AMA wins big in the Big Easy
Released: April 10, 2008
When it comes to competition, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater sets the standard both nationally and internationally for all things education. After a string of first place finishes at the International Collegiate Conference, the American Marketing Association (AMA) once again came away highly decorated following the 30th anniversary of this year's conference in New Orleans, La.
Short of one vote that was given to the eventual winner, the University of Pennsylvania- Wharton School of Business, the UW-Whitewater AMA chapter still had much to smile about when they returned to campus.
"As the 2006-2007 International Best Chapter, we did not figure we would win again this year," Jimmy Peltier, AMA faculty advisor said. "To lose by only one vote is impressive and our members are very happy-the prize money doesn't hurt either."
Perhaps, winning has become habitual for the UW-Whitewater chapter, as they had won six consecutive years prior to this year. "It may sound self-serving, but even when we don't win Chapter of the Year, we are still seen as the university to beat," Scott Swanson, marketing department chair, said. "It is common to hear others say things like 'how do they compare to Whitewater?'"
The chapter did well in other areas of collegiate competition. For example, they finished third in the Karl Mann Best Web site Competition. "It is an honor to have been recognized as one of the best Web sites," Brian Horrel, chapter Webmaster, said.
The signature moment of the conference was the chapter's Elite 8 appearance in the Case Competition, which gauged students' skills and strategies in marketing for McGraw Hill, a publisher of educational materials. The case competition was open to students from 45 schools and several countries; however, the UW-Whitewater chapter was one of the remaining schools in the Elite 8. For their second place finish, the chapter was awarded a $2,500 check.
"The fact we did so well and continue to do so year after year is a testament to the quality of students that we have and shows just hard they are willing to work at when reaching for a goal," Carol Scovotti, UW-Whitewater's AMA case coordinator, said.
Senior Jill Rath added, "This case competition has provided all of us with real world marketing experience and exposed us to creating a marketing campaign for executives. I'm very thankful for the opportunity and experience that AMA and UW-Whitewater have given to us."
The chapter's recent success has everyone talking, even the dean. "The UW-Whitewater AMA chapter has had an incredible history of outstanding performances," Christine Clements said. "This takes tremendous commitment on the part of the students and their faculty advisors. We are very proud of their efforts and their success."
The conference brings together more than 1,000 of the best and brightest marketing students, as well as their professors and faculty advisors for three days of career training and networking. For more information, contact Peltier at (262) 472-5474.
- Lequez Spearman,spearmanlt22@uww.edu
