A team of Conestoga marketing students won first place and brought home the gold medal from the Ontario Colleges’ Marketing Competition (OCMC) held November 26 and 27 at the Toronto Hilton. This year, more than 200 students representing 12 colleges participated.
A team of Conestoga Marketing students scored first place at Ontario Colleges’ Marketing Competition held November 26 and 27 in Toronto. Conestoga will host the competition in 2016.
The annual competition is designed to showcase the business talents of college students throughout the province; competitors faced 10 exercises that simulated real-world business challenges. Over the last 19 years, Conestoga has placed as one of the top three colleges 15 times.
"Success at the OCMC requires a bit of a perfect storm,” said Lisa Symons, professor in Conestoga’s School of Business. “The right mix of students, the right connection of coaches to teams and the right learning curve that peaks at the right moment. Throw in the dedication and determination of highly competitive students and you come home with the trophy."
Conestoga’s team - selected through an application and tryout process - has been training for the OCMC since September. Each competition event had a dedicated faculty coach that led a weekly training regimen, including, at minimum, 60 minutes of practice. There were also training sessions for the whole team, culminating in a “boot camp” the week before the competition.
"There is no better opportunity for a Conestoga Marketing student than to try out for OCMC,” said Marketing student Justin Rosevear. “The chance to work with dedicated coaches on a one-on-one basis, the networking opportunities and the skills you gain from competing in an event like this are some of the best experiences Conestoga can offer you.”
The OCMC is hosted by a different college each year, with volunteer faculty handling the organization. George Brown hosted the 2015 competition and Conestoga will serve as host in 2016.
Conestoga’s OCMC team: Stuart Arsenault, John Barber, Adrian Deosaran, Nicole DeRaucourt, Shenleighanne Devereux, Mitchel Gomes, Carly Groen, Hanna Johnson, Ashton Koch, Amy Larsen, Andrew Nguyen, Sarah O’Neill, Suzanne Paquin, Melissa Pelley, Justin Rosevear, Stephanie Suderman, Mackenzie Taylor and Annemarie VanLagen.