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2020 AMA International Collegiate Conference

New Orleans, LA

Greater Together

The AMA International Collegiate Conference is one of the best investments you can make as an aspiring marketer, and we invite you to join us March 12-14, 2020. Take your marketing to the next level next year, and join over 1,700 marketers in New Orleans for professional development, cutting-edge career advice, competitions, networking and fun.

The conference is specifically geared toward undergraduate marketing students looking to learn from industry professionals about careers and cutting edge marketing and sales practices, AMA collegiate chapters that want to celebrate their successes and learn best practice chapter management techniques and students and AMA faculty advisors wanting to network with their peers.

The AMA International Collegiate Conference can inspire you and give you the tools you need to start your career as a young marketing professional.


Coronavirus Update

The 2020 AMA International Collegiate Conference is proceeding as scheduled. Because your health and safety are important to us, we continue to communicate with our host venue who in turn is working with local health officials to monitor updates to COVID-19. We’re also following recommendations from the World Health Organization for safely hosting this event.

Additionally, we know you may feel uneasiness about traveling right now, so we will issue a full refund of your conference registration if you choose not to attend. Click below to learn more about that process and other ICC20 coronavirus related updates.


Pricing

Early-Bird (ends 02/07/20)Standard Price
AMA Member$225$260
Non-Member$275$310

Need to register multiple attendees?


Faculty Advisor Registration

Current faculty advisors with active AMA memberships are eligible for complimentary registration in exchange for judging a collegiate competition this academic year.

The deadline to sign up for complimentary registration expired on 2/7/2020. If you are an active faculty advisor and would like to register for the discounted rate of $100 for your conference registration, please email membersupport@ama.org or call us at 1-800-AMA-1150 to process your registration!


Collegiate Awards & Competitions

Show your skills and get rewarded for the great work you’re doing. Competitions and awards are a major part of ICC.


Career Fair

Don’t miss the opportunity to meet recruiters from around the country at this year’s ICC Career Fair happening Friday, March 13 .


2019 Recap

Get a glimpse of what to expect at the AMA International Collegiate Conference.


Need to register multiple attendees?


AMA Event Policies

Wednesday, March 11

Early Registration

Whether you’re participating in a Thursday morning activity or just want to beat the rush, pick up your badge Wednesday afternoon!

Thursday, March 12

Conference Registration

Come check-in, get your badge, program guide at-a-glance and more information on the event.

SABRE Business Simulation

The SABRE Business Simulation takes place at the AMA International Collegiate Conference. SABRE provides the framework which immerses the participants in a dynamic, competitive situation. Teams may add and withdraw products from the marketplace as well as advertise, price, distribute and design those products to best fit varying market segments.

Registration opens at 12pm on February 5. This competition is B.Y.O.Laptop. Learn more here.

Case Competition Finals sponsored by Cotton Incorporated

Chapter Exhibit Setup

Confirmed chapters must send at least one representative to check-in by 12:00 pm or risk losing your space in the competition.

AMA Digital Marketing Bootcamp

An extra fee of $25 is required for this session.
This engaging, interactive and immersive session will not only equip you with the latest thinking in digital marketing strategy, but it will also prepare you to become an AMA Professional Certified Marketer® in Digital Marketing. Adding the letters P-C-M behind your name shows you’re serious about making a difference in the industry and this boot camp is a great first step in making it happen.
Registration has hit capacity for 2020 but a waitlist may be offered onsite.  

Student Poster Session

We are continuing our student poster session, which is a great way for your peers to showcase their research. Support your student peers and stop by, check out their posters, and ask questions! Research posters shown will include topics in the field of marketing, market analysis, market research, positioning maps, and more.

Learn more and submit your proposal here.

Faculty Advisor

New Faculty Advisor Workshop

For new faculty advisors: Get tips from the pros on being the best advisor you can be!

What to Expect at the Conference

Whether this is your first time or you’ve attended the AMA International Collegiate Conference in the past, we have so much to share with you! We have an exciting, educational and fun weekend planned, with a wide variety of choices. Join us for this quick session that will explain the schedule and we’ll recommend some of the “can’t miss” activities happening this weekend, and talk about the new changes for 2020.

Presidents' Council Roundtables

Social Scramble & T-Shirt Exchange

Taking a new look this year!

From Thursday to Saturday, find 4 students with different colored lines on their badges and have them sign your card. Write YOUR name on the back (so we know whose name to call!) and drop in the raffle drum at the 3rd floor registration desk for a chance to win some great prizes, announced Saturday night!
Bring your chapter t-shirts to exchange before the Thursday parade of chapters and evening keynote!
Faculty Advisor

Faculty Advisor Reception

Opening Kick-Off and Keynote

How to Score Your Dream Job AND Change the World

Meredith Ferguson, Managing Director of DoSomething Strategic, is excited to share her professional journey with you. She’s been instrumental in helping it grow into the organization it is today with 5 million members in 131 countries, empowering young people to change their local communities and their world in a big way.  Join her in learning about how you, too, can use your power to take action on the causes you’re passionate about.

Meredith Ferguson

Managing Director, DoSomething Strategic

Chapter Exhibits & T-Shirt Competition

The Collegiate Chapter Exhibits Competition, sponsored by PPAI, is a can’t-miss highlight of the AMA International Collegiate Conference. These exhibits, presented in trade show fashion by AMA collegiate chapters, give chapters an opportunity to be creative and show off their accomplishments. Fellow students, as well as guest judges, will select the winners!

Learn more and enter your chapter exhibit here.

Chapters are encouraged to design a chapter t-shirt that represents their chapter or university spirit. Students will have the opportunity to exchange t-shirts with fellow AMA chapters and enter to compete in the Chapter T-Shirt Competition, sponsored by PPAI.

Students are encouraged to bring as many chapter or school shirts as they would like to exchange, and also bring one to display for the t-shirt competition. The chapter that designs the winning t-shirt wins a reserved table, front and center, at the Saturday ICC awards banquet! This is a great way to get to know other conference attendees as well as getting some cool shirts.

Learn more and enter your t-shirt design here.

Friday, March 13

Career Advice Panel

Marketing Strategy Competition (AM Session)

The Marketing Strategy Competition takes place at the AMA International Collegiate Conference. We level the playing field for all schools, big and small, to challenge your wit, speed and presentation skills.

This one is all using your knowledge and experience to react quickly to come up with a case solution.

Online registration for both the morning and afternoon sessions opens February 5, 2020 at 12PM CST.

Each AMA chapter is allowed one team for the entire competition. That means one team of up to two students may register for eith​er the AM or PM session, but not both AM or PM sessions. Should a team from your University register for both, the last team to register will be canceled. Please plan together with your chapter members before registering only ONE TEAM from your chapter for this competition.

Perfect Pitch Competition

Must be registered and confirmed prior to conference.

The 200+ individuals who signed up pre-conference will be competing in this fast-paced pitch competition. While not truly a sales-specific role-play, the AMA Perfect Pitch Competition is a 90 second interview in which you position yourself as being “right for the job.”

This is a skill that every marketing professional needs to develop. Like an elevator pitch competition, your goal is to provide 2-3 key selling points why you are an ideal candidate and then supporting these qualifications with examples. The end goal is to close the deal and get hired!

A Final Round will take place Saturday morning, with the winner and top-performing students announced at the Saturday Awards Banquet.

Learn more and register here.

Faculty Advisor

Faculty Paper Sessions

Faculty sessions will consist of refereed paper presentations based on submission of extended abstracts that have been accepted.

All papers will undergo a double-blind review process. Accepted papers will be published digitally in on the AMA website.

Learn more and submit your paper here.

Career & Leadership Pop-Up Workshops

New for 2020!
Learn valuable skills from marketing practitioners that can be applied in both the workplace and within your chapters. A collection of eight 25-minute sessions will cover several topics, including conflict resolution, personal branding, and Clifton StrengthsFinder.

Matt Schaeffer

Marketing Strategy Manager, Cambia Health Solutions

Jennifer Schultz

Director of Marketing and Communications, University of Nebraska Foundation

Career Fair

Experience Speaks! Concurrent Session #1

The Power of Social Media in Building a Brand! – Amanda Nighbert

Agency Life: Real Stories of Failure & Success – Jess Reilly

The Power of a Career Pivot – Katie Fabry

Making a Difference via Marketing Leadership – Neil Golden

Amanda Nighbert

Founder, LEAN with Amanda

Jess Reilly

Senior Vice President, Marketing Services, Rebel Interactive Group

Sam Joffray

Senior Vice President of Communications, Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation

Katie Fabry

Senior Marketing Manager, Student Memberships, The Wall Street Journal

Neil Golden

Faculty, Northwestern Medill IMC and Former Chief Marketing Officer, McDonald's USA

Experience Speaks! Concurrent Session #2

See app for specific session details.

Amanda Nighbert

Founder, LEAN with Amanda

Jess Reilly

Senior Vice President, Marketing Services, Rebel Interactive Group

Sam Joffray

Senior Vice President of Communications, Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation

Katie Fabry

Senior Marketing Manager, Student Memberships, The Wall Street Journal

Neil Golden

Faculty, Northwestern Medill IMC and Former Chief Marketing Officer, McDonald's USA

Sales Competition

This International Sales Competition and lunch is open only to attendees who pre-registered for the Sales Competition and received confirmation prior to the Conference.

Finalists will advance to Saturday morning, and winners will be announced at the Saturday Awards Banquet.

Learn more and register here.

Faculty Advisor

Faculty Luncheon/Table Topics

Lunch

Marketing Strategy Competition (PM Session)

SABRE Recap

Cam Tipping will discuss the SABRE Business Simulation competition that took place on Thursday. Everyone is welcome to learn more about SABRE for next year’s competition and the world of competitive market simulations. Plus, the winners will be announced!

Learn more and register here.

Leading Your Chapter to Success Session

You will get the opportunity to hear from other top collegiate chapter leaders on best practices around the following topics:

  • Becoming a Top Chapter
  • Chapter Plan and Annual Report
  • Chapter Operations and Planning
  • Membership Recruitment and Retention
  • Successful Communications Strategies
  • Creating a Successful Marketing Week

Leading Your Chapter to Success Concurrent Session

You will get the opportunity to hear from other top collegiate chapter leaders on best practices around the following topics:

  • Tips from Platinum Circle Chapters
  • Enhancing Professional Development
  • Case Competition Workshop
  • Community & Social Impact
  • Become a Top Small Chapter
  • Fundraising

 

Afternoon Career Panel: Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace

Competitions Awards Ceremony and Keynote

Kim will share her personal journey during a 25-year career at Cotton Incorporated from analytics to marketing and pass on the lessons she’s learned.  Looking forward, she’ll then discuss the rapid rate of change in the marketing industry and take a glimpse into the future to see what may be awaiting aspiring marketing professionals.

Kim Kitchings

Senior Vice President, Consumer Marketing, Cotton Incorporated

Saturday, March 14

Continental Breakfast

Faculty Advisor

Faculty Advisor Breakfast with Collegiate Chapters Council

Perfect Pitch Competition Finals

Marketing Strategy Competition Finals

AMA Sales Competition Finals

Experience Speaks! Concurrent Session #1

Journeys and Pivots – Sabir Semerkant
E-Commerce Success Playbook – Sabir Semerkant

What is a traditional career path, anyway? – Drew West and Melissa Minneci

Marketing Yourself in a New Era (get in touch with Stacy!) – Stacy Armijo

Vanessa Torres

Assistant Vice President, Enrollment Management, Texas A&M University - San Antonio

Stacy Armijo

Chairperson, AMA Board of Directors and Chief Experience Officer, Amplify Credit Union

Kirby Hasseman

CEO, Hasseman Marketing & Communications

RJ Thompson

Associate Director of Student Engagement in the College of Business Administration, University of Pittsburgh

Sabir Semerkant

Strategic Advisor, SharkTank

Drew West

General Manager of Global Academic Partnerships, The Trade Desk

Melissa Minneci

Global Academic Partnerships & Programs, The Trade Desk

Experience Speaks! Concurrent Session #2

See app for session details.

Vanessa Torres

Assistant Vice President, Enrollment Management, Texas A&M University - San Antonio

Stacy Armijo

Chairperson, AMA Board of Directors and Chief Experience Officer, Amplify Credit Union

Kirby Hasseman

CEO, Hasseman Marketing & Communications

RJ Thompson

Associate Director of Student Engagement in the College of Business Administration, University of Pittsburgh

Sabir Semerkant

Strategic Advisor, SharkTank

Drew West

General Manager of Global Academic Partnerships, The Trade Desk

Melissa Minneci

Global Academic Partnerships & Programs, The Trade Desk

Preparing the Winning Case Entry

The winning Case presentation will be presented immediately after a brief introduction- don’t miss it!

Sales & Marketing Roundtables

This on-site component of the AMA Sales & Marketing Roundtables offers students the opportunity to connect and network in small groups with sales and marketing professionals around topics related to sales, career development, and various marketing hot topics.

Lunch will be provided for confirmed participants and there will be an open networking session to connect with the professional small group facilitators. There is no charge for this program, but you must register (opening January 29) in order to participate!

Note: This event conflicts with the Marketplace Simulation on Saturday afternoon.

Marketplace Business Simulation

Start up a new marketing division for a large, international company. Your goal? Launch a revolutionary new product line.

Test your marketing skills in this unknown market. Can you satisfy demanding customers, beat aggressive competitors, and earn big bucks in this innovative marketing simulation?

Let the battle for world domination begin.

Learn more and register here.

Chapter Awards Banquet

Join the Collegiate Chapters Council as they present awards to the AMA Collegiate Chapters for excellent work completed during the year. The recipients of the International Chapter of the Year, Top Small Chapters, Student Marketer of the Year, USCA Sales Student of the Year, AMA International Sales Competition, Marketing Strategy Competition, Hugh G. Wales Faculty Advisor of the Year Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award will also be announced.

Doors open at 5:00 PM. Dinner Buffet closes at 7:00 PM.

Business or evening attire required.

Meredith Ferguson

Managing Director, DoSomething Strategic

Meredith Ferguson is the Managing Director of DoSomething Strategic—the consulting arm of DoSomething.org, the largest global organization for young people and social impact. DoSomething Strategic uses data-driven insights from DoSomething’s 5 million members to help brands and organizations build a relationship with young people (under 30!) around purpose and social impact.

Meredith’s career has spanned both client and agency roles, where she’s led youth-focused engagement and business-driving strategies for national retail, health, and restaurant brands. She speaks globally on the power of young people and purpose at conferences including ANA, YMS, PSFK, PromaxBDA, &Then, IEG, and Brand ManageCamp.

Meredith is an adjunct professor of Public Interest Marketing at Fordham University and has served as a judge for the Positive Change Effie Awards and the D&AD Impact Awards. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt Law School where she was a founding member of the Vanderbilt Child & Family Law Clinic. When not striving to bake the perfect chocolate chip cookie, Meredith can be found watching a musical or play in New York City with her husband and two kids.

Kim Kitchings

Senior Vice President, Consumer Marketing, Cotton Incorporated

Kim Kitchings is the Senior Vice President of Consumer Marketing at Cotton Incorporated.  Kim leads consumer and trade advertising, public relations, corporate strategy, global market insights and strategic alliances.  In this role, Kim’s primary goals are to motivate consumers and the trade to buy items made of cotton and to affirm cotton as the fiber of choice for sustainable and eco-friendly products.

Kim joined Cotton Incorporated in 1996 as manager of market research and prior to her current position she was Vice President of Corporate Strategy & Program Metrics.  Over her 20 year career in the cotton industry, Kim has been instrumental in strategic assessments of global consumer demand and market evaluations for cotton.  Market analytics are central to establishing cotton’s competitive position globally, impacting Cotton Incorporated’s product development portfolio, how to proactively communicate cotton’s benefits and sustainability to the industry as well as ease the consumer journey to find and buy cotton products.  Kim oversees the use of a wide-array of tools such as digital marketing, social media, television, strategic partnerships, and presentations to communicate cotton’s messages to various constituents.

Kim received a Bachelor of Arts in Business from North Carolina State University and Masters in Business Administration from Meredith College.  She is a frequent presenter at industry conferences on innovation, consumer insights and marketing.  Her passion beyond advocating on behalf of the cotton industry is spending time with her husband and three children and canvasing the retail market for cotton items—a professional bonus.

Amanda Nighbert

Founder, LEAN with Amanda

Amanda Nighbert is a registered dietitian specializing in weight loss nutrition. She is passionate about motivating, supporting and educating people to meet their wellness goals. After a 16 year career in the clinical setting she put it all on the line, leaving her full time job, to go digital as a weight loss dietitian. She started out with no office, no website, no marketing know-how, and basically no idea what she was doing. However, she persevered and learned how to leverage the power of social media.  One year later she had tripled her hospital salary! Three years later she developed her own app, employees over 15 people and has seven figure sales annually. Amanda will share her journey to becoming a digital and marketing expert. What she learned along the way and how she plans to continue to grow and scale her business in the future.

Jess Reilly

Senior Vice President, Marketing Services, Rebel Interactive Group

Jess leads the paid media, SEO, advertising, & data science departments, a team of full stack media strategists with a specialization in data-driven attribution and omni-channel advertising. Jess has over a decade of experience in the world of inbound marketing with a background in creative advertising and media market entrepreneurship. Her team enables Rebel to be a Google Certified Partner and Bing Accredited agency, with demonstrated success in traditional and digital mediums, in both B2B and D2C verticals, for SMB and major international brands.

SVP, Marketing Services Jess Reilly’s trademark leather jacket screams “Rebel.” But it’s her ability to crunch numbers and visualize data, as well as her creativity and background in visual arts, that enable her to approach marketing rebelliously, through both the eyes of the brand and the consumer.

Sam Joffray

Senior Vice President of Communications, Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation

Since joining the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation staff in 2000, Joffray has coordinated all communications for the organization and the events it hosts, including serving as the associate executive director for the 2013 Super Bowl Host Committee and local host liaison and executive director of WrestleManias XXX, in 2014, and XXXIV in 2018. As senior vice president of communications, he also leads event sales efforts for the organization, managing competitive bid processes that attract sporting events of all sizes to the City of New Orleans, including multiple NBA All Star Games, Final Fours, and the most announcement of Super Bowl LVIII, in 2024, marking a record 11th Super Bowl for New Orleans. Joffray’s management experience for major sporting events has also extended to providing contract services for the National Football League, where he has innovated, designed, and implemented media communications services and support for the 5,000 plus members of the media covering the past 21 consecutive Super Bowls, since 1997.

Joffray is also the founder of the New Orleans Jr Journalism Program, a 501c3 non-profit after-school newsroom in downtown N.O., where local high school students write on a regular basis to earn their access to major events. Over the past 3 years alone, students have covered an impressive list of events, building their portfolios of coverage before becoming college bound, including Super Bowl LII, WrestleMania, NBA All Star Game, College World Series, Sugar Bowls, as well as maintaining permanent seats and photo positions at all Saints and Pelicans games, just to name a few.

Vanessa Torres

Assistant Vice President, Enrollment Management, Texas A&M University - San Antonio

Vanessa C. Torres is a vivacious, creative, talented marketing professional specializing in integrated communications, strategy and implementation. A leader in higher education marketing in San Antonio, Vanessa currently serves as the Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Management at Texas A&M University – San Antonio. Previously, she was the Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications at San Antonio College and served as the Enrollment Communications Marketing Manager at St. Mary’s University.

In addition to her day job, Vanessa is an adjunct marketing/communications professor and has been a mentor with Big Brothers, Big Sisters of South Texas since 2012. She is also on the Board of the American Marketing Association (AMA) – San Antonio and served as its president in 2017-2018. In 2019, Vanessa joined the AMA’s Professional Chapters Council (PCC), a national advisory committee for AMA.

A native of San Antonio, Vanessa moved to Chicago to pursue higher education. She earned a B.A. in Marketing Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations from Columbia College Chicago and a M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications from Roosevelt University.

Matt Schaeffer

Marketing Strategy Manager, Cambia Health Solutions

Driven by creative and contrarian thinking, Matt is a teacher at heart. Working in creative and unconventional ways to answer the question “Why?” Matt has created and executed effective marketing campaigns for CPG brand Tillamook County Creamery Association (if you don’t know, now you know) and health care companies Kaiser Permanente and Cambia Health Solutions.

Matt doesn’t believe successful marketing comes from large budgets, but that the opposite is often true. Successful marketing is made possible by teams of engaged individuals, coming together around a passionately shared cause, who look to uncover the needs of the audience; then who take action to deliver a compelling story that drives desired behavior.

Matt considers himself a futuristic who enjoys learning, reading and generally improving. When not working, he can be found spending time with his wife and two kids (3.5 and 2 years), mentoring students at Portland State University and volunteering as a Special Olympics soccer coach.

Jennifer Schultz

Director of Marketing and Communications, University of Nebraska Foundation

Jennifer is a marketing and communications professional with more than 20 years experience in fitness, athletics, health care technology and higher education, presently serving as the Director of Marketing and Communications at the University of Nebraska Foundation. With a passion to always contribute, whether it is through professional or volunteer commitments, it is no surprise that her top five CliftonStrengths are: Individualization, Achiever, Analytical, Harmony and Focus. She’s a planner and an organizer. She loves the AP Stylebook. She fears failure and letting others down. She loves being in marketing because no single day is ever the same, so it feeds her need for organized chaos.

Personally, she has a wonderfully supportive husband of nearly 20 years and two children, Jacob (14) and Julia (9). They spend most of their “spare” time coaching and spectating at their kids’ sporting events, attending Husker football and volleyball games and occasionally relaxing on the deck of their relatively quiet home in the country.

Stacy Armijo

Chairperson, AMA Board of Directors and Chief Experience Officer, Amplify Credit Union

Stacy Armijo is Chief Experience Officer for Amplify Credit Union ($1B+). She joined in mid-2018 and was previously an executive with one of the largest independent public relations and marketing firms in Texas. Currently, she’s responsible for four lines of business, including: (1) marketing, communications & social impact; (2) retail, including branches, contact center & wealth management; (3) the payments & operations department; and (4) human resources & training.
 
She is charged with fusing the teams together who craft the promise Amplify makes to its members & employees with those who keep it.
 
Stacy is also active in the marketing profession with a long tenure of service to the American Marketing Association (AMA). Currently, she leads the organization as 2020 Chairperson of the national Board of Directors. Stacy was recognized for her involvement in 2019 when she was named AMA’s Ric Sweeney Chapter Volunteer of the Year.
 
In addition, she was a lecturer teaching Public Relations Strategies at the University of Texas at Austin for three years and she is a winner of the Austin Under 40 Award for Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations.
 
Beyond her profession, Stacy is involved in various aspects of the Austin community and was named a Woman of Influence by the Austin Business Journal. Currently, she serves on the Boards of Directors for the American Red Cross of Central Texas, Austin Area Research Organization, Austin Chamber of Commerce, Communities in Schools of Central Texas and the Greater Austin Crime Commission. She is also a graduate of the Emerge and Essential programs of Leadership Austin and was a Trusted Advisor for Vistage International for 10 years.
 
Stacy earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Texas at Austin and speaks regularly about cross-functional collaboration, leading from every seat, community service and more. She is also the lucky wife to husband Ronnie and mom to two boys, ages 10 and 6.

Kirby Hasseman

CEO, Hasseman Marketing & Communications

Kirby Hasseman is the CEO of Hasseman Marketing & Communications, a full-service marketing company and promotional products distributor.  Hasseman Marketing has four full-time internal employees and six salespeople.

Hasseman is a thought leader in the promotional products industry. He was also named as a Rising Star in the industry by PPB magazine.  Recently, out of 300,000 (some) industry professionals, he was recognized as a top social media influencer on two different industry lists.

Kirby hosts a weekly Web show called Delivering Marketing Joy where he interviews business leaders from around the country.  In addition, he co-hosts a weekly (award-winning) podcast called unScripted.  He is an industry leader in content creation.

Kirby has published four books.  His most recent is “The Give First Economy.” His book, called Delivering Marketing Joy is about doing “promo right” and is perfect for people in the industry and customers.  He also wrote “Think Big For Small Business” and “Give Your Way to Success.

RJ Thompson

Associate Director of Student Engagement in the College of Business Administration, University of Pittsburgh

RJ Thompson is the Associate Director of Student Engagement in the College of Business Administration at the University of Pittsburgh. He is a former tenured Assistant Professor of Graphic + Interactive Design in the Department of Art at Youngstown State University.

He is also the Co-Principal and Creative Strategist for +Public, a Pennsylvania-based social enterprise that focuses on cultivating community and economic development impact through the creation of branded communication platforms, creative place-making, and storytelling initiatives for communities-in-revival.

In 2015, he was one of several recipients of the National Endowment for the Arts “Our Town” grant, valued at $100,000, for the INPLACE (“Innovative Plan for Leveraging Arts & Community Engagement”) project. In 2017, RJ received a “Best of Marketing Award” from the Ohio Economic Development Association for his efforts in rebranding the City of Youngstown, Ohio.

RJ was accepted into the prestigious Cohort 2 of the National Arts Marketing Project, a program supported by Americans for the Arts and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. RJ also received a scholarship to join the National Arts Strategies Executive Program in Arts & Culture Strategy through the School of Public Policy at the University of Pennsylvania.

Katie Fabry

Senior Marketing Manager, Student Memberships, The Wall Street Journal

Katie Fabry is the senior marketing manager for student memberships at The Wall Street Journal. In her current position, she is focused on shifting student brand perception and driving student consideration. She oversees all campaigns and creative, on-campus events and newsroom promotion for students and young audiences. Prior to joining WSJ, Katie served as brand marketing manager for Clique, where she lead experiential, influencer and partnership marketing for the College Fashionista brand. She is an alumna of Stonehill College in Massachusetts where she studied communications and marketing.

Sabir Semerkant

Strategic Advisor, SharkTank

Sabir Semerkant is a 20+ year eCommerce & Amazon veteran delivering high-value growth to a variety of brands across multiple product categories. Growth hacking from 2X to 10X+ in top-line revenue and net profits. His most recent work includes transforming NaturesPlus, a beloved and iconic 50+-year-old vitamins and supplements company, to a digital/social brand across eCommerce channels. Additionally, he is a strategic advisor to sharks on the popular TV show, Shark Tank. Hit him up at questions@asksabir.com.

Drew West

General Manager of Global Academic Partnerships, The Trade Desk

Drew West is the General Manager of Global Academic Partnerships, overseeing global partnerships and programs with academia for The Trade Desk.

Since joining The Trade Desk in 2014, Drew has built The Trade Desk’s Global Services organization, including follow-the-sun coverage Support, Business Intelligence, API Support and Data Capture Support and Business Intelligence delivery capability from offices in New York, Chicago, London, Hamburg, Sydney, Hong Kong and our headquarters in Ventura, California. In 2019, Drew launched The Trade Desk’s Data Capture team to expand The Trade Desk’s capabilities in providing quality, actionable data that enhances the success of our clients, as well as the Global API Support team.

In 2020, Drew takes on a new challenge of building The Trade Desk’s global academic partnerships and programs. This new initiative will position The Trade Desk to collaborate with traditional and non-traditional education institutions to prepare students for successful careers within the AdTech industry.

Drew lives in Ojai, California and is an avid supporter of community service initiatives related to education, shelter and housing, food and nutrition, and at-risk senior and child assistance programs.

Melissa Minneci

Global Academic Partnerships & Programs, The Trade Desk

Melissa is on the Global Academic Partnerships & Programs team at The Trade Desk responsible for managing university relationships in Western North America and APAC to prepare students for successful careers within the AdTech industry.
Melissa started her career as an aeronautical engineer, moving into stealth technology, systems architecture, innovation, manufacturing and eventually into engineering leadership at a major defense contractor. As a female in STEM who is passionate about influencing an inclusive talent pipeline through a diverse lens, Melissa made a career transition leading Strategic Partnerships in Global Talent Acquisition Operations at The Trade Desk in 2018, to do just that. She built out the strategic execution for talent sourcing through employer branding, recruiting events, university relationships, employee referral program, agencies, and talent acquisition tech stack.
Melissa spends her time doing yoga to get grounded, volunteering to give back, and geeking out in the maker community to grow.

Neil Golden

Faculty, Northwestern Medill IMC and Former Chief Marketing Officer, McDonald's USA

Neil Golden began his relationship with Northwestern in 1979 when he started as an undergraduate student. He graduated in 1983. While he spoke at Medill and Kellogg periodically starting in 2007, he proudly joined the Medill faculty as lecturer and faculty adviser in 2014.
Golden is a Fortune 500 consumer products/retail leader with 15+ years of C-level and national leadership and long history of board engagement.
He currently serves as an independent board director for Restaurant Brands International, Learners Edge and Data Source.
 
Golden also serves as an advisory board member for Home Partners of America and executive consultant with Revenue Management Solutions.
Prior to this, Golden enjoyed a 24-year career with McDonald’s. His most recent position was chief marketing officer for McDonald’s USA, which he held for six years. During this time, he played an active role on the leadership team, which resulted in record visitation, sales, profits, market-share and stock valuation. Additionally, he held positions at Burger King and RC Cola Co. as well as competed on the Men’s International Professional Tennis Tour.
 
He has a track record of success in driving strong revenue, profit and market share results across diverse business environments in addition to his many years of experience serving on boards. Golden is masterful at changing business paradigms, creating clear and compelling vision, and inspiring and aligning diverse groups. He has earned a reputation as a customer advocate and pioneer in creating strong value propositions across multi-cultural, generational and economic segments. He is a known subject-matter expert in brand building, corporate image, multi-media and classic 4P marketing principles.
 
Golden is a native of Chicago and a proud family man who is happily married to his wife of 30 years and has four spirited and active children.

Conference Location

Sheraton New Orleans
500 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 525-2500

 


Room Rates

  • $252.00 (Single/Double) plus tax
  • $277.00 (Triple) plus tax
  • $302.00 (Quad) plus tax

> Click Here to Book Now

Or to reserve by phone, call (888) 627-7033.

Hotel reservations need to be completed by March 6, 2020. 

The hotel will continue to take reservations beyond the 4th based on availability.

A valid credit card is required to confirm and hold a reservation. Cancellations will be accepted without penalty if notice is received at least seventy-two (72) hours prior to arrival and a cancellation number is obtained.

An early departure fee of one night’s room and tax will apply if a guest checks out prior to the confirmed departure date.

Please know that any hotel room booked outside the AMA negotiated block may not be eligible for the discounted rate. Those reservations may also have a different cancellation policy and will not be eligible for reimbursement in the case of event cancellation.

 


Shipping to the Sheraton

Your chapter is responsible for shipping and storing any supplies, equipment, etc., needed for your display. If you are shipping materials, you must ensure that they arrive on the day you check-in to the hotel. The hotel does not provide storage for your exhibit and the AMA staff office will not be available for storage. Any items you bring must be stored in your guestroom.

Anything shipped to the hotel will incur a handling fee set up by FedEx office. Address you shipping labels as follows:

(Your Name)
Sheraton New Orleans
500 Canal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
Hold for guest arrival on (date you will arrive)
RE: AMA 2020 International Collegiate Conference – March 12-14, 2020

 


Internet Service

High-speed internet for email and browsing is complimentary in your guest room for up to three devices. For enhanced high-speed internet for video chat, large file downloads and video streaming (for up to three devices), a fee of $16.95 per day will be charged to your room account. Rooms must be reserved in the AMA room block to take advantage of the complimentary internet.

 


Air Travel Discount

The AMA has teamed up with Delta Air Lines to offer a special discount on air travel. Click here to get started. You can also call the Delta Meeting Network at (800) 328-1111 and refer to meeting code NMTSM. There is no service fee for reservations booked and ticketed via this service.

 


Airport Shuttle

Airport shuttle service is available from Airport Shuttle New Orleans at a cost of $24/person (one way) or $44/person (roundtrip). Reservations must be made at least 24 hours prior to your airport arrival time. The shuttle pick-up is at baggage claim area 10 at the Louis Armstrong International Airport. Reserve your shuttle here.

 


Area Information

Located on historic Canal Street just steps from the French Quarter, the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel is a short walk from Bourbon Street and steps away from the Mississippi River.  The Warehouse Arts District, Harrah’s Casino, the Aquarium of the Americas, IMAX Theater, the Superdome are all nearby, as are major malls including the Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, French Market and The Shops at Canal Place. Please visit New Orleans & Company for additional city information.

 


ADA

The AMA is committed to providing equal access to our meetings for all attendees. If you are an attendee with a disability and require program accommodations, please contact the AMA Support Center (800-AMA-1150 or customersupport@ama.org), and a member of our staff will ensure that appropriate access arrangements are made. If you have specific disability-related needs for your hotel sleeping room, please be sure to communicate those directly to the hotel when you make your reservation. In an effort to provide the highest quality of service to all attendees, we require that details of all access requests be communicated to our office at least 14 days in advance of the beginning of the meeting.

 

 

 

Case Competition Sponsor


Platinum Sponsors


 

 

Perfect Pitch Competition


Sales Competition Sponsor


Outbound Sales Competition


 

Simulation Sponsors


 

Sponsors

 


 

Career Fair Sponsors

 

 

 

 

What is the dress code for the conference?

Thursday, March 12

  • Chapter Casual (chapter t-shirts, jeans, sneakers, etc.)

Friday, March 13

  • Business Casual (no jeans, shorts or sneakers)

Saturday, March 14

  • Daytime: Business Casual 
  • Saturday Awards Banquet: Semi-Formal 

 


What meals will be covered at the conference?

  • Friday: Coffee/tea in the morning, lunch buffet
  • Saturday: Continental breakfast, banquet dinner

 


How can I register multiple attendees?

You can register multiple attendees with one payment by submitting this form to our AMA Support Center team. We will contact you to confirm we received your request and arrange for payment. You will not be charged when submitting this form.

 


Is WI-FI available?

High-speed internet for email and browsing is complementary in your guest room for up to three devices. For enhanced high-speed internet for video chat, large file downloads and video streaming (for up to three devices), a fee of $16.95 per day will be charged to your room account. Rooms must be reserved in the AMA room block to take advantage of the complimentary internet.

 


How do I sign up for competitions at the conference?

Registration for all the on-site competitions occurs in the months leading up to the conference. To find out more information about what competitions are happening and how to register, please visit our awards and competitions page for more details. 

 


How do I access the conference app?

Follow this link. You can also go into Google Play or the App Store and search “American Marketing Association”. Download the app with the navy blue and white AMA logo. Once open, search for “Collegiate” and “AMA 2020 International Collegiate Conference” should appear. Click “Get this guide” and it will open.

 

 

 

2020 AMA International Collegiate Conference