A team of 15 students from the Business Administration - Marketing program of Conestoga College has just returned from Niagara College in Niagara-on-the-Lake having earned the team championship in the annual Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition (OCMC), a test of multiple skills in marketing involving teams from 15 Ontario colleges. OCMC 2008 took place on November 13-15.
This is the twelfth straight year that a Conestoga team has turned in a medal-winning performance. In 2007 and 2006, the marketing team took bronze. 2005 was a silver medal performance. Conestoga won the gold medal at OCMC 2004 and the silver in 2003. In 2002, Conestoga earned the bronze medal. In 2001, 2000 and 1999, Conestoga was the silver medal team. In 1998 and 1997, Conestoga won the gold.
At the Niagara competition, Conestoga achieved a team score of 54 points, well ahead of second-place Niagara (47) and bronze medal winner St. Lawrence (45).
Members of the Conestoga team are: Daniela Mota, Corey Oullette and Thomas Schertzer of Kitchener; Milton Moffett and Lori-Beth Pentsa of Waterloo; Matteo Elieff , Danielle Gavloski and Shauna Proctor of Cambridge; Chris Ament of Listowel; Jaclyn Martin of Millgrove; Torben Nielsen of Lucknow; Nathan Rayner of Dundas; Stephanie Reiley of Southampton; Jennifer Soule of Guelph and Ryan Warner of Ayr.
The OCMC presents practical problems and challenges in areas such as sales management, marketing research, international marketing, sales presentations, direct marketing, entrepreneurship, retailing and job interviews. There is even a Reach-for-the-Top style, quick response contest.
Scoring takes into account performance in individual, group and team events, and Conestoga entrants finished in the top five in seven of the nine separate events. In terms of individual medals, gold went to these members of the Conestoga team: Gavloski, Pentsa, Rayner and Soule in the Quiz Bowl; Ament and Schertzer in Direct Marketing Case; and Moffett and Mota in Retail Case. Winning silver was Proctor in Job Interview. Earning bronze were Ament and Martin in International Case, and Nielsen and Reiley in Sales Management Case.
Business Administration - Marketing and Business Administration - Marketing Co-op prepares graduates for employment in marketing, professional sales, retailing and general business administration in the industrial, commercial and service sectors. Offered at the Doon campus in Kitchener, the program features an optional co-operative education component.
Contact: Lisa Symons, 519-748-5220, ext. 3864, lsymons@conestogac.on.ca