Six students presented marketing proposals last month to NCAA and ACC officials in an effort to increase ticket sales for the Division I NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum from March 30 to April 1.
Students developed three proposals targeting regional youth groups, Girl Scouts of the USA, and active adults.
Elon students Brad Holloman, Brandie Pifer, Chris Stearns, Jason Williams, Megan Farrell, and Scott Wajda worked on marketing pitches that were made to a panel of Division I athletic administrators, ACC administrators, Greensboro Coliseum representatives, and selected faculty at the ACC Headquarters in Greensboro on Jan. 31, 2008.
Elon’s proposal, which was the only proposal presented by undergraduate students, was judged against other proposals submitted by graduate programs at Virginia Commonwealth University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and N.C. State University.
“This was an experiential learning opportunity that we felt our students needed to be a part of for several reason,” Weaver said. “It allows our students to transform theory into practice, but it also introduced them to the reality of marketing and sales. In a short amount of time, the group of students were required to create and sell an idea, all while dealing with the pressures of a deadline.
“Finally, it allowed our students to work with representatives from several NCAA Division I organizations, the Atlantic Coast Conference, and faculty from well respected graduate programs.”
After the presentations, Elon students were given a tour of the ACC offices and a chance to interact with ACC officials and faculty from each graduate program.
“This was a tremendous experience for not only myself, but for the whole group,” said junior Brad Holloman, one of the two presenters. “This allowed all of us a chance to work closely with professionals in our industry and gain a valuable experience in a field we would all like to enter.”
– Article submitted by Tony Weaver