On Friday, Feb. 25, terpAMA and the Smith School Marketing Department held their
second annual undergraduate marketing conference at Van Munching Hall. Almost 100 students
attended the conference where they heard presentations by six major companies and participated
in a case competition.
Manas Kulkarni, a sophomore marketing and operations double major and vice president
of terpAMA, said this year’s event was a huge success.
“Our collaboration with the Smith School this year enabled us to have the funds and
resources necessary to kick things up a notch,” he said. “We had more renowned companies
involved and a lot more students in attendance.”
This year’s event featured presentations by companies including the Washington Post,
Macy’s, Marriott International and the American Red Cross. Representatives from each company
gave presentations to terpAMA members and others about the marketing applications in their
respective fields. Some companies discussed potential internship opportunities for the students.
After the presentations, terpAMA members broke into teams of four for a case
competition. The case was given by Unilever to reintroduce a product into the U.S. called
Sunsilk. Teams gave a ten-minute presentation followed, by a question and answer period.
Alex McCord, a junior marketing and operations double major and member of terpAMA,
was on the winning team, which was awarded $2,000.
“It was great to gain hands-on experience with a company while trying to solve a real
world problem,” she said. “I think this year’s event was a huge success.”
Besides the conference, terpAMA holds other events that feature speakers and case
competitions. They also go on trips each year around the nation.
“Our chapter of AMA (American Marketing Association) helps students understand
marketing outside the classroom,” Kulkarni said. “We connect with people who are living and
breathing marketing.”