University of Wisconsin-Stout will host the DECA District I Career Development Conference for the 47th straight year on Saturday, Jan. 12.
The event, organized and run by the UW-Stout Marketing and Business Education Association, is an applied learning experience for high school competitors and leaders from regional marketing and business education programs.
The competition is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Memorial Student Center, followed by awards. An orientation for judges begins at 9 a.m.
More than 580 student participants from 19 area high schools are registered.
They will compete in 18 individual and eight team events. Students’ skills are tested in business services, marketing management, hospitality and tourism, marketing strategy, retail sales and services, sports and entertainment marketing, financial services, and entrepreneurship.
Winners and runners-up in each category advance to the state competition March 4-6 in Lake Geneva.
More than 80 regional business and marketing professionals volunteer as competition judges. To volunteer, register online.
The event is coordinated by students in the UW-Stout Marketing and Business Education Association.
“The conference concurrently prepares the university’s marketing and business education majors to become teachers while benefiting high school competitors,” said Professor Urs Haltinner, director of UW-Stout’s doctorate degree in career and technical education and an event coordinator.
UW-Stout offers a bachelor’s degree program in marketing and business education as well as the most extensive array of career and technical education teaching degrees in the UW System.
DECA has 215,000 members in 3,500 high school chapters and 275 collegiate chapters.
“DECA prepares youth for career pathways in marketing, business management and administration. It is the premier career and technical student organization serving marketing programs in high schools and colleges around the globe,” Haltinner said.
For more information about the competition, contact Haltinner, haltinneru@uwstout.edu, 715-232-1493, or student conference co-coordinator Allison Rigotti, rigottia7457@my.uwstout.edu.
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Urs Haltinner
