Join the VYBZ

You the class of 2020 will graduate as the first “Post-Covid” generation; the industry will need you more than ever. Our economic and social development will require larger numbers of academic and technically trained citizens. This generation will be the ones called upon to take us ahead on the journey as we navigate through to the other side of COVID-19. How blessed are we as a people that the corrosive COVID-19 virus has not weakened our resolve, but has found us in a confident possession of a Triple First, ranked by the Oxford University: number one in the Caribbean, top 1% in Latin America, and top 1% globally. Fellow graduates, as you contemplate your future beyond this pandemic, I ask you to consider that now is the opportunity for you to embrace your education for professional development, skills training, and intellectual growth. We are eager to have you join the family producing events. You are the post-COVID generation of event management professionals our region will need. More than want – NEED! Graduates, with event management experience already under your belts, I remind you that the event industry is here to welcome you back “home” with open arms. This is not a time to retreat from your event experience. Despite the problems and pain posed by recent events, this is the prime time to advance the journey to your professional future. To retreat is to impede your promise, weaken your family’s prospects, and narrow the parameters of your nation and region. This is the moment to step forward with confidence and create opportunities. At the same time, we want our leaders and influencers to know that we are ready, as always, to produce the social capital needed to drive our economies out of COVID-19 constraints. We have the confidence to craft the future we wish for ourselves. As is customary with valedictorian speeches, I would like to share a quote for you to ponder. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” – Steve Jobs As newly minted event management professionals - I invite you to join me in thanking the accredited Trinidad & Tobago Business Etiquette & Protocol Specialists on a job well done and a fantastic institution. Graduates…institution…put your hands together for deserved yourselves. I thank you. Adrian A. Baker, TTBEPS Event Management Class of 2020 Valedictorian August, 2020

I’m not a promoter, I’m a parent. By the time my mother died from heart and organ failure, I thought I was done with life-changing experiences for a while. In fact, I had been running the foundation that my previous life-changing experience inspired me to found for only two years when I got the call. What happened was this: Four years before my mother’s passing, my then new-born daughter was battling a rare chromosome disorder. I was witness to our beautiful girl’s extraordinary bravery as she endured heart surgery and meningitis and epileptic seizures all within the first six months of her life. During this time, I occasionally escaped for a short run around Queens Park Savannah to clear my head. It was during one run around the decomposed asphalt track that circles the city landmark, looking for answers to questions that had none, that I realized how I could combine my skills and passions to make a tangible difference in the world. I saw clearly that I could meld my skillset in marketing and network with my passion for family to help create a non-profit organisation. I envisioned a foundation that would do fundraising and using relationships to influence positive outcomes for causes other than my daughter, to build an ecosystem of like-minded persons and organisations willing to assist with any causes we might be able to affect a positive change to, provide opportunities for local causes to get much needed help without overreliance on their families or the state. I wanted to make a real contribution toward a better environment, and my daughter’s bravery was the deep well from which I could draw inspiration. Four years later, my own mother’s passing, coupled with the unending support of my team and my tribe, sharpened the clarity of purpose I had found. No one person and no one company can eradicate the social degradation facing our country, but making strides in that direction has imbued our foundation’s mission with urgency and intention: to improve our families and communities by sidestepping bureaucracy or eliminating classist influences that are present in our everyday lives. I encourage you—entrepreneurs, business owners and dreamers—to find fuel in your life challenges. The most trying times can clarify what motivates, inspires and challenges you. When you see what lights your fire, go for it. Even without a traumatic experience, you can take steps to clarify your purpose. Successful entrepreneurs rise, grind, stretch and strive every day. They listen to clients, customers and the marketplace—and to their guts. They ignore the voices that tell them business is just business; it’s not personal. That’s because if you make your business personal in a positive way, you will be a powerful agent for change. Having a child with Jacobsen Syndrome was a bracing wake-up call for me about what really matters in this life. The surreality of the whole experience forced me to stop and listen, pause my entrepreneurial ambitions, and find a deeper purpose. Because I did, I was given the gift of making a difference. Yes, there are many inspirational stories of people who have found clarity because of traumas that wipe away the fog of the busyness of life. But it’s not necessary to experience trauma to find clarity. Just slow down, listen to your inner voice and commit to change. When you clarify your purpose, it will be fun to go to work—and your business will benefit exponentially. Adrian A. Baker, 24/5/2019

Share your thoughts. Feel free to add GIFs, videos, #hashtags and more to your posts and comments. Get started by commenting below.