UBSI Bekasi Entrepreneur Fair: Sharpening Students' Business Mentality

Becoming an entrepreneur requires more than just a creative idea. It demands the courage to start, the ability to read market needs, and readiness to face challenges directly. This spirit was instilled by Universitas Bina Sarana Informatika (UBSI) Bekasi Campus through the Entrepreneur Fair, an entrepreneurship exhibition serving as a platform for students to implement business knowledge in the real world. The activity, held in the main hall of UBSI Bekasi Campus, featured 20 entrepreneurship booths managed independently by students from various classes. A variety of products were displayed, ranging from innovative culinary items and creative industry products to digital solutions developed based on simple research into market needs. The Entrepreneur Fair is part of practice-based learning designed so that students not only understand entrepreneurship theory in the classroom but also directly experience the process of building a business, from product planning and marketing strategy to financial management and customer service. Head of UBSI Bekasi Campus, Suhardi, stated that the activity is an effective learning medium for shaping students’ entrepreneurial character while they are still in college. Through the Entrepreneur Fair, students learn to face the real business world. They not only sell products but also learn market research, build marketing strategies, manage operations, and provide the best service to customers. ‘Experiences like this will be important provisions when they enter the workforce or build their own businesses,’ Suhardi said. He added that entrepreneurial skills are increasingly necessary amid the rapidly changing world of work. ‘We want students to have a mindset as opportunity creators, not just job seekers. An entrepreneurial spirit will make them more adaptive, creative, and able to create added value for society,’ he added. Entrepreneurship course lecturer at UBSI Bekasi Campus, Citra Dewi, explained that the Entrepreneur Fair is part of the learning assessment measuring students’ ability to implement business concepts comprehensively. ‘We do not only assess sales results, but also the process. Starting from how students conduct market analysis, determine prices, develop promotional strategies, to building communication with customers. All aspects are part of the competencies they must master,’ Citra explained. Student enthusiasm was evident throughout the activity. One participant, Rian Sanjaya, a student of the Information Systems Study Programme at UBSI Bekasi Campus, admitted to gaining valuable experience through the event. ‘Initially we doubted whether our product could compete with other booths. But after implementing a promotional strategy through social media and paying attention to the booth display, the results exceeded expectations,’ he said. He added that he learned business success is determined not only by product quality but also by how it is communicated to consumers. The activity also had a positive impact on local business actors who partnered with students in providing raw materials and supporting products. MSME partner Sumiati appreciated the collaboration established with UBSI Bekasi students. ‘The students are very creative in developing products from the materials we provide. This kind of collaboration not only helps their learning process but also benefits local business actors,’ Sumiati said. Through the Entrepreneur Fair, UBSI Bekasi Campus reaffirmed its commitment as a Creative Digital Campus that not only produces graduates with academic competence but also with an entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, innovation skills, and the courage to face business challenges. As the closing of the series of activities, the committee gave awards to the best booths based on aspects of product innovation, marketing strategy, presentation creativity, and sales achievement. The award is expected to motivate students to continue developing business ideas that have the potential to benefit society.