When Sara Camden ’02 needed a team she could trust at one of the world’s most prestigious gatherings of marketers, advertisers, and creative visionaries, she didn’t call an event staffing agency. She called Butler University.

As Head of Marketing for North America and Europe at global technology company InMobi Group, Camden was preparing for the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where every interaction—and every detail—mattered. She needed a team that could adapt quickly, represent her company with impeccable professionalism, and contribute wherever needed.

She found that team through the Butler Institute for Sports & Entertainment (BISE), an experiential learning initiative that connects students with hands-on consulting and event projects alongside leaders in the sports, entertainment, and business industries.

Just weeks later, six Butler students were in Cannes, France—not as observers, but as members of the InMobi Group events team representing both of the company’s distinct businesses – InMobi Advertising and Glance. 

Working across multiple festival venues, the students became an extension of Sara’s team, creating content, supporting live activations, welcoming guests, solving problems, and helping deliver an experience for thousands of festival attendees. It wasn’t a study abroad excursion or a job shadow. They were there to do the work.

Less than a year after its launch, BISE is already connecting students with meaningful work on a global stage.

For rising senior Patrick Riley, it meant overcoming self-doubt.

“You have imposter syndrome to start the week,” Riley said. “You’re a college student, and you don’t feel like you belong.”

By the end of the festival, after days spent demonstrating the company’s new Glance agentic commerce technology and networking with executives from around the world, his perspective had changed.

“It’s okay to not be qualified when you enter the room,” he said. “But do everything in your power to make sure that when you leave, you are.”

That transformation is exactly what BISE was designed to create.

“The best learning happens when students move beyond the classroom and into environments where their work has real impact,” BISE Executive Director Robert Schultz said. “Our goal has never been to prepare students for someday—we want them contributing today. When students are given meaningful responsibility and surrounded by professionals who expect excellence, they rise to that expectation.”

This opportunity grew out of a relationship Camden had already built with BISE. Butler students impressed her earlier this year while supporting InMobi Group at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, making the decision to bring them to Cannes an easy one.

Fractional event staffing traditionally relies on temporary workers hired locally. Butler students brought something elevated —an eager team that arrived uniquely prepared, embraced whatever the week demanded, adapted quickly, and ultimately made a meaningfully positive impact on how attendees perceived our brands.

 “They come prepared and ready to contribute,” Camden said. “They’re professional, adaptable, and incredibly welcoming to everyone they interact with. There’s tremendous value for me as a client, but just as importantly, it gives students the opportunity to build relationships with the people, companies, and experiences that shape this industry.”

 Camden wouldn’t have to wait long to see those qualities in action.

The students immediately sprang into action as soon as they arrived in France – from laundering uniforms and organizing giveaways to managing multiple activation spaces and delivering world-class hospitality to the most discerning of crowds, no task was ever too big or small for this powerhouse crew. 

“The BISE ambassadors rose to the occasion at every turn across a broad and complex schedule of high-stakes touchpoints, crafting memorable experiences for our most valued clients and partners,” Camden said. “They fully embraced every opportunity to maximize impact, despite long hours, record-breaking heat, and work that wasn’t always very glamorous. Their work ethic, attention to detail, and relentless positivity left a lasting impression on everyone they met.”

By the end of the week, Camden said the reaction from her colleagues was unanimous.

“These students were a critical part of our activation’s resounding success.”

Callie Wright, Lead Project Manager for the Butler Transformation Lab, watched that growth unfold throughout the week.

“As the week went on, you could see the students growing more confident with every challenge they tackled,” Wright said. “They learned to trust themselves, rely on one another, and adapt when plans changed. By the end of the festival, they weren’t just representing Butler—they had become trusted colleagues who were making meaningful contributions.”

For MBA student Abby Baldwin, the experience offered a behind-the-scenes education that few students ever receive.

“I’ve participated in events where you only see the polished final product,” Baldwin said. “This gave us a true behind-the-scenes look at everything—from planning and setup to execution and teardown. Seeing the level of intention and attention to detail behind every decision was eye-opening.”

Beyond the behind-the-scenes experience, the pace of the festival challenged students to think on their feet, solve problems under pressure, and work seamlessly as part of a professional team.

“The hardest part was staying on top of your game while working long hours and continuing to represent both the client and Butler well,” Baldwin said. “But the group we were with kept encouraging each other. We kept the bigger picture in mind.”

The experience also reinforced what Baldwin believes makes Butler’s approach distinctive.

“Experiential learning at Butler has no borders,” Baldwin said. “Less than a year after BISE was created, we were already working on a global stage. That’s something we never would have expected, and I’m incredibly grateful to have been part of it.”

For Riley, the week confirmed he had chosen the right path.

“I told my parents this is probably the greatest thing I’ve done for myself at Butler,” he said. “The opportunities and the people you meet are second to none.”

For Camden, that’s exactly why she believes more organizations should embrace the BISE model.

“I would encourage others in sports, entertainment, and event marketing to strongly consider this model,” she said. “There’s tremendous added value for companies in the level of talent, enthusiasm, and work product ach

ieved, but even more importantly, you’re giving students experiences that can shape the trajectory of their careers.”

For Schultz, Camden’s decision to call Butler in the first place speaks to what BISE is building.

“When Sara called Butler instead of an event staffing company, I knew we were accomplishing exactly what we set out to do,” Schultz said. “BISE was created to prepare students to contribute from day one while helping organizations solve real business challenges. Seeing one of our industry partners place that level of trust in our students on one of the world’s biggest stages for marketing and creativity is incredibly rewarding. It’s proof that when you trust students with meaningful work, they’ll exceed your expectations.”