Niagara University's team - comprised of Olivia Welch, Andrew Wilson and Otis Brown - took second place at the American Marketing Association Rochester Collegiate Relations Fourth Annual Collegiate Conference.

Niagara University was well represented at the American Marketing Association Rochester Collegiate Relations fourth annual collegiate conference on Feb. 24. This conference provides a forum for marketing students to engage with a wide range of experienced professionals. It is supported and sponsored by funding from Niagara University, Rochester Institute of Technology, St. John Fisher College, Morgan Stanley and Merlin Digital Printing Solutions. Students representing the universities and colleges listed above attended the conference.

The morning session started off with Lauren Dixon, CEO of Dixon Schwabl, in which she discussed workplace values to build the young professional’s career, and was followed by Tom Proietti, resident scholar in media at St. John Fisher College, who discussed the impact of marketing.

The afternoon session included a Career Fair, with participating companies providing interview opportunities for internships and employment.

Representing Niagara University’s Marketing Association (NUMA) team were Otis Brown, Olivia Welch and Andrew Wilson. Brown is a senior marketing major from Webster, N.Y.; Welch is a senior focusing on international management with a minor in marketing from Kent, N.Y., and Wilson is a junior studying food marketing and minoring in economics. NUMA believes that learning by doing is the best way for students to gain real-world marketing experience and offers opportunities for interested students to attend conferences and competitions.

The Student Marketing Campaign Competition featured Merlin Digital Printing Solutions. The presentation covered the company’s digital printing benefits, types of collateral materials, corporate services, manuscripts, direct mail, specialty printing, variable printing and customer base. The competition provided the students a real-time application to organize a marketing campaign to increase Merlin Digital Printing Solutions’ brand awareness of the company’s capabilities and services. The teams were provided the opportunity to conduct follow-up meetings and discussions with principals of the company.

Andrew Wilson, NUMA vice president, said, “This conference was a great opportunity to listen to professional marketers’ experiences, ask them questions about our future and network with other future marketers and companies looking to hire. NUMA would like to thank Niagara University and the College of Business for their constant support.”

Niagara’s team placed second in the competition and was awarded $400 in funds for NUMA club and a trophy for the university. Dr. Paul Richardson, associate professor of marketing and NUMA moderator , complimented his team. “For the third consecutive year, NUMA once again takes a top award at the Rochester AMA Collegiate case competition. Andrew Wilson, Olivia Welch and Otis Brown are to be commended for their superior work, which places them above regional and nationally ranked competitors.”