The eight students who attended the NRF conference in January 2019.

UNC Business Students Attend Renowned Retail Conference in New York City

Eight students from UNC’s Monfort College of Business said they gained a better appreciation for the retail industry by participating in the student program of the 2019 National Retail Federation Conference in New York City.

March 7, 2019

Eight students from the University of Northern Colorado’s Monfort College of Business said they gained a better appreciation for the retail industry by participating in the student program of the 2019 National Retail Federation (NRF) Conference in New York City.

Students networked with senior management from some of the world’s largest retailers and also attended the 2019 NRF Big Show – the world’s largest retail conference and expo with over 37,000 attendees from 99 countries.

Image above: The eight MCB students who attended the conference from left to right: Yaft Abraha, Jesus Quinones, Adrian Quinones, Halaki Gionet, Taylor Mariucci, Ashton Hall, Brandon Markowski and Alyson Duran. Photo courtesty of James Reardon, Ph.D.

“Sending students to a professional conference like this is not something that colleges typically do, but through the generosity of our donors and the Monfort family, in particular, we were able to make this happen,” said James Reardon, Ph.D., a professor of Marketing in the MCB, who led the trip.

Admission into the conference is generally over $2,200, but the NRF also works hard to reduce the price for students through initiatives such as the Rising Star scholarship for eligible freshmen and sophomores who are interested in retail careers.

“This opportunity really helped propel me forward and get my foot in the door … which is something that will be very beneficial when it comes to looking for internships and jobs,” said UNC Business Administration freshman Halaki Gionet, who received one of the scholarships.

All of the students who participated agreed that the opportunity to attend the conference will benefit their future careers.

—Written by Joshua Parsons.