Collegiate Information and Visitor Service Association - Student Development Institute

Date Range:

January 9, 2025 to January 12, 2025

Event Type:

Sponsored

Location:

Royal Sonesta - Houston, TX

Description:

The Student Development Institute (SDI) is a conference hosted by the Collegiate Information and Visitor Services Association (CIVSA) as a "unique student-driven experience including educational sessions, networking opportunities, campus visits, a keynote speaker, and so much more" among the higher education hospitality and visitor experience realm nationwide. As the conference location changes every year between the east, central, and west coasts of the country, SDI 2025 will be in Houston! If there was any time to attend SDI, this upcoming conference would be the year as it would be the most cost-effective it has ever been and ever would be for a long time with Houston being the closes large city nearby College Station. The conference will span the dates of Thursday January 9th for First-time Attendee Pre-Conference to Saturday January 11th ending with a closing dinner and award ceremony.
Attending the CIVSA Student Development Institute gives two supervisors and a maximum of six students the opportunity to experience an incredible professional development event. As our first year attending this experience, I would like to take with our Graduate Assistant Tour Coordinator me as a co-supervisor and our three-student Program Ambassadors on our program leadership team, for a total of three students to bring to conference in 2025. Attendees gain exposure to topics on various educational session tracks (Ambassador & Tour Guide Training, Tour Technicalities, Strengthening Your Team, Beyond the Tour, Social Justice, Tour Guide Transferables) and the ability to present on the various topics above, attend local university or commercial facility tours, create meaningful professional connections during networking events, and even win awards for the "All-Star" and "Spirit Awards- individual and institutional" from nominations that take place throughout the span of conference.

Contact Information:

Alexis Broussard
Residence Life
932-470-6221
alexis_broussard@reslife.tamu.edu