Read from the topics below and learn about getting started in written events and chapter projects.  Don't forget to refer to your advisor's DECA Guide, as well as the the SLC page!   Why should I bother with written events and chapter projects? Which manual is right for me? Determining your strengths and weaknesses. Putting it all together. Why should I bother with written events and chapter projects? Every year some of the finest Marketing students attempt to earn their way to state and national DECA competition.  While many outstanding students may attempt to earn a spot through district level competitive events, only one (or in a few cases, two) of those students can win.  Maybe you had a bad day, maybe your cat just ate the goldfish, or for whatever reason, maybe you just weren't at your best.  Or maybe there were simply three or four outstanding competitors.  You can't all win! Each year, however, many of those “non-winners” go on to compete and win at state and national levels.  How is that?  A well done written event or manual is a great way to earn your ticket to state and national competition.  Enclosed is some information that will help you on your journey in preparing an effective written manual or chapter project. Few things in Marketing Education are as rewarding as competing at the state and national level.  Meeting and competing against students from around the state is an experience that you will never forget, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.  First you've got to get there……. Back to the top Deciding which manual is right for you. There is a manual or chapter event for everybody, but finding the right project with the right topic is your first challenge.  The process is two-fold.  You must: Familiarize yourself with the various manuals and chapter events, and Consider your own likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. Let's look at these things individually.  First, the events that go on to Internationals: MANAGEMENT TEAM DECISION MAKING EVENTS – These events are comprised of two students per team, and each member is given a written test.  After the test, each team is given a decision making case study situation, whereby they have 30 minutes to prepare their solution.  They then present this solution to the judge.  Heavy emphasis is  placed on the decision making presentation.  The occupations to choose from are: Financial Analysis Management Team Decision Making Hospitality Services Management Team Decision Making Sports and Entertainment Marketing Management Team Decision Making Travel and Tourism Marketing Team Decision Making Internet Marketing Team Decision Making Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making Buying and Merchandising Team Decision Making MARKETING RESEARCH EVENTS – For research events, you may include up to three people on your team.  You are given a topic to research. and your research event consists of two major parts: the **written document and an oral presentation.  Pick your category, research your topic, and prepare your document and presentation.  Heavy emphasis is placed on the document itself.  (You can find this year's topic on the SLC page.) The occupations to choose from are: Business and Finance General Marketing Hospitality and Recreation Retail CHAPTER TEAM EVENTS – These are projects for your entire chapter.  You probably are doing these things during the course of the year anyway, so organize them and enter them in competition!  Up to three people can present each project at SLC.  They consist of a **written project and an oral presentation. Heavy emphasis is placed on the document itself.  The projects to choose from are: Creative Marketing Project Community Service Project Entrepreneurship Promotion Project Learn and Earn Project Public Relations Project  BUSINESS OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT EVENTS – These manuals are based on the similar topics, but are very different.  Each entrepreneurship event is based on the development of a new business.  The written event is a **thorough paper, and describes your plan in detail.  You provide details for the summary, introduction, analysis, planned operation, financing, and conclusion, as described in the outline.  Heavy emphasis is placed on the written document.  Each team may consist of one to three people. **Entrepreneurship Written The participating event includes a much shorter document, including topics of description, marketing/promotion plan, and financing.   Unlike the preceding event, heavy emphasis is placed on the oral presentation here.  In addition, you may compete by developing a new business, or a franchise.  This is an individual event. Entrepreneurship Participating Independent Business Franchise Business One common misconception about this event?  You do NOT have to create a new and innovative business that no one has ever tried before.  You simply have to generate a good business plan for a business that will work in the real world.  A good manual on how to start and operate an new McDonald’s will go a lot farther than the mediocre manual describing how to sell pizzas on the Internet. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS EVENT – This event consists of a written report and an oral presentation.  Emphasis is placed on the written report, so anyone willing to do the research can be competitive.  Do you know anyone who has ever had a business in a foreign country?  They might be your best resource!  Simply complete the guideline in your DECA guide, discussing the basic steps to starting your business in another part of the world. INTERNET MARKETIN BUSINESS PLAN -  Treat this one just like the International Business Event above, but with an electronic twist! Integrate marketing fundamentals with e-commerce. PARTICIPATING EVENTS – As you can see in the parentheses below, each of these events are based on different criteria.  Each depends heavily on an oral presentation, but don't for get to keep you strengths in mind!  In the technical marketing representative event, you are given a problem to solve.  Read it thoroughly, make sure it interests you, and get a business person in a related business involved in your solution!  The other two provide you with an opportunity to select your company. Advertising Campaign (written exam, fact sheet, oral presentation) Fashion Merchandising Promotion Plan (written exam, fact sheets, oral presentation) Technical Marketing Representative (written exam, oral presentation) THE SUNKIST WEBSITE/BANNER AD CHALLENGE – A new "official" event this year, construct a Web site and/or a banner ad following the guidelines prescribed in the DECA, Inc. Guide.  If you have a flair for such things, no presentation is required.  Simply build the Web page or banner, and submit the form attached to the guidelines.  Good Luck! VIRTUAL BUSINESS – Another official event, Virtual Business is a computer simulation that allows you to own and operate your own convenience store OR football team.  YOU make decisions on factors like pricing, staffing, merchandising, mark up, inventory and branding, and much more.  All you have to do is make your store profitable.  You are going to love it!  Monthly challenges are provided to your class team, and the highest ranking teams may earn their way to ICDC.  Best of all, it's FREE!  You can download the simulation at knowledgematters.com.  You can even play it at HOME!  For specific questions about the contest, e-mail your inquiries to decavbc@knowledgematters.com. DECA QUIZ BOWL - Team members (from 1-4 per team) take an online test prior to SLC registration. The top four team are invited to SLC to compete against each other in a game show environment. The top team team represents Virginia DECA at the ICDC. See your advisors' Chapter Management Guide for details. (There are other “state only” events that do not go on to international competition.) **Check for details on your written manuals.  Most of the “longer” manuals include all of your “extras”.  If you have a 30 page manual to prepare, these 30 pages include pictures, charts, graphs, surveys, etc.  USE THEM!  A lengthy manual with no visual aid can get pretty dull in a judge's eyes. THE STOCK MARKET GAME Another event that lasts througout the year, so be sure and sign up early. For more information, click here. Back to the top Determining your strengths and weaknesses. Next, what are some of your strengths and weaknesses? Do you like to or are you good at: Writing? Doing oral presentations? Taking tests? Quick decision making? Supervising and planning? Time management? Doing projects? Helping people outside of the community? Other talents? The odds are, you've listed something here that you either like or are very good at.  Many of these qualities can contribute to an overall team effort, and you don't have to be able to do them all.  Let's say, for example, you like to do presentations, and you prefer them over writing.  Look at team decision making events or one with a “short“ paper, such as Entrepreneurship Participating or the Advertising Campaign.  However, if you are good at expressing yourself on paper, and you like digging for solutions, consider another project, such as a Entrepreneurship Written.  Or if you like writing and “doing stuff”, consider a chapter project or Marketing Research.  There's something for everybody.  If you're doing a good job, you can probably even convince your teacher to make these class projects.  Just ask! Now that you're familiar with the projects, let's get familiar with you.  What are some types of things that you like to do?  Do you like: sports? recreation? boats? cars? clothing? make-up and appearance? eating? computers? games? helping others? animals? anything? Gotcha on the “anything.”  If you are going to do a good job with your manual and spend a lot of time with it, you've got to get your heart into it!  Many or most of these manuals are NOT content specific.  YOU pick the business and YOU pick the approach you want to use.  For example, let's say you've decided that you're creative, don't care to write too much but love to present orally, and you love plants and landscaping.  You could possible choose to do the Advertising Campaign Event for a nursery in your area.  This would meet all of your criteria, likes, and dislikes. Back to the top Putting it all together. Now that you are familiar with what you are good at, what format you are most comfortable with, and what topics you would like to work on, pick an event and a topic. You're ready to begin! The toughest part of your manual is getting started.  Let me repeat that because it bears repeating.  The toughest part of your manual is getting started.  Just follow these directions and dive in!  If you don't feel comfortable yet, that's ok.  Just start writing.  You'll quickly see what questions you want to ask.  It'll all fall into place. Step one: Now that you've decided on a project, THOROUGHLY read the event guidelines.  It is very important to understand the rules, as well as how you will be judged.  In these guidelines, you will be told how long your paper should be, how long your presentation can be, what you should include in your written documentation, and you will be told exactly how you will be evaluated.  Keep this is mind as you go through the process of developing your manual.  You have a copy of the sheet that the judge will be given to score you.  Don't forget to use it!  The more you know before you begin working on your manual, the better off you'll be.  Then go back regularly to review the guidelines, comparing them to what you've done so far. Step two: Outline your problem and determine exactly how you want to go about addressing your manual, and what kind of “twist” you want to take. Step three: Form an advisory panel.  No one is an expert on everything, but there is an expert out there for everything.  You are a cute and cuddly high school student, so take advantage of it.  Figure out who can help you.  In the example we described above, calling on the manger or owner of a few local nurseries would be the first logical step.  Explain to them who you are and why you need their help.  If the first person you call on will not help, try another one.  Someone will be willing to assist you.  Always be professional, and others will be at your side.  Then think of everyone who might be able to help you, and start a list.  For the nursery problem, you would consider an English teacher to proof and edit your writing, an advertising company representative, a printer, a banker or financier (you do need to explain your costs), your marketing teacher, a typist, and anyone else who might be helpful along your journey.   Don't make the committee too big, or you won't be able to get quality input from each of them.  For example, if you get an experienced nursery owner on your panel, he or she can help you with finance problems, etc., because he has dealt with it in his business.  Start there and then add to your panel as needed. Step four:  Create a timeline for getting things done.  Determine when your project is due, and how much time you have to do it.  Break your manual down into “little chunks” so that you can determine how long you need for each part.  Sometimes thing don't go as planned, so allow yourself extra time!!!  In the nursery example, allot time to come up with your advertising slogan and concept.  Once that's done, then determine a framework around this slogan and concept (if that's the way you choose to do it). Just as in the real world, once you get started, you might even think of a better idea, so give yourself time to make changes. Ask your advisor to help you develop your timeline. This particular manual is broken down into nine parts.  This might be a logical way to set your goals.  For example, the first section is "Description."  Give yourself a week to finish your draft of the description.  The second section is "Objective."  You might only need two days to develop this.  Do this for each of the nine parts. VERY IMPORTANT: WRITE YOUR GOALS DOWN ON PAPER, AND GIVE THEM TO YOUR ADVISOR AND EVERYONE ELSE INVOLVED IN YOUR PROJECT!!!  You may even choose to put them in a table or chart so that you can see them visually.  Use this document regularly as you go through the project.  You may modify your goals; in fact, you probably will.  But have them! Step five: Put your manual together.  Now that you've done each part, put it all together and proof it.  Include any charts, graphs, and pictures that may be relevant (certain manuals only).  Go back and reread the guidelines of your chapter.  If it says three pages for a particular section, you will be penalized if you have three pages plus two additional lines!  Be sure to adhere to the guidelines, and be sure to check that you have included every element that is on the evaluation sheet.  Then give your manual and a copy of the judges sheet to an “outsider,” asking them to try and evaluate your project as best they can.   They'll certainly let you know if they don't understand something or if it appears that something is missing.  BEWARE OF PENALTY POINTS!  Follow the format in the guidelines to the letter.  For example, if the guidelines which pages should and should not be numbered, pay attention to exactly what it says! Step six: Prepare your presentation.  This will be different at the state and national levels, but let's get you through states first!  Your judge will be given your manual prior to your presentation, and will be asked to read it and list relevant questions they might have. Food for thought: Should you intentionally omit important information? DO NOT SIMPLY RESTATE YOUR PAPER TO THE JUDGE(S), AS THEY HAVE ALREADY READ IT! (different guidelines apply for national competition)  You must be concerned with some “sizzle” here, and it needs to get the judges' attention.  Use audio or visual aids, if appropriate, and remember, you are selling the judge(s) on your idea.  Your paper is factual; your presentation is the “commercial” that sells the facts. Some things to remember are: Smile (when you are nervous, sometimes you forget!) Be positive and confident, no matter what. If you make a mistake, blow it off and move on, no matter how hard that may be!  Judges can sense if you are uncomfortable with your presentation, or if you believe in it. If on a team, NEVER contradict each other or argue in front of a judge.  NEVER!  Did I say NEVER?  It's the kiss of death. Practice, practice practice.  That's not saying memorize, but practice.  Be prepared.  Preparation is a key to confidence. Get creative with your opening and closing comments.  Don't just introduce yourself or say goodbye because that's what everyone else is doing!  These are the two points in your presentation that will have the most impact.  Make the most of them! Be original.  Do something to make yourself standout in the eyes of the judges.  For some ideas, ask your advisor, other students, or ask your teacher about the video entitled Making the Stage, available for purchase through DECA Images. Now your manual is done, your presentation is prepared and practiced, and you're ready to compete.  And the best thing is, you were able to use class time to do it!  (Secret: you learned a lot along the way.)  Sure beats doing book work, eh?  On top of everything else, I guarantee that competing at SLC or ICDC will be one of the most meaningful and fun experiences in your high school career.  Just ask anyone who has have been.  Good luck, and we'll see you at the State Leadership Conference!

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