Photo credit Chloe Grondin
Battling tornadoes, flooding, flight delays and more, CAPUMA stood out against much larger universities.
You could forgive the members of the Capilano University Marketing Association (CAPUMA) if they felt a little groggy during their first day at the American Marketing Association's annual International Collegiate Conference.
What is the CAPUMA and how do I join?
The Capilano University Marketing Association (CAPUMA) was founded in 2008 by a small group of business students.
It has grown significantly over the years, evolving into CAPUMA in December 2014 and becoming an official collegiate chapter with the American Marketing Association (AMA).
You can visit the CAPUMA Membership page to learn more about joining this diverse and committed group of up-and-coming marketers.
The Big (not-so) Easy
"I'll probably never forget our first day of travel," said Liam Gottschalk, a fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration student pursuing a concentration in marketing. "We landed in Dallas after a four-and-a-half-hour flight and learned our connecting flight to New Orleans was cancelled due to a storm that flooded the area."
"Despite this challenge and with competitions scheduled the next day, we rented cars and drove the 10 hours from Dallas to New Orleans."
When the team got to New Orleans, they were all business. Led by instructor Andrea Eby, the eight-member crew competed in a field of 65 teams, almost entirely from large American universities.
An impressive showing
A few highlights of their conference included Gottshalk and teammate Josh Bang placing third in the Undergraduate Research competition with their impressive poster project showcasing their research in the field of marketing.
"I would say it was a core experience that shaped how I view myself and what I want for my career," he said. Most of all, it has made me excited and confident about graduating and further developing my career in marketing."
They also placed fourth (Alexander Malcic) and fifth (Chloe Grondin) and scored an honourable mention (Amanda Phillips) in the Perfect Pitch competition, a 90-second "interview" where competitors convince judges they are an ideal candidate for a job.
Standing out against tough competition
A fourth-year Interdisciplinary Studies student taking marketing and communications courses to add breadth to her degree, Grondin also placed fifth in the Sales competition, a multiple-round gauntlet where students compete to see who the best salesperson is, evaluated by a panel of judges.
"The competitions pushed us out of our comfort zone and helped us grow skills for the future in sales and marketing," Grondin said. "Winning the accolades that we did brought such pleasure for all of our hard work and preparation."
Faring so well in the sales and pitch competitions is a particular feather in the CapU School of Business' cap, as many of its competitors have standalone sales institutes built into their business programs.
"Most of all, I will remember my team. The eight of us truly clicked and had the best time together. We laughed until our stomachs hurt and supported each other throughout the whole experience. I made some fantastic friends that I'm excited to hang out with more."
- Chloe Grondin, CAPUMA Vice President
"As a faculty member, it is so empowering and rewarding to be a part of coaching students," Eby said. "And it's most rewarding to see students reach their full potential."
CapU has a history of success at the AMA International Collegiate Conference. Since 2016, student teams from the School of Business have earned second place, third place and honourable mention in the main case competition, along with impressive results in other competitions at the event.
For more information
2055 Purcell Way
North Vancouver British Columbia
Canada V7J 3H5
www.capilanou.ca/
