Career Development Conference

Purpose

DECA's individual events effectively measure students' proficiency in those skills identified by occupational practitioners as essential to success in a given occupation. Participants receive recognition for achievement in each event and in the series as a whole. The skills evaluated are selected from a list of performance indicators validated by industry representatives. Participants in these competitive events are not informed in advance of the skills to be evaluated. A complete list of performance indicators is available from DECA MAGES or DECA'S website, www.deca.org.

Procedure

An individual series event consists of two major parts: a written comprehensive exam and two preliminary role-playing events. A third role-play activity will be given to finalists. The comprehensive exam is on multiple-choice test developed especially for each series based on the knowledge, skills and attitudes associated with the particular occupation. In the role-playing portion of the event, participants must complete a task by translating what they have learned into effective, efficient and spontaneous action. The participant is given a written situation to review. It may indicate a product or service to sell, a merchandising decision or a problem in human relations. Participants are allowed 10 minutes to review the situation and to develop a professional approach to solving the problem. Up to 10 minutes is then allowed for the participant to be examined by a competent judge and asked to explain how he/she would solve the situation or problem. The judge is a qualified business executive playing the role of second party in the situation. Following the examination, the judge evaluates the participants' responses and records the results on an evaluation form that has been developed especially for each competitive event.

Business Services Marketing: Students will be challenged to perform marketing functions and tasks involved in providing services to businesses on a fee or contract basis or providing services to consumers.

Entrepreneurship: Students will be challenged to perform the ability to recognize opportunities and to act on them, determine needs, identify markets, utilize marketing research, identify sources of capital and use management skills.

Human Resources Management: Students will be challenged to perform management functions and tasks focusing on staffing, recruitment, selection, training, performance appraisal, compensation and safety training.

Marketing Communications: (Marketing Communications Pathway) The student is given a description of a specific situation that measures skills, knowledge and attitudes in marketing communications and marketing functions and tasks that inform, persuade, or remind a target market of ideas, experiences, goods or services.

Quick-Serve Restaurant Management: The student is given a description of a specific situation that measures skills, knowledge and attitudes in quick-serve restaurant management. Students will be challenged to perform marketing and management functions and tasks in retail establishments, wholesale establishments and manufacturing firms primarily engaged in the quick-serve restaurant industry. Roles in these events are those of customers, employees, supervisors, managers and entrepreneurs.

Retail Merchandising: The student is given a description of a specific situation that measures skills, knowledge and attitudes in retail merchandising. Students will be challenged to perform marketing and management functions and tasks that can be applied in any retail establishment. Roles in these events are those of customers, supervisors and employees.

Purpose

The Team Decision Making Events provide an opportunity for participants to analyze one or a combination of elements essential to the effective operation of a business in the specific occupational area. The business situation to be analyzed will be presented as a case study. The skills evaluated are selected from a list of performance indicators validated by industry representatives. Participants in these competitive events are not informed in advance of the performance indicators to be evaluated. A complete list of performance indicators is available from DECA IMAGES or DECA's website, www.deca.org.

Procedure

The team decision-making series events consist of a preliminary role-play event and comprehensive exam. A second role-play will be given to finalists. The comprehensive exam is a 100-question multiple-choice test developed especially for each series based on the knowledge, skills and attitudes associated with the particular occupation. Participants are allowed 30 minutes to review the situation approach to solving the problem. They then deliver a ten-minute presentation to the judges and have a five-minute question and answer period. Following the question and answer period, the judges will evaluate the presentation. Scores from both team members' comprehensive exam will be averaged for one team score.

Financial Services Team Decision Making: Refers to services offered in the finance industry. Concepts include understanding the source and purpose of financial statements, the impact of management decisions on statements, and the analysis and interpretation of data for planning purposes.

Sports & Entertainment Team Decision Making: Marketing and management functions and tasks that can be applied in amateur or professional sports or sporting events, entertainment or entertainment events, selling or renting of supplies and equipment (other than vehicles) used for recreational or sporting purposes, products and services related to hobbies or cultural events, or business primarily engaged in satisfying the desire to make productive or enjoyable use of leisure time.

Travel & Tourism Team Decision Making: Marketing and management functions and tasks that can be applied in enterprises engaged in passenger transportation, travel service, attracting and serving the traveling public, arranging tours or acting as independent ticket agencies and other services incidental to the travel or tourism industry.