No judge will read or even skim a paper that is 95% black-and-white text. Thats how winners work. An age-old debate between research hounds and perfectionists: should my paper be content heavy or aesthetically pleasing? Also, I recommend giving your paper a read through and fixing any grammatical errors that hinder comprehension and flow and double-checking penalty points. Important Updates for the 2018-2019 Yearly. Tred with caution. Even though I have harped on the importance of research and planning, I have purposely left this stage relatively short. Will. The less passionate you are about your topic, the less productive you will be. Ben Smith; Wisconsin DECA VP of Event Managment. Because its the first thing that your judge will read. Dont sit in your hotel room religiously rehearsing your script. Participants will collaborate with a local business or organization to analyze current customer perceptions of the company or organizations corporate social responsibility. Options range from a trifold to a life-size toilet paper roll on a rolling clothes rack. Imagine this is the only thing someone would read. If you have that mindset, stop reading right now. Namely, this method will not leave your judge with the wow factor (besides your verbal pitch) that many competitors who go the latter route will have. )*cTCOV0Tt2KE}Z4ZB!NLW? |BFelwA{Po=U17!I Dg`7_|+>8FC&x|%LnJ;Z>fgt ^wSa9;HU &\CeEHPu!f# ydV2(,9|%x*uuOq8me From a presenting standpoint, each member can cover certain parts of the pitch, which should allow for better (and impressive) flow and transition (plus you can wear matching outfits, and thats pretty cool). Youll do great!! Personally, I chose to fly solo. %>5]3t~E{hdmT.Wp BstZ"NyO |: So some competitors like to play videos during their pitch. %PDF-1.7 I even found an amazing e-book with a few chapters especially pertinent to my paper, emailed the publishing company, and received a hard copy (free of charge) in the mail a couple of weeks later. This April, DECA members participating in the competitive events program will appear before a volunteer judge to present on current business trends in various events and formats. Explore these frequently asked questions and answers. However, the time you take to set up and take down your materials counts against you, so practice setting up and taking down before showtime. 5 0 obj I dont know your project; I dont know your presentation strengths; I dont know what works for you and/or your group. Like every project or idea, the team is the backbone and will make or break everything. International finalists will be announced during the achievement awards session (which is the morning of Grand Awards). This is a competition, and the guidelines were provided for a reason. 2019 Written Event Winners - PDF Download. Then go with a expertly designed presentation board. Use graphics and formatting as appropriate.7. Product includes a campaign that is related to any hard/soft line retail products including e-commerce. z8F`94@]rbLm\wLLQSZ*CD%:B9#BNA-#SJ"Q /F@]ZK3UJF!k/mH:#^bkXWMnuk? Si3xKu}rC>!%9a:pd>0sn;ntbJ# G.^Yn!I:YC} nBMl u:{ : D@"OBN"R>\ 0g7!:F_1794#cRqbjM1 pb_!$"\SiM$*RaqE0)G#RNW X(`)FNM\rlb7R92uDL6w5'yF7bR$scU Uef2r--snQ u~%,d%_' ]3|QO|6T6uA c5ZY&NL QFEp{UE'q}FljH.#(v=H=\"BhXhM;v`P\ %FBTLaLO!=44zkh+DaE;}ao)K>iA{"]|A/K.q$7m94i9f1Pv'1RVq$aOde_Yh~KGKA1XxV1 7!*D[mZ%UYN8Yb; M{b,%Vu&T This means no wheeled carts or other items that assist in carrying your visuals will be allowed. Do you have a plan B in the event your visual aid becomes inoperable? 1 0 obj Many members dont dare compete in a written event. You may have been told that a certain section isnt important. This guide will outline the process and framework I used last year en route to DECA Glass. All written entries must include a signed copy of DECA's Written Event Statement of Assurances and Academic Integrity (page 59). Written events are a process, and they require months of preparation, all-nighters, and a lota lotof research. If done well, teaming can be a perfect option, but any slip up during the project could spell doom to all of your hard work. A quick stroll through the holding rooms at ICDC will reveal troves of high-tech, colorful presentation boards. Be engaged. Additionally, no alternate power sources, such as small generators, will be allowed. Following scouring DECA Control for advice, I realized ensure there is cannot leiten document full the tips, so I decided until author my own. After months of hard work and preparation, its finally time! Only visuals that are able to be hand-carried into the presentation will be allowed! can make that decision for you. Therefore, it is paramount to have a killer ES. Use the oral presentation evaluation form as a blueprint for your presentation, because the judge will be awarding your points by using it. Mastering the Written Event Presentations. that couldve brought potential benefit to my paper. However, this route also opens itself up to (potentially) devastating negatives: team communication has to be at maximum level during the project (I recommend Slack if you have a team of three); arguments can break out over trite team decisions; stupid high school drama could wreck your team. Top-tier DECA competitors know to hit all the competition event indicators, but its those little touches that elevate a well-prepared presentation to a DECA glass-winning presentation. A vital thing to do at this moment would be to print out the guidelines of every event that you are considering. In my opinion, choosing the right event is the most overlooked but vital part of the competition process. Unlike all other written events, though, the Business Growth Plan has strict rules on who can compete; since this event involves crafting a detailed growth plan and strategy for a business owned by a DECA member, all competitors must be documented owners/operators of the business a parents business does not qualify. All events, though, allow for a single competitor, a partnership, or a team of three. Attached is a chart presented at a 2016 Power Trip workshop by Ms. Annie Hulse from Oakton DECA, so all credit goes to her. Awesome, so now youve (more-or-less) decided on whether or not to compete in a written event. Give them the oral presentation evaluation form and ask them to rate your performance. I always recommend chapters of any size to pick an event and go for it! On-site representatives will be called upon to discuss issues and represent their fellow bargaining unit Shop DECA has been providing products and services to chapters and associations for more than twenty years. Information regarding the phasing out of the Marketing Representative Events and the implementation of the Integrated Marketing Campaign events will be discussed in the Stage 0 section of the guide. I ran tight on time during my final IBP pitch at ICDC, and I honestly think that was the deciding factor between first and second oh well. Use charts and graphs in your paper (especially in the ES). Set your project apart from the rest. You have no one to hold you responsible to any deadline, and if you start to lose interest, you will have to find a way to reel yourself back in. 4. A simple print-out of the event guidelines, a few dates/ranges scribbled here and there, and that was it. Take a look at your visual aids and make sure that they support your presentation. Learn from my mistakes leave the time., Dont be nervous when answering questions. The Integrated Marketing Campaigns will replace the Marketing Representative Events, effective during the 20182019 DECA year. Go out there and crush it! I dont care. Youll do great. Personally, I have seen more success from a hybrid. My sophomore year I competed in Start-Up Business Plan, and my junior year I competed in International Business Plan. Before you step into the blue curtain, take a few breaths, relax, and believe. In this article, Ill summarize each written event and add a little commentary. Whether it be a creative way to transform a business whose stock has been underperforming or an idea for the next big tech gadget, a written event is a great way to display a unique, game-changing idea. If this is the case, focus on your paper until the due datedont even think about your presentation. Please list a few "do and don't" tips for DECA members. Recently, I was asked by a scarce DECA members required writes event competition tips. <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> First of all, if youre reading this in preparation for Atlanta, then congratulations on reaching ICDC! Getting Started With Written Events! After your pitch, the judge(s) will likely have some questions. For the 2018-2019 year, DECA recent the general written event guidelines, furthermore with those updates, some important changes will be implemented this year!Information regarding the layer out von to Marketing Representative Events the the implementation a this Integrated Marketing Campaign events becomes be discussed to the Stage 0 section . Im not a big planner. The great thing is that DECAs Competitive Event series offers a plethora of exciting events to chose from. In your paper (and presentation, but well get to that) be certain to include the exact vocabulary from the rubric and guidelines in your writing. In my home association of North Carolina, Chapter Team events are the Holy Grail; if you want to prove that you are the best competing chapter, a great way to do that is to tackle the Chapter Team events. While the Franchise Business Plan, Independent Business Plan, Business Growth Plan, and International Business Plan have a maximum page limit of twenty. But, that also opens you up to some pretty (potentially) devastating negatives. Learn More About DECA's Competitive Events. w&qp:Rp~~sv|;:X`u{[xvSrHk?}w~rROcc8zi_Qk Cc33;Q0e~HdS-Cx&>Ag0tg4sGslEe~m5sXB s V~[t$Tf4{tRj 8['XwZ[ 5?+D.P%(/}a%~Q[?&p|9 =i 1|rRPH#H+pi6 K]K9I8BbFjy?nQ7$b:oFel-v;+nbvQIiaHJK#))G\RHQ+Vtk6|;* DW%fn=5O@^~]kyqUf-LB`tvlU[#/4*t+CFt9OL#N=#nn)d;PRlr0&=u1'Ej4m+T=kLt%3ybk%r],*qEmO^(teP"3|sYRP' dAB{:ULCV#nn)oh$W#BdDT> C5 T_ K*Iye If you're looking for more information on DECA's International Career Development Conference competitive events process and transcripts, look no further! Executive President. And of course, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse so you feel confident in the information you are presenting. What presentation method is best for you? Some of the most common reasons for penalty points include: Action Item: Give your entry to a trusted advisor or peer to review against the Penalty Point Checklist from the DECA Guide. If you received a perfect score on your Executive Summary section, and you believe the score was not by fluke, then why edit your paper?! AndRELAX! SYMk^\HhfS>7]-/AA C|J3/IK&4.e:lq!AZ xcbfsH%I98; zgprd x!t% You might think, Oh, by rearranging these sections, Ill certainly stand out! Thats a common thought, but also an erroneous one.. When I wrote like books, I were serving as the State President of North Sc DECA. These events follow a topic that changes from year-to-year. Your partner/group members, though, must be from your home chapter. pdT B`M389Jo&Gu(5Hk#+%'66V,Pp ug5I}@_|;;VAA]xgOcz7 g>^G~1:d^"% ,Rn94-l;LZ_"o`2^*5Hf"RxL:/"n9*!s_^n"@D}l! However, if you like having a prepared plan and the opportunity to rehearse, go ahead and try a written event! Flying solo feels great you never have to deal with conflicting schedules, you can work on your own time, and you make every decision. You have the perfect opportunity to impress your judge with a solid pitch and great aesthetics making you difficult to forget. In the finals round, every project presents to the same judge. For example, for my IBP event, I have a folder on my computer full of PDFs from research, paper revisions, audio from meetings and calls, charts and graphs, etc. To some, this may seem intimidating. X will start making small changes, and if they believe that they have made too many adjustments, they will simply CNTRL+A and DELETE your work. Get a head start on the 2022-2023 competition season with DECA's competitive event topics and resources for business operations research, professional selling, hospitality and tourism professional selling, and financial consulting. X}}*V9=J7R@;FZoMNTLs1=^;v>JOyc~0qrI+RL]FBo5 ;/C))NiML/l'HMa #Rn)NZcLA1~B_j.n)S?`ELQU"I Create engaging and visually appealing materials. I wrote this article to assist members along the difficult journey that is competing in a written event. Per DECAs website, these events provide opportunities for members to develop an integrated marketing campaign of no more than 45 days in length for a real event, product or service and present the campaign in a role-play situation. Much like the events they are replacing, IMCs are a hybrid between traditional written events and series events: while you still present a paper to a judge, you/your team must also take a career cluster exam (marketing cluster). After weeks (read: months) of planning and researching, its finally time to start seriously drafting your paper. If you like business research and strategy, Business Operations Research is a great fit for you! If you have a strong core of one or two chapter members that possess wildly different (applicable) skill sets and mesh well, forming a team with those members is a great way to go. You have a tricycle mounted on a board (true story)? As the competition season heats up, take the opportunity to review the written event that youve worked so hard on. In fact, the entire entry shows your research, strategy and plan to achieve your purpose. A maximum of three pumps. Before you dive in and begin planning your paper, you must decide which event to compete in! Do not just read your paper. With over fifty competitive events, choosing just one to participate in can be one of the most difficult choices to face in DECA. A lot of convention centers WiFi is sketchy, and your presentation booth will rarely have outlets; charge everything the night before! At ICDC, however, these rounds exist, and there are two stages separating you from that coveted DECA Glass. Tred with caution. Penalty points can literally ruin everything. The tough decision, though, was what event to pick. When I decided to compete in a written event my junior year, it was a no-brainer: I love presenting and researching, so of course, I had to go the written route! Give a great pitch. A nice tool to use to create materials (if you arent fluent in Photoshop) is Canva. When it comes time to make a decision, you have full say, so if you dont consult outside help, youre getting a very biased view. My name is Andrew Weatherman. when you went to turn in your paper. However, this route also opens itself up to (potentially) devastating negatives: team communication has to be at maximum level during the project (I recommend Slack if you have a team of three); arguments can break out over trite team decisions. Research and report writing are important elements of modern business activities. Quick steps to complete and e-sign Deca statement of assurance online: Use Get Form or simply click on the template preview to open it in the editor. The first stage is the preliminary round. At competition, youll find that PowerPoints are the outliers. Additionally, no alternate power source, such as a small generator, will be allowed. I dont care if youve written hundreds of business plans in your life. However, this does not give you the green light to haphazardly edit your paper. 2 0 obj You have nothing to lose. Find the methods that work best for you/your team. Before we get started, I think you should know a little bit about me. 3. Grab attention at the beginning. Penalty points can cause you to lose your chance for advancement quickly! No matter how good your final paper is, the presentation will be the single factor that differentiates you/your team from the competition, so spend ample time on it. Side note: A hybrid of the two methods I will discuss exists and is likely what many will use. Over the course of the conference, hundreds of industry judges and DECA volunteers assess and evaluate thousands of DECA students in competitive events. If you have any interest in entrepreneurship, I highly recommend looking into these events! I still have a folder on my computer full of PDFs from research for my IBP, paper revisions, audio from meetings and calls, charts and graphs, etc. Having a budding affinity for the world of entrepreneurship, I instantly gravitated towards these events. Dont stare off into space. My favorite written event category, entrepreneurship events give you the opportunity to explore entrepreneurial concepts from idea generation, business planning, to growing an existing business. Unlike BOR and Chapter Team events, however, the events that fall under the Entrepreneurship umbrella have different rules from one another. zy%h -/#ZV$JPMh;%lfDbB cochb]E!.q8-J Make sure, though, that you dont add visuals just to add them. If you lack innate self-initiative and are a weak presenter, I urge you to not even consider this option. Think a written event is for you? If you love solving a challenging problem on your feet, then Id advise staying away from written events (go for role plays!). Action Item: Find a small audience to deliver your presentation to. Also, a word of wisdom: Ive gotten burned by (looking back) ludicrous promises by teammates. From the paper standpoint, the team route (when executed well) decreases the workload and dependence of all members. Contrary, though, you astronomically raise your chances of getting Glass by, simply, believing. I said this in my Presidential farewell; I said this at chapter meetings; I say this when pitching DECA. This conference brings over 19,000 people from all fifty states and multiple countries to one city. Nice touches like this definitely leave an impression on your judge! 3) You have a unique idea you know you can sell to the judges. If you cant hand-carry a visual, dont bring it! If you're looking for more information on DECA's International Career Development Conference competitive events process and transcripts, look no further! The event is based on the Virtual Business series of simulations and offers over $20,000 in scholarship money. The written entry must follow the specifications provided in the Written Entry Guidelines section of the DECA Guide for the competitive event. That said, though, you must make your board effective. I get easily distracted, so to combat this during my paper time, I went to my local library to do all of my work. Most importantly, have a respectful tone when answering. After scouring DECA Direct for advice, I realized that thither is no premier document all of tips, so MYSELF decided to novelist my own. No formula, advice, etc. Ask them to read it and make notes about items they may not understand or need more information on. Credit to Annie Hulse of Oakton DECA (VA). No one should know your problem area, market, and solution better than you. Like every project or idea, the team is the backbone and will make or break everything. The events that were under this umbrella and phased out include the Advertising Campaign, Fashion Merchandising Promotional Plan, and Sports and Entertainment Promotional Plan. This is the stage that you DO NOT WANT TO SKIP. After scouring DECA Direct for advice, I realized that there is. Make your presentation unique in any way you can! A respectable content-to-visual ratio for every page (that isnt financials) is 75:25. The judge will usually ask for clarification on parts that you glossed over or will ask in-depth questions on a certain topic. Color, typography, layout and that perfect personal touch are your secret weapons. that couldve brought potential benefit to my paper. (Wow. Now that you have familiarized yourself with the numerous written events offered, you are probably overloaded with potential options and dont know which to pick. Many chapters already put on amazing school/community activities, and the Project Management events allow you to showcase your chapters awesome outreach/impact! Make sure its the absolute best it can be before it reaches the judge and its your turn to deliver a knockout presentation! DECA club activities During your chapter's DECA club, you do a wide variety of activities. DECA breaks the written events into four categories: Business and Operations Research Events, Chapter Team Events, Entrepreneurship Events, and Integrated Marketing Campaign Events. That said, researching is supremely important. Although the judge may lose focus on you, your effective board will provide them with all of the information they need to supplement their selective hearing while impressing them with your design skills. These questions are not meant to trick you. 20182019 DECA, Inc. Executive President of the High School Division | Duke 2023, DECAs competition section of their website, Current 5- and 11-page projects changed to. If you can, substitute text for bullet points or flow charts. In short, if you received a good (read: perfect or near-perfect score) mark on a section, then dont edit it before ICDC! No matter the skillset or promises offered by anyone, you must mesh well with your team (this isnt necessarily a start-up; no need to be a Steve Jobs). Like I said, I love researching, and I really wanted to squeeze the most out of this event as I could. stream A word of advice: dont get too attached to your first (or second or third) draft; it wont be great. Opportunity. In this article, hear from two of our dedicated volunteer judges as they provide insight on their experience serving the past 20+ years. Take a few deep breaths before your section is called to present. Additionally, I served North Carolina DECA as a VP and a voting member on the Board of Directors. x][SF~v Competition Tips From An ICDC Judge - Interview with Mrs. Wachowski, ICDC Judge that provides her personal perspective on judging written events. People you know will often give you sugar-coated advice, and this will do more harm to your project than good.. They are that important. Read them before writing, then again while writing. stream There are five events that fall under the Business Operations Research umbrella: Business Services, Buying and Merchandising, Finance Operations, Hospitality and Tourism Operations, and Sports and Entertainment Operations. I even found an amazing e-book with a few chapters especially pertinent to my paper, emailed the publishing company, and received a hard copy (free of charge) in the mail a couple of weeks later. <>/Metadata 148 0 R/ViewerPreferences 149 0 R>> (You bring your paper to ICDC and submit it at conference.) Unfortunately, there is no binary solution. maintained by those engaging in research and report writing. DO. When it comes to presenting, you have the full load of work; you cant rely on someone else to cover certain parts. Many of the activities revolve around comparing for competitions. You should be in a committed relationship with the guidelines of your event. My sophomore year I competed in Start-Up Business Plan, and my junior year I competed in International Business Plan. There are six events that fall under the Project Management umbrella: Business Solutions Project, Career Development Project, Community Awareness Project, Community Giving Project, Financial Literacy Project and Sales Project. When I decided to compete in a written event my junior year, it was a no-brainer: I love presenting and researching, so of course, I had to go the written route! Mention key points multiple times in your presentation to ensure judges remember. If you go into your pitch thinking you have the worst project ever, then, likely, youre not going to do so hot. Recently, I was asked by a few DECA members for written event competition tips. endobj For a Glass-worthy paper, you will spend twice the amount of time researching than you will actually writing the paper. For the 20182019 year, DECA updated the general written event guidelines, and with those updates, some important changes will be implemented this year! Strike a balance between aesthetics and minimalism. Im a driven guy, so I could count on that drive and desire to win to push me. Depending on your event, your presentation can count for as much as 50% of the overall score, meaning your paper also counts for 50%. To hear more tips from an ICDC judge, click this link. You can slack on any other stage and produce a winning project, but if you chose to slack on this stage, then you can kiss your Glass hopes bye. Then go for a traditional PowerPoint presentation. Events in this category have a maximum page limit of 20 pages and allow for a single competitor, a partnership, or a team of three. Thoroughly document your [research] while its going on. In your paper (and presentation) include the exact vocabulary from the rubric and guidelines in your writing. However, a strong executive summary doesnt mean the rest of your entry isnt important. Learn DECA - What is A Written Event?Video Created by Washington DECA Team Legacy Once you decide on a logo and font, maintain a consistent color scheme and font usage. DECA Episode 1 - TOP 10 TIPS FOR WRITTEN EVENTS PRESENTATION | FROM AN ICDC GLASS WINNER Nelson Lee 3.8K views 3 years ago Competitive Excellence Ep 6: How to Create a Standout Project. Penalty points are awarded for careless errors, and theyre very easy to avoid if you pay close attention., No matter how good your final paper is, the presentation will be the single factor that differentiates you/your team from the competition. 3 0 obj As a serious competitor, you need to channel your inner X; try to read your paper through the lens of X and make changes just as a harsh third-party would.
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