In late October, SCTCC Collegiate DECA advisor, Becky Shand, was joined by DECA officers, Kaden Kadlec, Nate Martin, David Macagnone, and Ron Niehus (left-right in photo) and 230 members from across the nation in the great city of Minneapolis for a jam-packed conference full of networking, inspirational speakers, educational industry tours and even a little bit of competition.
One of the greatest moments of this two-day conference came from Matt Meuleners, a leadership trainer and consultant with a company by the name of FOCUS. Over the course of a several hours, students learned about the psychology behind what motivates people and leading effectively through change and ambiguity.
The conference also included a session for a case study challenge, in which students were given a set amount of time to prepare and present to industry judges a solution for the given business scenario. This served as an introduction to the competitive aspect of DECA. After going in as new members, Nate and Kaden can confidently say they will do everything to be over-prepared for the upcoming state and international competitions.
Engage included amazing EduTours from a selection of various business venues: Target Field, Midtown Global Market, US Bank Stadium, MONO, Barcelona Wine Bar, Open Book, Piper-Sandler. SCTCC DECA officers experienced the W Minneapolis – The Foshay and Mall of America EduTours and met some wonderful industry professionals and gained insight to some of the behind-the-scenes activities of both organizations.
DECA member takeaways are many at these amazing leadership and educational conferences. The people met through DECA create some of the most enriching relationships they will have throughout their professional lives. Every DECA member is on a similar path with parallel goals and aspirations in life, which takes off a great deal of pressure that many feel when networking for the first time.
For Nate Martin and Kaden Kadlec, knowing this made it effortless to network with fellow DECA members and industry leaders, as experienced in the EduTours.
Having spent over nine years in the hospitality industry, David Macagnone was very excited to get an inside look of one of the most famous historic hotels of all time, W Minneapolis – The Foshay, and even make connections with one of the sales executives, Andrew Kohl, and experience a panel discussion with the General Manager and team of executives. The tour included an inside look of the restaurants, top floor suites, and the spectacular view of the city from the Foshay Observation Deck.
Ron Niehus learned about the many statistics of The Mall of America on his tour, which was conducted by Dan Jasper, Senior Vice President. The entire business staff of the MOA consists of 40 people making sure the 40 million visitors to the mall stay safe and have an enjoyable experience. Ron also learned of some top-secret holiday treasures; be sure to look for them!
The leaders of these organizations dedicated their time and engaged the DECA members in
learning more about their industries and businesses. A most memorable and engaging conference!