Get a head start on the 2023-2024 competition season with DECA's competitive event draft topics and resources for business operations research, professional selling, hospitality and tourism professional selling, and financial consulting.

Complete guidelines will be posted in the DECA Guide and on deca.org by July 1, 2023.

Business Operations Research Events

The 2023-2024 topic for each career category is the development of a strategy to combat the talent challenge. Businesses today are facing labor shortages across all industries. Participants will collaborate with a local business or organization to analyze the current process for recruiting, hiring, onboarding and retaining workers. Participants will then create and present a strategic plan to attract and retain employees.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• Hiring, innovation remain key manufacturing priorities

• Southwest Airlines Cancellations Highlight Ripple Effects Of Labor Shortages

• Amid labor shortage WA aerospace plants hire untapped talent

• Understanding America’s Labor Shortage: The Most Impacted Industries

• Labor Shortages Forecast to Persist for Years

• Worker shortages are fueling America’s biggest labor crises

• Why the labor shortage will stick around — and is good news for worker pay

• Building your employee retention machine

• The ‘quiet quitting’ phenomenon created a monster. Here’s what HR should really be paying attention to

• Lowe’s philanthropic arm introduces new training program for those aspiring to skilled trades

• Retailers’ Wage Competition Is Still Hot

• The four-day workweek: Why Amplitude tried it and wants to make it permanent

• Find employees who stay for the long haul

Financial Consulting (FCE)

For 2023-2024 you will assume the role of a financial consultant. A small-business client has scheduled a meeting with you because they would like to add a peer-to-peer payment platform option for their customers. The client would like for you to share and explain different peer-to-peer platforms and make a recommendation that will have a positive financial impact.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• 4 P2P Payment Platforms for Businesses and How to Use Them

• Why Small Businesses Need Online Payment Apps

• Top Peer-to-Peer Payment Apps: Pros, Cons and How to Use Them

• The Truth About Those Peer-to-Peer Payment Apps

• Peer-to-peer payment apps like Venmo, Cash, PayPal are booming. Do you still need a bank?

• What Are Peer-to-Peer Payments?

• Best Payment Apps for Small Businesses

• 3 ways Merchants can implement P2P payments for their business

Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling (HTPS)

For 2023-2024 you will assume the role of a sales manager for a company that promotes outdoor activities and close-to-nature experiences. The company has noticed an increase in guest requests for a glamping experience while participating in the other activities you offer. Your company is interested in adding glamping sites to its offerings and would like you to develop a proposal. You have a meeting scheduled with the director of sales and marketing to present your plan on how to incorporate glamping into your company's current offerings.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• Glamping Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Accommodation (Cabins & Pods, Tents, Yurts, Treehouses), By Age Group, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

• Tapping Into the Growth of the Glamping Industry

• How glamping became China’s hottest new travel trend

• Camping, Glamping Make the Great Outdoors More Popular Than Ever

Professional Selling (PSE)

For 2023-2024 you will assume the role of sales representative for a company that specializes in assisting clients with social media selling strategies. Social selling is a sales method that practices incorporating social networks into every stage of the sales process.  A large part of the customer experience now takes place on social media and in more casual communication channels.  You have a meeting scheduled with the Chief Marketing Officer to present the services your company can provide for expanding their company’s social media selling strategies.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• Small businesses are seeing organic success on TikTok

• Ad spending on TikTok defies advertising slowdown

• 15 Social Media Trends Smart Marketers Will Leverage In 2023

• Biggest Social Media Trends in 2023

• Top 5 social media trends for 2023

• 10 Social Media Selling Strategies | The Ultimate Guide to Social Selling

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