Carson, California–On Saturday, September 21, over 60 DECA members from 7 schools across Southern California traveled to the StubHub! Center in Carson, California to attend California DECA’s Southern California DECA University. DECA University is a one-day event geared towards training DECA chapter officers to effectively lead their chapters in the coming year.
The day began with open-panel discussion with two account executives and one manager from the L.A. Galaxy Major League Soccer team. These speakers gave students a glimpse into their field of business and discussed the marketing strategies involved in ticket sales for the L.A. Galaxy. They also discussed how the L.A. Galaxy have adapted to a changing economy, increased their presence in the community, and expand their customer base.
The day continued with a presentation of California DECA’s 2013-2014 program of work. Following this presentation, trainers from Tri Leadership Resources LLC taught students how they can create a program of work for their DECA chapter. The teachers challenged students to think critically and find ways to reach new heights in the coming year.
After the program of work session, students in attendance developed skills that are specific to their leadership positions at their DECA chapter. Students separated into four different groups and explored one of four topics: managing meetings, social media, membership recruitment, and chapter finance.
The day ended with a trip to StubHub! Center for a L.A. Galaxy soccer game against the Seattle Sounders. This event allowed student leaders from various high schools throughout Southern California to network and build relationships that they will be able to leverage in the coming year.
“I could not ask for a better DECA University experience,” said Kaitlin Hung, a senior at Thousand Oaks DECA. “I got a lot of great tips for the upcoming DECA year and met other schools facing the same problems as mine, we talked and got the chance to come up with some awesome solutions.”
Southern California DECA will reconvene on October 19 in Los Angeles, California for the Southern California Leadership Development Conference.
Caleb Bhatnagar, a four-year member from Martin Luther King DECA, shared his excitement saying, “DECA U was a totally awesome experience! It was a real honor to have been able to attend with fellow business prodigies and learn real life marketing applications from the LA Galaxy executives. Going to the game was so much fun, and I was able to network with many new officers and advisers from different chapters!”