 5th Symphony was

nominated for a 2010 Grammy.

By far, the most inspiring speaker in the World, he communicates like musical notes out of a piano.

He believes in doing simple things, but differently. He spoke to us about the art of possibility.

“My job is to remind the players what the rhythm of transformation is.”

He explains that there are three responses to life: resignation, anger and possibility. It depends

which one we want to stand with. One has to learn to fall in love with the person he/she wants to

become. Once that transformation is made, you never lose it until the last day of your life. Being a

conductor himself, he says that the power of a conductor depends on his power to make others

powerful. Likewise a leader depends on his leadership to make other better leaders.

The art of possibility dies when the little voice in your mind weakens your ability to transform.

Nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself. His version of “Happy Birthday to you” will always be

with me. The simplicity of that song conveyed and awakened a possibility of conviction in each one

of us. Lastly, he said,

“Possibility is just one sentence away.”

17 | P a g e

Clayton Christensen and his talk on disruptive innovation and how to create new growth

businesses:

A five-time recipient of the McKinsey Award for the Harvard Business Review’s best

article of the year, Christensen’s theories on innovation have been adopted by

leaders across multiple fields: from education to the healthcare system, and from

international companies to state governments. The innovation consultancy firm he

founded, Innosight, has helped thousands of world-renowned companies turn

innovative ideas into tangible return investments.

At the WBF, Christensen revealed the power and reach of disruptive innovation and the faults of

rationality in business. Secret to why companies invest in innovation now and how important is

social innovation - health care system and educational reform.

He spoke about how relevant disruptive innovation is in today’s world. His theory is based on the

fact that we need to make the products more affordable. His model of disruptive innovation explains

the phenomenon where we make the luxury products more affordable in nature for the consumers.

This creates jobs as well as utilizes capital. e.g. Mini Computer empowers innovation. Similar yet

differentiating from the concept of disruption is sustaining Innovation; where luxury products are

made even more expensive to maintain the niche market. The job opportunities get limited and

capital utilization also limits. Then he spoke about efficiency Innovation and making the products

cheap and readily available. It frees the capital and eliminates few jobs in order to achieve

economies of scale. E.g. Walmart

According to disruptive innovation, Sony made computers and photocopy machines more accessible.

The deep lying factor in understanding any product or market is to understand the purpose behind

it. He quoted Peter Drucker by saying, “The customer really buys what the company thinks it’s

selling.”

“Customer in fact buys a product for a specific purpose behind it. We

need to access that purpose in order to formulate a product.”

For example, Clayton Christensen did a study where the sale of coffee was maximum from 6 to 8 am

in the morning. When he studied the purpose behind it, it was believed that the drivers needed

something that woke them up during the long hour drive to office. The purpose was different to

what the company must have perceived – taste and brand name.

18 | P a g e

Other eminent leaders:

Among other notable speakers were Alec Ross (Former Innovation advisor to Hilary Clinton), Bob

Moritz (The Chairman and Senior Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers), SD Shibulal (Co-founder and

CEO of Infosys), Susan Sobbott (President of American Express Open), Gordon Brown (Former Prime

Minister of United Kingdom), Claudio Fernandes-Araoz (Top global expert on hiring and promotion

decisions) and many more.

Gordon Brown says

“Neglecting education is creating generations of dependent and unemployable people”

These great minds at the same platform spoke about the latest trends and changes in the leadership

scenario. Susan Sobbott spoke about flexibilities in the leadership scenario, especially for women.

Susan Sabbott believes that today’s world has many opportunities for women. In fact, women are

the drivers of the business world today. It’s important to innovate in the work atmosphere bearing

them in mind.

Claudio Fernandes Araoz says

“Surrounding ourselves with the best, and helping the best become better

is the key for a better world”

Susan Sorbott says

“People work for people, not organisations. Be the people you want to

work for.”

SD Shibulal, said that it is important to be a people’s leader. In the Indian context, Infosys gives

flexibility in the working hours and the work culture. In their Bangalore campus where no vehicles

are allowed inside, the rules are adhered equally by the CEO as well as the junior most employee.

Similarly, at the food court there is no separate dining area for the CEO. Infosys believes in equality

and flexibility.

SD Shibulal says,

“The leaning process is life-long”

According to Bob Moritz, job rotation is very important. Today, employees are hungry for knowledge

so why not give them an opportunity to learn from various aspects and sectors. It will lead to

efficiency growth in them as well as the company and also reduce attrition rate as the employees

will be satisfied with their jobs. The more they learn, the happier they are.

19 | P a g e

MY EXPERIENCE AND LEARNING

The honor of witnessing keynotes by such great

speakers and eminent orators under one roof at a

venue which in itself is a historical place was very

valuable. The entire hall was filled with executives and

senior management people from various organisations

from the world, and amongst them, being an MBA

student and having the chance to sit with them for the live show was an outstanding experience.

Being able to ask Sam Palmisano and Jack Welch a live-question in front of the entire audience

required courage and I managed to do that. I doubt it would be possible in any other setting; but

since I was marveled at being able to attend a one of a kind summit, the energy just came from

within. My question was about India and its global issues, which was answered very correctly by Sam

Palmisano first and later more insights to it were added by Jack Welch. It was an honor to be able to

ask questions to two great legends of the business industry.

I also got a chance to live interview Mrs. Shideh Sedgh Bina, the founding partner of Insigniam, an

international consultancy firm. Asking her questions regarding the consultancy firms and

understanding from her the mechanisms of such firms was wonderful. It taught me so much about

the consultancy firms and how in spite of being in the same industry, did they differ from their

competitors like McKinsey and the Boston Consulting Group.

Throughout my trip, I learnt so many things that books could not have ever taught me. I have been a

Mass Communication and video production student and I have done both online and offline projects

in my college studio; but actually witnessing a live show being recorded and telecasted all around

the world, and being a part of the entire team taught me a lot. Pursuing my MBA in Event

Management now, and having a chance to be a part of a globally renowned event has taught me so

much about management and professionalism.

Another very important aspect of businesses today is networking, which was abundantly possible

there. Meeting executives and exchanging business cards to knowing students from all round the

world, gave me a lifetime opportunity to build professional and friendly relationships.

20 | P a g e

CONCLUSION

I learnt the art of professionalism, business, management and networking in the best possible

scenario; an experience which will always remain a part of me. Looking back, I realize how important

it is to step outside one’s nutshell and see the world from a completely new point of view.

From the very first minute as I landed in New York City, my experience was amazing. Stepping out

from the airport into the Yellow cabs and the cab driver associating India with Amitabh Bachchan

and Hrithik Roshan to us reaching hotel Yotel; the ‘silent’ Times Square at 8:00 hours to fully

crowded and happening Times Square at 23:00 hours; from meeting the Laureate Organizers to

interacting with other students from other Laureate schools and parts of the world; from the very

first official dinner party and camera-anchor training to the actual day of the World Business Forum

at Radio City; from the entire formal event and backstage activities to the casual site seeing in the

gray-line buses, subway and the ferry ride to Statue of Liberty; every moment was special and

enriching.

Witnessing this event in person has given me ample scope to develop and grow. The experience

taught me to be self-dependent and take decisions which I felt were right. It has made me a better

observer and widened my horizon to think. Attending the World Business Forum has taught me so

much, an experience that will always be alive in my heart.

21 | P a g e

BIBLIOGRAPHY

www.wobi.com

www.laureate.net

www.facebook.com/LaureateConnect

http://www.youtube.com/user/LaureateChannel/videos