The marketing club is kicking off the year with a dodgeball tournament, which is meant to teach the club members how to apply their newly acquired skills to real life while giving Plattsbugh State students the opportunity to network and have fun.
The goal of the marketing club, a chapter of the American Marketing Association, is to connect students with marketing at a deeper level. The club is using the dodgeball tournament to raise money to offer the members of the club the opportunity to attend a conference in New Orleans.
Kelly Beliveau, vice president of advertising at the marketing club, believes that the tournament as well as the club is a great way to “get yourself experienced with business” and network with both CEOs and other students, which is the main reason she joined the club.
“It’s a way to network … because, honestly, the only way to get yourself out there is getting yourself out there,” Beliveau said.
Hosting the tournament for the third year in a row, Matthew Robert, vice president of the marketing club, explained the importance of the tournament for the members of the club.
“It’s always the first thing we do because it teaches the club members how we’re organized.,” he said. “It’s mainly to teach them who we are, what we do and how we do it.”
The diversity in the club helps members get more out of the club. Both Thierry Lochard, marketing and global supply major, and Lawrence Murphy III, marketing major, joined the club to learn from other members.
“Everyone in the club comes in with different skills so you can utilize that and learn from each other,” Murphy said.
Lochard added, “[The marketing club] really gives you the experience that you need to become more knowledgeable about marketing and anything outside of that too.”
Besides learning from other members and networking with students through events, members of the marketing club learn how to be leaders. Robert, who wants everyone in the club to get leadership experience, delegates work among the members.
“I’d say this is pretty much like a business. We have revenues and expenses. We need to get money and receive money and so I have managers. The leaders are the managers,” Robert said.
For the tournament Robert, Lochard, Beliveau and Murphy hope for “a big turnout.” Robert hopes that the tournament attracts at least 120 participants and promises a fun experience.
“They should expect experience, fun and networking opportunities and getting to know other people around campus as well as what they do and how they’re getting through building their own career,” Robert said.
Email Winta Mebrahti at winta.mehbrahti@cardinalpointsonline.com.
