A team of students from the University of Southern Indiana Romain College of Business American Marketing Association (AMA) chapter had the chance to travel to New Orleans for the 2024 AMA International Collegiate Conference on April 11-13. This is the third international conference the chapter has participated in since becoming a full time member in 2021.
The seven USI students—Mackenzie Hildebrandt, Josiah Johnson, Gracie Madison, Garett Morley, Chloe Naas, Alex Perry and Jake Rusk—were joined by faculty advisors Dr. Nicolas Jankuhn, Assistant Professor of Marketing, and Dr. Sabinah Wanjugu, Assistant Professor of Marketing. Students competed against over 1,000 peers from more than 350 institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University and the British Columbia Institute of Technology, in several different competitions.
“As a co-faculty advisor, I am very proud of our students' representation of both the Romain College of Business and USI. Their hard work and professionalism was evident throughout the conference,” Jankuhn said. “I also would like to thank the USI Foundation, the Romain College of Business and the Student Government Association. Their generous support was crucial in making this very rewarding educational experience possible for our students.”
Wanjugu added, “They excelled in a tough competition against students from top institutions across North America. This experience not only honed their marketing skills but also fostered invaluable connections and insights from industry leaders. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all supporters whose generosity made this enriching educational journey possible for our students. Congratulations to our students for their outstanding representation of USI and the Romain College of Business on a global stage."
Team members had the opportunity to compete in a few different competitions including a design lab marketing challenge, marketing strategy competition, marketplace business simulation, perfect pitch competition, sales competition and a T-shirt design competition. Jankuhn and Wanjugu also had the opportunity to serve as judges for another challenge, the case competition.
Students enjoyed the opportunity to showcase their skills in these competitions and even expressed how classes they’ve taken in the Romain College of Business prepared them for the events.
“AMA ICC 2024 was the perfect opportunity to put the skills I’ve learned from USI into practice,” said Rusk. “The sales methods I learned in Dr. (Chad) Milewicz’s Personal Selling course were identical to the ones used in the Sales Competition, so I was prepared to compete with confidence.”
Alex Perry added, “Competing with students from all over was not only exciting but also helped me develop skills I know will be useful in my future classes and career. I am very thankful to USI and to all those who made this trip possible.”
While at the conference, students visited a job fair that included representatives from companies such as Google, Mattel and Sherwin-Williams and attended several different workshops to learn more about everything from artificial intelligence to career advice. Students also had the opportunity to watch presentations from keynote speakers Chris Epple, Vice President of Marketing at HARMAN International, and Bennie Johnson, CEO of the American Marketing Association.
Students were able to experience the city of New Orleans while immersing themselves in the culture of the town. The trip was an opportunity for students to network with like-minded peers from across the country.
“Of course, the competitions taught me a lot of new things about the marketing world, but mostly the environment of being around other people who are as passionate as me is what I enjoy most,” said Madison. “The competitions, insight from speakers, and networking with other students provided me with an opportunity I can't find anywhere else. I'm extremely lucky to have attended a college that gives its students the tools to take part in things like the AMA ICC.”
Students are excited to take the knowledge they gained into their classes, and hope to continue to elevate the chapter to new heights.
“My favorite part of ICC 2024 was immersing myself in the professional academic culture. I am excited to integrate what I learned into USI's AMA chapter,” said Josiah Johnson. “Our local chapter is ready to take what we learned into the 2024-25 academic year.”