NC State AMA Regional Conference Showcases Innovation and Leadership

The 7th Annual NC State AMA Regional Conference brought together over 100 students from nine universities for an inspiring two days of learning, competition and networking. Focused on the theme #DrivingInnovation, the conference explored how bold thinking, technology and data-driven insights are shaping the future of marketing and business.

Attendees had the opportunity to hear from four distinguished guest speakers: 

• Brooks Deaton, VP of Data & Insights at NASCAR
• John R. Bradford III, CEO
• Andrew Hartman, CGO of PetScreening
• Mihali Stavlas, CEO of Mellonaid

Their insights on innovation, data-driven decision-making and industry disruption provided valuable takeaways for aspiring marketers and business professionals. Adding even more impact to this high-impact experience were student competitions in areas such as “marketing strategy” and “perfect pitch.” 

“The conference was an incredible experience,” says Poole College senior Vidisha Mahajan. “From inspiring speakers to hands-on challenges and competitions, the event truly captured what it means for students to ‘Think and Do.’”

The participating universities spanned several states, from North Carolina to Wisconsin: Coastal Carolina University, East Carolina University, North Carolina A&T State University, Saint Francis University, SKEMA Business School, UNC Charlotte, University of Maryland, and UW-Whitewater College of Business and Economics.

In partnership with the AMA Regional Conference Committee and the NC State AMA Executive Team, faculty advisors Patrice Nealon, Pieter Verhallen and Tom Byrnes played a key role in the event’s success. 

“The #DrivingInnovation theme truly came to life through engaging competitions and thought-provoking sessions,” Nealon says. “I’m incredibly proud of what our team accomplished — it was a high-impact, student-led experience that captured the spirit of innovation and collaboration that defines AMA.”