In my home association of North Carolina, Project Management 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 Project Management events. 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. Think of the exterior things that could go wrong on the day of your presentation. In this article, Ill summarize each written event and add a little commentary. However, make sure to explain to them that they need to be 100% honest in their critical feedback. I recommend setting aside a few weeks at the start of school to survey new DECA members and observe returners (summer changes some people). Great! 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! Thats a common thought, but erroneous in every way. When I conducted research, I always brought a notepad with me, so I could jot down any tidbits, figures, etc. No matter if you win or not, be proud of yourself! The double-spacing requirement for major content was deleted. 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. Washington DECA's State Career Development Conference (SCDC) is one of the largest, most exciting, and most rewarding experiences in all of DECA! Participants will collaborate with a local business or organization to analyze current customer perceptions of the company or organizations corporate social responsibility. Also, I recommend giving your paper a read through and fixing any grammatical errors that hinder comprehension and flow and double-checking penalty points. Use the Cross or Check marks in the top toolbar to select your answers in the list boxes. 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. Nice touches like this definitely leave an impression on your judge. If you like event planning and management and want to have a tangible impact on your school or community, try a chapter event! When you join DECA, you're a part of something greater; you're part of an unstoppable force of nearly 152,000 members around the globe. This is a competition, and the guidelines were provided for a reason. Every DECA written event allows you to compete solo, as a partnership, or as a group of three. If you take this step early, there is absolutely no reason to rush to rash and impulsive decisions. Know them better than the writers. Take a look at your visual aids and make sure that they support your presentation. Many of you are finalizing your presentations. You do you, but these are my suggestions. I think this helped a ton when it came to getting stuff done in an efficient manner, and I would recommend you (or your team) find a quiet paper place, somewhere you go when its time to finally get down to business. endstream Make sure its the absolute best it can be before it reaches the judge and its your turn to deliver a knockout presentation! Just, I been asked by a few DECA members for writing event competition tips. Personally, I chose to fly solo. However, a choice that's much less overwhelming to make but narrows down your choices greatly is whether you want to compete in a written or role play event. endobj Like the rest of this guide, feel free to take my advice as just that advice. The previous year, I competed in an ten-page event, and I thought that limit was too restrictive, so I had to go for a twenty-pager. If you cant hand-carry a visual, dont bring it! 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. 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. Dont be blinded by outlandish promises; they are almost always too good to be true. You have nothing to lose. Go straight in for the handshake; meet their hand directly. Written Events. This conference brings over 19,000 people from all fifty states and multiple countries to one city. Some events are for individuals and some are for a team up to three members (refer to the Event Guidelines for complete information and guidelines). You have 15 minutes to give your pitch. ?# W}IVj^(b""'S1O0}!L,B5}Yi!\[rwG(JAQpgo!,A~l4U.1.WS_''G! zh?|'_S'N"2; Do you get nervous before taking an exam? I have only two tips for this stage: Seriously! Triple-check your paper for penalty points before you submit it, and enlist the help of a few classmates., Some common mistakes that lead to penalty points are as follows: exceeding the number of pages, leaving out a section, not having all pages numbered, not using current guidelines (see, I told you guidelines were important). D Direct. For example, I included my companys logo as the center header on every page, and the footer with the required page number was in the color scheme of my company. Tough love. DECA club activities During your chapter's DECA club, you do a wide variety of activities. You want the judge to think that you have the best entry. 1. If you have any interest in entrepreneurship, I highly recommend looking into these events! It should concisely and effectively highlight the main points of your written entry all while including a call to action. Throughout it all, dont lose track of your end goal: DECA Glass. As with many associations, your paper is (probably) due a few weeks before your state conference. Though, it does not come without its pitfalls, too. Honestly, the decision was only between two eventsIndependent or International. Focus on what makes you stand out.4. 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. Judges wont always have time to read your entire paper, so they will read your summary in-depth and skim the rest. Learn from my mistakes leave the time., Dont be nervous when answering questions. Now that you have a better understanding of what written event youd like to compete in, we can move onto the skeleton of your event: the core member(s). In this article, hear from two of our dedicated volunteer judges as they provide insight on their experience serving the past 20+ years. Ill be honestIm the most unorganized person youll ever meet. In fact, the entire entry shows your research, strategy and plan to achieve your purpose. Honestly, this is a personal decision. While its okay to be nervous (it proves you actually care), try your best not to a) show it and b) let it get to you. Once youve turned in the paper, turn your full attention to the presentation. Dont be nervous when answering questions! can make that decision for you. Go with your gut; ask teachers and fellow members, but the end decision is yours, so own it. 2 0 obj These standards are designed to make competition as fair as possible. Thats how winners work. Think a written event is for you? This is THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR PAPER! Use graphics and formatting as appropriate.7. Further, a high-tech presentation board does not and will not compensate for a weak pitch. uOQT1Im%yXl`\Z-TN|b9\"8_bt3=twC?=:RObu5kw,*bwtw'Fg"{dwl_:Qw.8s;p$=}ugp}vws Once you decide on a logo and font, maintain a consistent color scheme and font usage. When it comes to presenting, you have the full load of work; you cant rely on someone else to cover certain parts. 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. 2. I said this in my Presidential farewell; I said this at chapter meetings; I say this when pitching DECA. If you are a strong test taker who wants to compete in written events but still wants a taste of series events (and has an interest in the marketing field), definitely check these events out! As a serious competitor, you need to channel your inner critic; try to read your paper through the lens of that advisor and make changes just as a harsh third-party would. d(Znyj8UnG*u> K8AcgGZB&ptb:o:V0 fmZSfRMJ^(l phvI~M*/k HrA^>@JxZU8wt>;RE8yq`&(EM$2`uy-BR|ekASfP& = Double check the number of pages allowed in your written entry. At ICDC, however, these rounds exist, and there are two stages separating you from that coveted DECA Glass. A respectable content-to-visual ratio for every page (that isnt financials) is 75:25. Get. One way I prepared for questions was by pitching to others and fielding questions from them. A Affectionate. z8F`94@]rbLm\wLLQSZ*CD%:B9#BNA-#SJ"Q /F@]ZK3UJF!k/mH:#^bkXWMnuk? Si3xKu}rC>!%9a:pd>0sn;ntbJ# G.^Yn!I:YC} nBMl u:{ : D@"OBN"R>\ 0g7!:F_1794#cRqbjM1 pb_!$"\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 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. The judge will usually ask for clarification on parts that you glossed over or will ask in-depth questions on a certain topic, and while youre not obligated to leave time for questions, its always recommended. Personally, I have seen more success from a hybrid. The Innovation Plan and Start-up Business Plan have a page limit of ten. 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. If you lack innate self-initiative and are a weak presenter, I urge you to not even consider this option. A word of advice: dont get too attached to your first (or second or third) draft; it wont be great. If you love solving a challenging problem on your feet, then Id advise staying away from written events (go for role plays!). DECA Episode 1 - TOP 10 TIPS FOR WRITTEN EVENTS PRESENTATION | FROM AN ICDC GLASS WINNER - YouTube 0:00 / 10:20 Intro DECA Episode 1 - TOP 10 TIPS FOR WRITTEN EVENTS. <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> Having a budding affinity for the world of entrepreneurship, I instantly gravitated towards these events. Nice touches like this definitely leave an impression on your judge! Imagine this is the only thing someone would read. 3 Written Event Competition Tips to Consider. {0ZJx$r=[7Wyb8gU.quUI0kv2y 4l<3IIDD*]1:Su3vUCN If you are a voting delegate and reach the finals round, then your competition time may coincide with the Business and Elections session, so make sure you have someone on call that can fill in for you and vote (or however your association handles that). Even though I have harped on the importance of research and planning, I have purposely left this stage relatively short. Awesome, so now youve (more-or-less) decided on whether or not to compete in a written event. I ran tight on time during my final IBP pitch at ICDC, and I have always wondered if that was the difference between first and second. Over the course of the conference, hundreds of industry judges and DECA volunteers assess and evaluate thousands of DECA students in competitive events. I dont care. Use a skit, quote, interesting fact, emotional story, perform a song. However, you shouldnt use the whole time presenting. For example, for my IBP event, I have a folder on my computer full of PDFs from research, paper revisions, audio from meetings and calls, charts and graphs, etc. Youll do great. Congratulations, and I wish you all the best! The events that were under this umbrella and phased out include the Advertising Campaign, Fashion Merchandising Promotional Plan, and Sports and Entertainment Promotional Plan. I never plan for anything. Now that you have a better understanding of what written event youd like to compete in, we can move onto the skeleton of your event: the core member(s). yMi$\S8h:ROO| 82QVhopH#-n)o7 ;U{o^3@S>SI(b+0uQDKH{f0LI A30Zq !u+\o MQ}`c]a1Zf\I AYsSqM{.34'7P*gjuadK4>+W*H F*`[4V5x6Uh)W{>U^*QHC1YWVkM#3 X!eJyQwev fr1z~1Q( s n65,4*:q~l]bmv3N ZlL3l"k3P b#FpOvF8`wRr&3! Ask them to read it and make notes about items they may not understand or need more information on. A nice tool to use to create materials (if you arent fluent in Affinity Designer, Photoshop, or AI) is Canva. DECA breaks the written events into four categories: Business and Operations Research Events, Project Management Events, Entrepreneurship Events, and Integrated Marketing Campaign Events. At the ICDC level, dont bring notecards to a pitch; this will show that you take the pitch seriously. The great thing is that DECAs Competitive Event series offers a plethora of exciting events to chose from. Here are a collection of my top tips for ICDC! Start with a bang, sell the problem and solution (but hit hard on the problem), and focus on what makes you stand out (UVP). Additionally, no alternate power sources, such as small generators, will be allowed. <> Start with a bang. Im not a big planner. Thats how winners work., A quick pro tip: no matter if youre working alone or as a group, enlist the help of your advisors, friends, trusted family and outside sources to give you feedback on your paper. Use charts and graphs in your paper (especially in the ES). stream 2019 Written Event Winners - PDF Download. However, if you like having a prepared plan and the opportunity to rehearse, go ahead and try a written event! Smile when youre shaking their hand! Following my term as state club, EGO was elected such the 2018-2019 DECA Incidents. The DECA Virtual Business Challenge (VBC) is an official competitive event free to high school members and hosted by Knowledge Matters. Having a budding affinity for the world of entrepreneurship, I instantly gravitated towards these events. Before we begin planning out our paper, we must decide which event to compete in! The 2019 topic for every BOR event is as follows: The 2019 topic for each career category is the development of a cause marketing campaign. Explore these frequently asked questions and answers. Service includes a campaign that is related to any service or intangible product. These events have a maximum page limit of ten pages and allow for a single competitor, a partnership, or a team of three. This session is all about setting up the logistics for incorporating written events into the classroom. While the Franchise Business Plan, Independent Business Plan, Business Growth Plan, and International Business Plan have a maximum page limit of 10. Like your paper, make sure to incorporate the same color scheme and font use through your visuals. You have a tricycle mounted on a board (true story)? Start with a bang.2. A respectable content-to-visual ratio for every page is roughly 75:25. I get easily distracted, so to combat this during my paper time, I went to my local library to do all of my work. 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. Go out there and crush it! Personally, I have seen more success from a hybrid. Depending on your event, your presentation can count for as much as 50% of the overall score, meaning your paper also counts for 50%. They have to add substance to your paper. Written events are a process, and they require months of preparation, all-nighters, and a lot a lot of research. The less passionate you are about your topic, the less productive you will be. Ben Smith; Wisconsin DECA VP of Event Managment. Practice fluent transitions and handoffs of parts, Divide speaking and answering time evenly. With over fifty competitive events, choosing just one to participate in can be one of the most difficult choices to face in DECA. Shop DECA has been providing products and services to chapters and associations for more than twenty years. If you decide to form a partnership or team, take a week to just talkdoesnt have to be about DECA. If you decide to form a partnership or team, take a week to just talkdoesnt have to be about DECA. 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. Principles of Business Administration Events You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram@andreweathermanor send me a LinkedIn connection. Hello, I'm Andrew Weatherman, the current DECA, Inc. Executive President. Use graphics and formatting as appropriate. Therefore, it is paramount to have a killer ES. Include meaningful, colorful graphs to break up large chunks of text. So some competitors like to play videos during their pitch. In my state, if you get more than 10 penalty points on your paper, you can kiss the top 10 goodbye. Take a few deep breaths before your section is called to present. The choices are limitless. Chapter Team events provide the amazing opportunity to engage chapter members in school-wide/community-wide activities that cover the specific event. Participants must bring a photo ID to all event briefings . If you are going to fall at around the 2 level on the flowchart below, at least memorize the general structure. However, the paper in a thirty-pager will count for 60% of your score, making the paper that much more important. These questions are not meant to trick you. In this article, hear from two of our dedicated volunteer judges as they provide insight on their experience serving the past 20+ years. Lets start by addressing the elephant in the room: written events arent for everyone. As the competition season heats up, take the opportunity to review the written event that youve worked so hard on. How do you impress them, then? If this is the case, work like heck on your paper until the due date dont even think about your presentation. 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. Start completing the fillable fields and carefully type in required information. Youll do great!! However, the time you take to set up and take down your materials counts in your total time, so practice setting up and taking down before showtime.. Great care must be taken to assure that the highest ethical standards are . Also, it is possible that your competition time will be very, very close to the conclusion of the achievement awards session. An intricate presentation board pulls attention away from your pitch. Dont gorge your board with information, but dont starve it, either. This structure allows for ALL students (not just DECA competitors) to be involved in project-based learning while making DECA the . Personally, I was rocking a PowerPoint and a clicker, so I was scared out of my mind that these elaborate light-up boards were going to embarrass me. Jokes aside, however, judges can sense if youre apprehensive. Because its the first thing that your judge will read. And please, have a respectful tone when answering. Many of the activities revolve around comparing for competitions. Okayvideos. Do you get nervous before taking an exam? The paper in a 20 pager will count for 60% of your score, making the paper that much more important. 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. In my state, if you get more than ten penalty points on your paper, you probably arent medaling (top ten). Be engaged. 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. From the paper standpoint, the team route (when executed well) decreases the workload and dependence of all members. DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe. At competition, youll find that PowerPoints are the outliers. AndRELAX! While youre not obligated to leave time for questions, its always recommended. JFIF ` ` C Also, a word of wisdom: Ive gotten burned by (looking back) ludicrous promises by teammates. Learn DECA - What is A Written Event?Video Created by Washington DECA Team Legacy Again. Oh, by rearranging these sections, Ill certainly stand out! Getting Started With Written Events! A fancy presentation board is a great way to get the attention of your judge and for them to remember you. If you are using technology, dont count on WiFi or outlets. Im not a big fan of agendas, but many groups find it very helpful to set a meeting agenda whenever they are going to be working on the project. No one should know your problem, market and solution better than you. Make your presentation aesthetically pleasing! Give them the oral presentation evaluation form and ask them to rate your performance. 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). She also offers several tips on how students can better prepare in order to give themselves the best chance to win. Once you decide on a logo and font, maintain a consistent color scheme and font usage. If you didnt know, you can make edits to your CDC paper before you submit your ICDC paper. That said, I still had a rough sketch and timetable for my event. If you're looking for more information on DECA's International Career Development Conference competitive events process and transcripts, look no further! x][SF~v Cool. Better yet, if you can include an opening that calls on pathos, then this is definitely the best way to go. They should add substance to your paper. DECA's Written Event Guidelines - Printout Versions Competition Resources, Chapter Building, PreCompetition Resources for Written/Prepared Events May 26, 2021 types of written events with voiceover De-bunking the myths of written events prepared events 101 presentation prepared events student testimonials SAMPLE PREPARATION CALENDARS FOR YOUR EVENT Generally, a fancy board will take away from your speaking. Shop DECA is the official source for your chapter needs. 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. 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 Business Operations Research and Chapter Team events, however, the events that fall under the Entrepreneurship umbrella have different rules from one another. Dont sit in your hotel room religiously rehearsing your script. maintained by those engaging in research and report writing. When I presented, I used a traditional PPT and a clicker. Honestly, the decision was only between two events Independent or International. (This may seem like common sense, but youd be surprised at the number of people who do this.) You will want to make sure that all of the items from the outline on the written entry evaluation form are included in your written entry, because your judge will award points based on those. If you arent the best public speaker but a great designer, then go for an extravagant board! 20182019 Update: DECA updated the general written event guidelines, and with that update, new rules regarding presentation visuals were implemented. Make sure that you have someone other than yourself go over [your paper] and make sure it meets the guidelines in every way it needs to. Brian Josephson; Oregon DECA President. Participants will then present a strategic plan to create a cause marketing campaign that aligns to the company or organizations core values. She has the largest DECA chapter in her state with over 170 members. <> That said, researching is uberly important. DECA breaks the written events into four categories: Business and Operations Research Events, Chapter Team Events, Entrepreneurship Events, and Integrated Marketing Campaign Events. Some common mistakes that lead to penalty points are as follows: exceeding the number of pages, leaving out a section, not having all pages numbered, not using current, up-to-date guidelines (see, I told you guidelines were important). Tred with caution. Beyond that, limit extra information to unique, just-plain-cool facts. No matter the results in Atlanta, you made it, and thats no easy task. Business Operations Research events are a great way to connect with local business and understand how they work! 3 0 obj You might think, Oh, by rearranging these sections, Ill certainly stand out! Thats a common thought, but also an erroneous one.. In the finals round, every project presents to the same judge. After scouring DECA Direct for advice, I realized that there is. A way I prepared for questions was to practice pitching to friends and family and field questions from them. A couple years ago, I developed a killer handshake technique that uses a DECA acronym: Its finally here! Elaborate on the vital portions, but dont slack on the visuals. I cant stress this enough., Start with a bang, sell the problem and solution (but hit hard on the problem), and focus on what makes you stand out.. Unfortunately, you can only pick one. Mention key points multiple times in your presentation to ensure judges remember. And of course, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse so you feel confident in the information you are presenting. The event is based on the Virtual Business series of simulations and offers over $20,000 in scholarship money. 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. For more details, head to www.deca.org/compete. The executive summary should be dynamic. 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. Event includes a campaign that is related to any sports and entertainment event and/or company event. You have the perfect opportunity to impress your judge with a solid pitch and great aesthetics making you difficult to forget. from $ 10.00 $ 0.00. Mastering the Written Event Presentations. Want to check out all DECA's competitive event options? A nice tool to use to create materials (if you arent fluent in Photoshop) is Canva. Like BOR events, Project Management events have a maximum page limit of 20 pages and allow for a single competitor, a partnership, or a team of three chapter representatives. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, think you are too good or too smart for planning and research. As ICDC nears, I have received a few questions about presentations and how to make your paper stand out. A maximum of three pumps. Out of the 16 or 20 projects in the finals round, only ten will be named Overall Finalist (a large red, white, and blue ribbon medal with an advisor pin), and called on stage. Surprisingly, this is a great problem to have! These questions are not meant to trick you. People you know will often give you sugar-coated advice, and this will do more harm to your project than good. International finalists will be announced during the achievement awards session (which is the morning of Grand Awards). I recommend setting aside a few weeks at the start of school to survey new DECA members and observe returners (summer changes some people). (Wow. This is, without a doubt, my most important tip. 4 0 obj Recently, I was asked by a few DECA members for written conference competition tips. The first stage is the preliminary round. 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. To learn more about a specific event, go to DECAs competition section of their website, and the link for the guidelines of every event will be attached when the event is first mentioned. If youre in the entrepreneurship events, for example, your ultimate ask would likely be for funding. that couldve brought potential benefit to my paper. DECA GUIDE 2022-23 | 59 WRITTEN EVENT STATEMENT OF ASSURANCES AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY. Include the most important details, and be thorough on those details for every section. Though, if you received a poor score on the Financials section, then Id definitely recommend editing. 4. After competing for the. Include the most important details, and be thorough on those details, for every section and elaborate on the vital portions (consult the rubric for point values to determine these), but dont slack on the visuals make your paper pretty! 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. Attached is a chart presented at a 2016 Power Trip workshop by Ms. Annie Hulse from Oakton DECA, so all credit goes to her. Instead, put information that is vital: company name; mission statement; brief summary of the problems your company/project is addressing and how they will be solved, the revenue model, UVP, and competitive advantage. I'm always striving to equip members. I dont care. I wrote this article to assist members along the difficult journey that is competing in a written event.
