UW-Whitewater: Student American Marketing Association hosts regional marketing conference Nov. 6

Contact: Jimmy Peltier

(262) 472-5474

peltierj@uww.edu

WHITEWATER ­ The economy today is not the economy of two years ago. Along with the recent recession, changes in the way businesses market themselves to potential customers along with the ever-increasing pressure to be environmentally friendly have led to drastic changes in the way many companies do business.

With this in mind, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s student chapter of the American Marketing Association will hold a regional conference focused on current marketing trends for companies and potential employees in the current sea change.

Managers, marketers and founders of some of the most influential and largest businesses today will be on campus Friday, Nov. 6, to present their companies’ strategies to students at UW-Whitewater.

“From the quality of the speakers, to the variety of businesses interviewing at our Career Corner, to the multitude of UW-Whitewater students who will be attending, it is clear that we have surpassed our efforts from our inaugural conference of last year,” said Jimmy Peliter, marketing professor and immediate past president of the Collegiate American Marketing Association.

The conference theme is “Marketing in a Sea of Change” and includes breakfast and lunch workshops as part of a daylong series of presentations. Students must register for the event to attend the workshops. The presentations throughout the day are open to all students.

The conference should interest more than just marketing majors. Conference co-chairs Holly Beck and Julie Pruess are accounting and management/geography majors respectively.

“Whatever your major is, marketing is a valuable tool, whether you’re marketing to an audience or marketing yourself to employers,” Pruess said.

The event begins at 7:30 a.m. with the career corner and continental breakfast in the James R. Connor University Center’s Old Main Ballroom. Professionals from various local and national businesses will attend this and the lunch workshop, among them employees whose jobs involve reviewing resumes. Students can send in their resumes beforehand for recruiters to setup an interview during the conference.

“These workshops offer a great opportunity to network with potential employers and learn what separates those who get hired and those who don’t,” said Beck.

Workshop topics include tailoring cyber profiles to secure employment, resume strategies, networking and business etiquette.

“The people who come here do so because they know UW-Whitewater students are well-educated. Not only that, students who attend these events are clearly involved in their majors and future careers,” Pruess said.

After the career corner breakfast, the event will move to Timothy J. Hyland Hall, where a series of speakers on various topics will present their companies’ innovative strategies in marketing and environmental sustainability.

The keynote speaker is Alex Gilelalde, product marketing manager for Google Spain, who will communicate with students via a Web broadcast.

“We’ll being moving his PowerPoint along as he presents the material. Not only will we see him; he will see the audience and be able to answer any questions,” Beck said. “The caliber of presenters we will have at this event is really outstanding. It’s an opportunity students shouldn’t miss.”

The presentations will focus on three tracks: Internet and social media, sustainability and diversity, and innovations in buzz and viral marketing. Gilelalde’s presentation will focus on all three topics.

Senior director of client services for GMR Marketing, Bill Blank, will present various brands that are making the most out of buzz marketing techniques in their attempts at reaching customers in new ways.

UW-Whitewater graduates and former AMA members Jeremy Frenz and Aaron McAndrews will present their companies’ emerging strategies. Frenz will discuss retailer Target’s use of different strategies for different demographics. McAndrews’ presentation will focus on the different ways Land’s End is reaching customers.

“The well-known companies that present and the businesses that come to interview students are quite impressed with the quality of the conference,” Peltier said. “The conference is a tremendous undertaking and is just another example of the outstanding energy exhibited by UW-Whitewater students.”

To register for the event and see a list of presenters go to http://uwwama.com/regionalconference.html.