Carey Hosts 2020 Annual GMAC Conference

Despite having to move to a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) held its annual conference June 18-19, 2020 with the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School as host and lead sponsor.

While Baltimore was originally the location for this year’s conference, the virtual platform constructed by GMAC still managed to include virtually all the original sessions, including the Keynote addresses. Carey Business School Dean Alex Triantis offered welcoming remarks as well as participated in the Dean’s Panel segment of the conference’s opening session. “We can and must support each other, learn from each other, and solve the complex problems we face together,” said Dean Triantis, referencing the pandemic. “Business schools teach students how to do this, and this is the time to apply those lessons to our own organizations,” he added.

In addition to Dean Triantis, Roger Williams, senior associate director for Diversity and Inclusion in Carey’s Office of Admissions presented on different adaptations of summer residential programs; while Kiera Hynninen, associate dean for Global Marketing and Communications; Abby Jackson, creative director; and Kelly Farmer, director of Admissions, presented a session detailing the Carey rebranding story, moderated by Executive Director of Strategic Communications Kanika Watson.

Keynote sessions of the conference included Sangeet Chowfla, GMAC president and CEO, and a panel of industry leaders discussing the future of graduate management education in a post-COVID-19 world; and Lisa Sun, the founder and CEO of Gravitas, delivering remarks entitled “Braving Innovation from Our Strengths”

Despite the late shift to a virtual format, almost 300 people viewed Thursday morning’s session live while nearly the same number watched a repeat later on that day. Many of those in virtual attendance were able to interact with both presenters and fellow attendees.

The largest organization of its kind in the world, the GMAC is an international, nonprofit organization of business schools providing products and services to academic institutions and prospective graduate management education students. It is the recognized authority providing resources and education for administrators in graduate management education at all levels who work in admissions, marketing, and program management. The annual conference explores current issues, the latest marketplace trends, research data, best practices, and features ample networking opportunities between member schools, affiliated professional organizations, and the higher education marketplace.

The conference is scheduled to return to Baltimore in the summer of 2022, with all involved already looking forward to an in-person format.