Bridging Distance, Expanding Opportunity: EDPA Foundation Recognized

Sachel Josefson, Associate Professor, Bemidji State University 

There are moments when gratitude feels less like a thank-you and more like a responsibility. 2025 was one of those moments for Bemidji State University, as it recognized the EDPA Foundation with the Builder Award at the Bemidji State University Alumni & Foundation Gala. From our perspective within the School of Technology, Art, and Design, this designation was not experienced as an endpoint or an accolade to celebrate in isolation, but as a reflection of something much greater, a long-standing belief in students, in preparation, and in the future of the experiential industry. The Builder Award recognized total giving of over $50,000 and a partnership rooted not in a single gesture but in consistency, trust, and a shared commitment to developing people who are ready to contribute meaningfully on day one of their future careers. 

Bemidji State University is acutely aware that none of the work and progress happens alone. The long-held Experience Design academic pathway and the newer Event Management academic pathway exist in their current form because of relationships that extend well beyond campus boundaries. For decades, the EDPA Foundation and its member companies have helped shape opportunities that allow students in northern Minnesota to access a fast-paced global industry. That support has translated into real, tangible outcomes, such as bringing industry professionals into the classroom, keeping the curriculum aligned with industry, investing in technology and fabrication resources, life-changing industry field trips, and creating pathways that connect education directly to meaningful career paths. 

The Builder Award recognizes sustained, transformational impact rather than a single moment of generosity. For students studying experience design or event management, the impact shows up when they can afford to attend an industry conference for the first time and suddenly understand the scale and pace of the profession they are entering. Professor Dr. Sachel Josefson says, “We can spend weeks talking about exhibits and tradeshows in the classroom, and sometimes students are still confused, but I can take them to a Tradeshow event, and they know, feel, and understand it right away. This is just another example of how sometimes the classroom gets in the way of the learning.“  Furthermore, the EDPA Foundation support also appears when a student presents their portfolio at an Upper Midwest EDPA chapter meeting or on the tradeshow floor of ExhibitorLive, surrounded by industry members, real pressure, and real possibilities. Support also shows up when an industry adjunct instructor teaches a course shaped by current practice, or when a student receives a little support that helps them relocate to an internship opportunity. This necessary support all makes sense when a recent graduate says yes to their first position with an EDPA member company. All this support from the EDPA Foundation and its member companies creates countless meaningful moments that do not always make headlines, but they always change lives. 

What makes the partnership between the EDPA Foundation and Bemidji State especially meaningful is its understanding of the future workforce reality. Unfortunately, Bemidji is not a major convention city and therefore does not have daily access to industry hubs such as Las Vegas, Orlando, Chicago, Washington, D.C., or Atlanta. Aware of such barriers, they work harder to reach the industry, often traveling farther and navigating additional financial and geographic barriers, such as fundraising to attend Euroshop in Düsseldorf, Germany, and doing an industry visit with EDPA Member The Inside in Deventer, Netherlands. The EDPA Foundation’s support helps bridge that distance. Investments in field experiences, technology access, guest speakers, internships, and industry-facing coursework do more than enhance education, as they make opportunity possible. They ensure that talent is not limited by zip code and that motivated students from urban and rural communities can enter the exhibit, exhibition, live event, and experience industry prepared and competitive. 

Bemidji State University’s recognition of the EDPA Foundation through the Builder Award was shared again at EDPA ACCESS 2025, where the industry gathered at its Gala celebration at Amelia Island, Florida, not only to celebrate but to further invest in the future. The EDPA Foundation Gala had record attendance and another record-setting fundraising night at ACCESS 2025. This served as a powerful reminder that when an industry chooses to invest collectively in scholarships, partner schools like Bemidji State University and FIT, and other good works, the return is not abstract. The impact of the EDPA Foundation shows up in people at events. Professor Dr. Bonnie Higgins would often ask at all EDPA events, "How many of you or someone you know has hired a Bemidji State University Graduate," Hands would fly up all over the room. It shows up in interns who become full-time hires, in young professionals who grow into future leaders, and in alumni who return as mentors, speakers, and advocates for the next generation. The impact of this EDPA Foundation work is visible not just in awards or programs, but in the continuity of talent entering the field with clarity, humility, and confidence. 

Bemidji State University’s Builder Award to the EDPA Foundation is less about recognition and more about stewardship. Professor Dr. Sachel Josefson says, “We are deeply grateful for every scholarship, every donation, every guest lecture, every portfolio review, and every conversation that the EDPA Foundation and EDPA members have shared with our students. Each one strengthens a pathway that benefits not only Bemidji State University but our industry as a whole. This Builder Award belongs to everyone who has contributed in both large and small ways. You are not simply supporting programs. You are helping shape the next generation of experience designers, event coordinators, project managers, detailers, estimators, experience producers, and future leaders. For that, we offer our sincere thanks and our continued commitment to preparing students who are ready to imagine and build whatever comes next in our industry.” The Builder Award reflects a shared commitment to the future, and Bemidji State University is honored to continue building alongside the EDPA Foundation and the EDPA member companies.