More than 1,500 high school students from across Missouri will vie for statewide honors in a marketing competition that starts Monday, March 18. The contests are part of the annual Missouri DECA State Career Development Conference held at the Lodge of Four Seasons at Lake of the Ozarks. Students qualified to compete at the state level by placing highly in district competitions to be held in February.
Students may participate in over 40 events including principles of business administration, business planning and operations, marketing research, fashion merchandising promotion, advertising, team projects, leadership academies, and entrepreneurship projects. DECA’s industry-validated competitive events are aligned with the National Curriculum Standards in the career clusters of marketing, business management and administration, finance, and hospitality and tourism.
During the statewide DECA conference, DECA members will be evaluated by more than 100 business and industry professionals who serve as competitive events judges. Students participating in the competitive events problem-solve realistic workplace topics and case studies through one-on-one interaction with an executive or community member.
More than $10,000 of new scholarships awarded by DECA and Missouri businesses also will be announced during the conference.
Winners will advance to international DECA competition to be held April 24-27 in Anaheim, California.
DECA is an international association of high school students studying marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Missouri DECA ranks sixth in the nation in membership with more than 8,500 members. There are 179 DECA Chapters across the state.
For more information on Missouri DECA, visit online at http://dese.mo.gov/divcareered/deca.htm.
