Business Students Earn High Rankings in Marketing Competition
Three College of Business students placed fourth and sixth overall among 55 teams competing in business simulations at the American Marketing Association (AMA) 2022 International Collegiate Conference.
Jasmin Mejia, Felicia Urban and Ethan Wood said they successfully applied classroom lessons to finish fourth, the highest ranking of any Texas university, in a simulation that rated teams on financial and marketing performance and marketing effectiveness. In a second simulation, in which the three placed first in their grouping and sixth overall, the students were required to use forecasting skills, create new research and development projects and increase profit margins. The sixth-place finish was the second-highest of any Texas team.
“Across all of the competitions in which I participated one common theme is that they all felt so real,” Wood said. “We were all tasked with analyzing business statistics, working in fast-paced environments and dividing sizeable responsibilities. These skills are all essential in our modern business workforce. The judging tended to be very objective and results-based, taking into consideration the impacts of our team’s decisions.”
The College of Business contributed funding for the students to attend the conference, which annually draws about 1,000 marketing professionals and students from national and international universities.“The opportunities to learn are endless,” said Urban, who serves as executive vice president for the AMA’s student group. “I found myself using a lot of what I am currently learning in my marketing and management courses within the competitions.”
The conference was a first for all three students. Wood said, “my key takeaway is to be a risk-taker. The only way to grow is to push yourself to engage with a real challenge, and that is exactly what I did by attending the conference.”
Mejia, who serves as AMA student president, said attending conferences allows students to apply education in a real-world setting and build community around shared interests. “There are no negative consequences when joining an organization. It is the best way to find everything you have been searching for,” she said.