Faculty of Management students from UBC Okanagan’s campus earned a podium finish at JDC West, one of Western Canada’s largest business competitions.
The Marketing Team, consisting of students Alan Blackwell, Tyler Hesketh and Kirstin Townsend, won first place in the category featuring a live case.
Refresh, a Saskatoon-based marketing firm, was seeking a positioning and marketing plan for an interactive kiosk service it had developed, and the UBC students suggested implementation of an e-concierge system for the tourism industry.
Coached by UBC Faculty of Management professor Eric Li and alumni Mark Rossi and Kevin Burns, the team of third-year students pitched the concept of a tiered pricing structure including entry-level and premium packages to entice the full spectrum of the hotel sector.
Focusing more on direct sales, their promotion plan featured young on-the-ground sales teams to target larger destinations like Toronto, hospitality trade shows to create buzz in the industry, and use of Linked-in promotion tools to broaden reach.
“Our coaches support provided us with multiple tools, and that really pushed us over the top,” Hesketh said. “We were going to a large-scale competition, facing schools much larger than ours.
"For us to take first place, I think that there was something genuine about our performance that can only happen because the Okanagan campus allowed us to connect with professors on a closer level, and help us put forward high-quality work.”
In addition to the Marketing Team’s podium finish, UBC Okanagan's JDC West team placed third in participation and third for their skit.
More than 50 students from UBC’s Okanagan campus competed in JDC West the largest business competition in Western Canada.
Held in Edmonton, January 13 to 15, the event showcases academics, athletics, debate, and an out-of-the-box social competition with more than 600 students from 12 of western Canada’s top universities competing.
“We are very proud of how our students represented UBC Okanagan at the JDC West competition. They demonstrated commitment and innovation, and these are capabilities that are highly sought-after in today’s management environment,” says Roger Sugden, Dean of UBC’s Faculty of Management.
“I congratulate the students on their achievements and offer my gratitude to our faculty, alumni and local businesses for mentoring all the participants. Success is achieved through collaboration, and this truly was a group effort.”