Texas State AMA team claims awards at 2023 ICC

By Nichole Black
_{Digital Marketing Strategist}
^{McCoy College of Business}

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Texas State University’s American Marketing Association (AMA) student chapter traveled to the International Collegiate Conference (ICC) from March 30-April 1 and won a handful of awards: 

• Honorable Mention – Marketing Week Competition 
• Honorable Mention – Recruitment Video Competition 
• Commendable – Case Competition
• Outstanding in One Functional Category – Chapter Planning 

The conference’s keynote presentations were from Michelle Okeke, Marketing Lead at Bose Corporation, and Katie Fabry, Marketing Director at The Wall Street Journal. The weekend also included several presentations from industry professionals, competitions amongst AMA student chapters, networking opportunities, and ended with the Chapter Awards Banquet. 

"I'm so grateful for the opportunity through AMA to network with like-minded peers, compete in competitions, and learn from industry leaders,” said Claire Heleniak, co-president of the Texas State AMA chapter. “The peers I've met share the same drive for success in marketing and I cannot wait to see what happens next for them.”

Heleniak’s leadership in the chapter helped them bring home the Honorable Mention for Marketing Week Competition and Outstanding in One Functional Category for Chapter Planning. 

“Receiving an Outstanding Award on Chapter Planning means a great deal to me because of all the work put into the Chapter Plan behind the scenes,” said Heleniak. “It set our chapter of AMA up for success in the long run and we reached quite a few goals. I’m so proud of us. Not to mention, we get a plaque to display for future Bobcats to admire and to keep encouraging those after us to dream big.”

Allen Yaghmaie, Director of Digital Media for the Texas State AMA chapter, took lead on the video project that awarded them the Honorable Mention for the Recruitment Video Competition. 

“My collaboration with the officers of our chapter to create our recruitment video was a fantastic experience that allowed me to showcase our creativity and teamwork,” said Yaghmaie. “I worked to conceptualize a visually appealing video that effectively communicated our organization's values and mission. It felt great to learn that our chapter's recruitment video was one of the few recognized among nearly 100 entries. It was satisfying to know that our efforts had paid off, and it motivates us to continue seeking excellence in everything we do.”

“For the Wall Street Journal Case Competition, we had a small group of individuals come together during their free time to formulate ideas in how the target audience of college students would be more inclined to purchase a WSJ subscription,” said Emily Lyons, vice president of the Texas State AMA chapter. “The case competition allowed students to put their marketing research to work to create a marketing plan, which WSJ genuinely takes into consideration and can use towards their marketing for their own company. For the students who are looking for marketing positions in the future, the case competition is a creative way to use the skills learned in class to create a whole marketing campaign for real businesses and real problems those businesses face.”

More information on the ICC can be found on the AMA website. Visit the Texas State AMA website to learn more about the student chapter. ✯

For more information, email Twister Marquiss, manager of marketing and communications for the McCoy College of Business, at twister@txstate.edu.

About the McCoy College of Business
Established in 1970, Texas State’s business school officially became the McCoy College of Business in 2004 following a donation of $20 million by Emmett and Miriam McCoy. The college, which offers classes in both San Marcos and Round Rock, is accredited by AACSB in both business and accounting, and has graduated more than 42,000 alumni.