AMA Student Finds Value in Conferences, Competitions

Kaley Moffitt, Poole College junior and vice president of professional development for the NC State American Marketing Association student chapter, represented the chapter at the AMA Regional Conference held in Whitewater, Wisconsin in fall 2016. In addition to attending several workshops, she competed in two competitions, and was able to network with many other students and employers from across the region.

She competed in the Federated Sales Competition and the Perfect Pitch Competition. “We are so proud of Kaley for finishing in second in the Perfect Pitch competition in addition to being competitive in the Federated Sales Competition,” said Tom Byrnes, NC State AMA chapter faculty advisor.

The sales competition consisted of role playing a sales scenario, depicting a convenience store owner and an insurance salesperson. The Perfect Pitch Competition consisted of a 90-second speech on why Northwestern Mutual should hire the competitor. Kaley was awarded $200 for her second place finish in this competition.

To prepare for these competitions, Moffitt worked with Byrnes and Joe Crass, AMA sponsor and Federated Insurance district marketing manager. In her practice sessions with Byrnes and Crass, Moffitt played the role of a salesperson in various situations. For the Perfect Pitch Competition, she tailored her current elevator speech to fit with Northwestern Mutual’s needs, and credits her coursework at NC State for helping her prepare a professional and efficient elevator speech. Both competitions required Moffitt to exercise skills that are common in the professional workforce.

At the conference, Moffitt said she “took away the most” from workshops on sports marketing and branding. In a seminar led by the Green Bay Packers’ marketing director, Moffitt said that she learned a lot about sports marketing, a subject she had not previously considered. She also attended an event at which a Harley Davidson representative spoke about how they are working to diversify their brand and how important the way you portray yourself as a brand is.

“We are so proud of the way Kaley represented NC State at the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater,” Byrness said. “UWW has a very competitive AMA chapter in addition to hosting the regional conference, and Kaley was able to stay competitive in her competitions,” he said.

Moffitt said she highly recommends other AMA members to attend the regional conference, noting that she was able to connect with other students who will be attending the AMA New Orleans conference in the spring and hopes to see them there as well. Her final thought for anyone considering something like this is to take advantage of opportunities regardless of whether or not you feel qualified.

In the Photo

Joe Crass, AMA sponsor and Federated Insurance district marketing manager; Kaley Moffitt; Tom Byrnes, Poole College marketing lecturer and NC State AMA chapter advisor, and Patrice Nealon, Poole College marketing lecturer.