I hate when people tell me how to conduct research or how to plan, as I have my own weird methods, so I dont want to waste your time telling you how to do your thing. Explore these frequently asked questions and answers. Financial Services Team Decision Making | DECA+ Like I said, I love researching, and I really wanted to squeeze the most out of this event as I could. The Ultimate DECA Written Event Guide Recently, I was asked by a few DECA members for written event competition tips. Success! Excelling in DECA's Competitive Events Program - Issuu Before serving as the 2018-2019 HighSchool Division President, he was an international finalist, earning second place in the International Business Plan at ICDC in Anaheim. A simple handshake will go miles. (This is 100% supported by thorough scientific research without a doubt.) Competitive Events Sample Texas DECA No one should know your problem area, market, and solution better than you. 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. Awesome. (Like, seriously, there should be a whos-board-can-include-the-most-iPads competition.) 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. Give a great pitch. 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. from $ 10.00 $ 0.00. can make that decision for you. Give them the oral presentation evaluation form and ask them to rate your performance. Depending on your event, your presentation and paper score may vary. When I conducted research, I always brought a notepad with me, so I could jot down any tidbits, figures, etc. 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.. Once you decide on a logo and font, maintain a consistent color scheme and font usage. Many judges wont have time to read your entire paper, so they will read your summary in-depth and skim the rest. When I conducted research, I always brought a notepad with me, so I could jot down any tidbits, figures, etc. 1. I dont know your project; I dont know your presentation strengths; I dont know what works for you and/or your group. The tough decision, though, was what event to pick. If you arent completely sure of the answer, just say something in the ball park, but sound confident; the judge will believe you! If you like business research and strategy, Business Operations Research is a great fit for you! 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. Dont be blinded by outlandish promises; they are almost always too good to be true. A couple years ago, I developed a killer handshake technique that uses a DECA acronym: Its finally here! If you lack innate self-initiative and are a weak presenter, I urge you to not even consider this option. After scouring DECA Direktverbindung for advice, I realized that are your no top document full of tips, like I decided to author my own. Like BOR events, Chapter Team events have a maximum page limit of thirty pages and allow for a single competitor, a partnership, or a team of three chapter representatives. Take a look at your visual aids and make sure that they support your presentation. As these events are new, not many tips exist for them. Include meaningful, colorful graphs to ease the reading. 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! Honestly, this is a personal decision. All written entries must include a signed copy of DECA's Written Event Statement of Assurances and Academic Integrity (page 59). Often times, a part of your presentation/paper may make perfect sense to you but is confusing in the eyes of an audience member. The DECA Virtual Business Challenge (VBC) is an official competitive event free to high school members and hosted by Knowledge Matters. Most importantly, have a respectful tone when answering. And as a result, the written event page lengths were adjusted. SBE Chapter Certification Submission Site Is Open | DECA Direct Online Make your presentation unique in any way you can! Your ES is the most important feature of any written [event] that you compete with. Secundino Garcia (Cooper); Michigan DECA Member. 13. In my state, if you get more than 10 penalty points on your paper, you can kiss the top 10 goodbye. A simple print-out of the event guidelines, a few dates/ranges scribbled here and there, and that was it. In my state, if you get more than ten penalty points on your paper, you probably arent medaling (top ten). Color, typography, layout and that perfect personal touch are your secret weapons. While the Franchise Business Plan, Independent Business Plan, Business Growth Plan, and International Business Plan have a maximum page limit of twenty. Judges are sticklers for judging a paper off the guidelines. Though, it does not come without its pitfalls, too. From a presenting standpoint, each member can cover certain parts of the pitch, which should allow for better (and impressive) flow and transition (plus you can wear matching outfits, and thats pretty cool). I get easily distracted, so to combat this during my paper time, I went to my local library to do all of my work. maintained by those engaging in research and report writing. Great! Now that youve written your entry, go back and make sure it does the job. An intricate presentation board pulls attention away from your pitch. Do not just read your paper. 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). Personally, I scripted a dramatic, effective introduction and closing (and tried, futilely, to script the rest). No matter if you win or not, be proud of yourself! 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.. I wrote this article to assist members along the difficult journey that is competing in a written event. You are the authority on the subject. Penalty points are awarded for careless errors, and theyre very easy to avoid if you pay close attention., No matter how good your final paper is, the presentation will be the single factor that differentiates you/your team from the competition. endobj Make sure, though, that you arent adding visuals just to add them. 5. 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. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, think you are too good or too smart for planning and research. DECA GUIDE 2022-23 | 59 WRITTEN EVENT STATEMENT OF ASSURANCES AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY. Learn More About DECA's Competitive Events. Therefore, it is paramount to have a killer ES. Unleash your potential by stepping into a leadership. Shop DECA is the official source for your chapter needs. For a Glass-worthy paper, you will spend twice the amount of time researching than you will actually writing the paper. The Ultimate DECA Written Event Guide | by Andrew Weatherman | Medium Teachers will learn how to use a project-based learning approach while implementing DECA written events. Here are a collection of my top tips for ICDC! At ICDC, however, these rounds exist, and there are two stages separating you from that coveted DECA Glass. I always recommend chapters of any size to pick an event and go for it! This structure allows for ALL students (not just DECA competitors) to be involved in project-based learning while making DECA the . A vital thing to do at this moment would be to print out the guidelines of every event that you are considering. Color, typography, layout and that perfect personal touch are your secret weapons. Further, a high-tech presentation board does not and will not compensate for a weak pitch. 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. Also, a word of wisdom: Ive gotten burned by (looking back) ludicrous promises by teammates. Here are all of the top secret competition goods! Independence DECA Introduce yourself and your position during the shake. Once you decide on a logo and font, maintain a consistent color scheme and font usage. 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. When I presented, I used a traditional PPT and a clicker. You have nothing to lose. Dont gorge your board with information, but dont starve it, either. But, they didnt quite the opposite, really and heres why: If youre working with one of these boards, then great! Focus on what makes you stand out.4. She also offers several tips on how students can better prepare in order to give themselves the best chance to win. catchy intro, enthusiastic tone, quirky 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 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 In each event, there are around 160 competitors; again, depending on your event, 1620 projects will advance to the finals round. That said, I still had a rough sketch and timetable for my event. If you are going to fall at around the 2 level on the flowchart below, at least memorize the general structure. 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). A lot of convention centers WiFi is sketchy, and your presentation booth will rarely have outlets; charge everything the night before! Even with the recent changes to the written event guidelines, the graphic below still stands (just ignore the page length headers)! (You bring your paper to ICDC and submit it at conference.) Like every project or idea, the team is the backbone and will make or break everything. 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. Want to check out all DECA's competitive event options? Niles North DECA Written Projects % This is a new event this year! When it comes to presenting, you have the full load of work; you cant rely on someone else to cover certain parts. DECA Written Events Presentations and Visual Aids Script: When writing your presentation you need to highlight key items. Include data and finances. Once youve turned in the paper, turn your full attention to the presentation. stream Participants will collaborate with a local business or organization to analyze current customer perceptions of the company or organizations corporate social responsibility. Learn DECA | Tips Tricks Written Events - YouTube 0:00 / 1:54 Learn DECA | Tips Tricks Written Events Washington DECA 270 subscribers Subscribe 1.5K views 2 years ago Learn. If you're looking for more information on DECA's International Career Development Conference competitive events process and transcripts, look no further! I know, you probably covered that section that he is so confused about very well, but dont have a rude tone while answering. For more details, head to www.deca.org/compete. 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. Use a skit, quote, interesting fact, emotional story, perform a song. Identify the problem, solution and opportunity. Judges wont always have time to read your entire paper, so they will read your summary in-depth and skim the rest. At the 2017 ICDC in Anaheim, California, I placed 2nd in the International Business Plan category. Before we get started, I think you should know a little bit about me. These standards are designed to make competition as fair as possible. Start with a bang. If you make too many changes to an essay, then the paper reads inauthentic and losses its power; likewise, the quality of an excessively edited DECA paper holds an inverse relationship with the number of frivolous edits. As a serious competitor, you need to channel your inner X; try to read your paper through the lens of X and make changes just as a harsh third-party would. The first stage is the preliminary round. While visuals can certainly help your overall presentation, they should be appropriate and engaging. Written events are a process, and they require months of preparation, all-nighters, and a lot a lot of research. During this round, you will compete against 19 projects (give or take, depending on your event). I have only two tips for this stage: Seriously! DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe. 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. 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). Even though I have harped on the importance of research and planning, I have purposely left this stage relatively empty. This means no wheeled carts or other items that assist in carrying your visuals will be allowed. Options range from a trifold to a life-size toilet paper roll on a rolling clothes rack. In short, if you received a good (read: perfect or near-perfect score) mark on a section, then dont edit it before ICDC! Okayvideos. Take a look at my new video for tips to get the DECA glass. As the competition season heats up, take the opportunity to review the written event that youve worked so hard on. Read them between drafts and before bedtime. Dont stare off into space. Ill be honest: I wasnt really sure how competition at ICDC works. Leaving out sections in the body of the written entry. Okay, so 2017 was the first year I competed with a written event at ICDC, and NO ONE told me you had to bring your I.D. X will start making small changes, and if they believe that they have made too many adjustments, they will simply CNTRL+A and DELETE your work. Personally, I chose to fly solo. Go straight in for the handshake; meet their hand directly. Additionally, I served North Carolina DECA as a VP also one choose member on who Board of Directors. Itll show. DO. Lemme be 100: if you dont know how to plan well and conduct sound research, you better start learning. DECA_GOAT 1 yr. ago. Also, a word of wisdom: Ive gotten burned by (looking back) ludicrous promises by teammates. Like every project or idea, the team is the backbone and will make or break everything. Like the rest of this guide, feel free to take my advice as just that advice. Having a budding affinity for the world of entrepreneurship, I instantly gravitated towards these events. Following my term as state club, EGO was elected such the 2018-2019 DECA Incidents. w&qp:Rp~~sv|;:X`u{[xvSrHk?}w~rROcc8zi_Qk Cc33;Q0e~HdS-Cx&>Ag0tg4sGslEe~m5sXB s V~[t$Tf4{tRj 8['XwZ[ 5?+D.P%(/}a%~Q[?&p|9 =i 1|rRPH#H+pi6 K]K9I8BbFjy?nQ7$b:oFel-v;+nbvQIiaHJK#))G\RHQ+Vtk6|;* DW%fn=5O@^~]kyqUf-LB`tvlU[#/4*t+CFt9OL#N=#nn)d;PRlr0&=u1'Ej4m+T=kLt%3ybk%r],*qEmO^(teP"3|sYRP' dAB{:ULCV#nn)oh$W#BdDT> C5 T_ K*Iye Practice fluent transitions and handoffs of parts, Divide speaking and answering time evenly. She has the largest DECA chapter in her state with over 170 members. Before you dive in and begin planning your paper, you must decide which event to compete in! In my opinion, choosing the right event is the most overlooked but vital part of the competition process. The executive summary should be dynamic. This April, DECA members participating in the competitive events program will appear before a volunteer judge to present on current business trends in various events and formats. Written Events Sample Texas DECA A lot of competitors opt to go the trifold, or more obscure, path. ?# W}IVj^(b""'S1O0}!L,B5}Yi!\[rwG(JAQpgo!,A~l4U.1.WS_''G! zh?|'_S'N"2; That said, though, you must make your board effective. 11. Surprisingly, this is a great problem to have! Keep it short, dude. 3 Written Event Competition Tips to Consider - DECA Direct The Ultimate DECA Written Event Guide | by Andrew Weatherman | Medium X}}*V9=J7R@;FZoMNTLs1=^;v>JOyc~0qrI+RL]FBo5 ;/C))NiML/l'HMa #Rn)NZcLA1~B_j.n)S?`ELQU"I If you need a little more planning (this works well with teams, but can also work well for a single person), try Trello a free online to-do board where you can collaborate with others, assign tasks, set due dates, and add notes (see below). (Wow. Ill be honestIm the most unorganized person youll ever meet. If you go into your pitch thinking you have the worst project ever, then, likely, youre not going to do so hot. A big question with presentations is always should I script it or not? 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. All written events must be printed single-sided. If you are the type of person who wants absolute control over every aspect of your project, this is the route you need to take. Honestly, this is a personal decision. 1. When appropriate, substitute text for bullet points or flow charts. If youre in the entrepreneurship events, for example, your ultimate ask would likely be for funding. An age-old debate between research hounds and perfectionists: should my paper be content heavy or aesthetically pleasing? Use your paper as a tool to pitch your out-of-this-world idea to your judge. BOR events are a great way to connect with local business and understand how they work! DECA Guide 2021-2022 by DECA Inc. - Issuu Though, if you received a poor score on the Financials section, then Id definitely recommend editing. Congratulations, and I wish you all the best! Business Operations Research events provide you the opportunity to conduct research with a local business/organization and present your findings to a judge at competition. Read them before writing, then again while writing. There are two main types of DECA competitions: role-plays and written events. Get the jist? If you like event planning and management and want to have a tangible impact on your school or community, try a chapter event! Make your presentation aesthetically pleasing! 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. However, you shouldnt use the whole time presenting. I am now a sophomore at Duke University,doublemajoringinPublic PolicyandEconomics. My sophomore year I competed in Start-Up Business Plan, and my junior year I competed in International Business Plan. Or, if youre in a chapter team event, your goal is to demonstrate the impact of your project management through a compelling story. AndRELAX! DECA Written Events consist of a written business plan and a prepared presentation before a judge. From a presenting standpoint, each member can cover certain parts of the pitch, which should allow for better (and impressive) flow and transition (plus you can wear matching outfits, and thats pretty cool). Please list a few "do and don't" tips for DECA members. Flying solo feels great you never have to deal with conflicting schedules, you can work on your own time, and you make every decision. Participants must bring a photo ID to all event briefings . First of all, if youre reading this in preparation for Atlanta, then congratulations on reaching ICDC! DECA Episode 1 - TOP 10 TIPS FOR WRITTEN EVENTS PRESENTATION - YouTube However, this does not give you the green light to haphazardly edit your paper. In this article, Ill summarize each written event and add a little commentary. Its okay to be nervous; you should be (after all, you spent months on this paper), but dont present nervously. Washington DECA's State Career Development Conference (SCDC) is one of the largest, most exciting, and most rewarding experiences in all of DECA! In your paper (and presentation) include the exact vocabulary from the rubric and guidelines in your writing. Theyre a super fun and different way to compete, but they sure arent suited for the average member. 7. The event is based on the Virtual Business series of simulations and offers over $20,000 in scholarship money. Go with your gut; ask teachers and fellow members, but the end decision is yours, so own it. This is the stage that you DO NOT WANT TO SKIP. 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. 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. Even though the nature of competition relies on how subjective the judges opinion is, you can make sure that you present your best work. After scouring DECA Direct for advice, I realized that thither is no premier document all of tips, so MYSELF decided to novelist my own. SYMk^\HhfS>7]-/AA C|J3/IK&4.e:lq!AZ xcbfsH%I98; zgprd x!t% 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). Penalty points are awarded for stupid mistakes, and theyre very easy to avoid, if you pay close attention (see below where to access penalty points). Judges are sticklers for judging a paper off the guidelines. An age-old debate between researchers and perfectionists: should my paper be content heavy or aesthetically pleasing? If you fancy yourself a strong public speaker, then definitely consider going this route. DECA breaks the written events into four categories: Business and Operations Research Events, Chapter Team Events, Entrepreneurship Events, and Integrated Marketing Campaign Events. Andrew Weatherman took home DECA glass and now hes taking the time to share his insider secrets with you. This guide will outline the process and framework I used last year en route to DECA Glass. Youll do great. 1 comment. Per DECAs website, these events provide opportunities for members to develop an integrated marketing campaign of no more than 45 days in length for a real event, product or service and present the campaign in a role-play situation. Much like the events they are replacing, IMCs are a hybrid between traditional written events and series events: while you still present a paper to a judge, you/your team must also take a career cluster exam (marketing cluster). In this article, hear from two of our dedicated volunteer judges as they provide insight on their experience serving the past 20+ years. 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. 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. 5 0 obj Additionally, no alternate power sources, such as small generators, will be allowed. Prepare back-ups or alternatives so that there are no disasters that could derails all of the work youve put into your final project. Personally, I have seen more success from a hybrid. Imagine this is the only thing someone would read. Include meaningful, colorful graphs to break up large chunks of text. This is, without a doubt, my most important tip. 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 BOR and Chapter Team events, however, the events that fall under the Entrepreneurship umbrella have different rules from one another. This April, DECA members participating in the competitive events program will appear before a volunteer judge to present on current business trends in various events and formats. Im not a big planner. A lot of competitors opt to go the trifold, or more obscure, path. However, for ICDC, your paper isnt due until you actually get to the conference, so you could theoretically make changes to your paper while in a hotel room, but Id advise against that. When I wrote this article, I was serving as the State President of North Carolina DECA. Many of the activities revolve around comparing for competitions. that couldve brought potential benefit to my paper. When I wrote like books, I were serving as the State President of North Sc DECA. 4 0 obj 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 businessa parents business does not qualify. All events, though, allow for a single competitor, a partnership, or a team of three. Since these events are new to everyone, I will list out the the umbrella of IMC in more detail: As of the 20182019 DECA year, these events are no longer offered and were replaced by the Integrated Marketing Campaign series. Written Competitive Events - Michigan DECA If you feel like a video would be, Question your speaking prowess or doubt your ability to perform a flawless pitch under pressure, Feel anxious when you dont have a handicap to lean on and direct to when speaking, Are proud of your amazing speaking skills, Arent the artistic type (or you are, but youre a better speaker), Dont get too nervous under pressure and desire for all the attention (and eyes) to be on you. The Ultimate DECA Written Event Guide | by Andrew Weatherman | Medium . Nice touches like this definitely leave an impression on your judge! 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.. 6. And of course, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse so you feel confident in the information you are presenting. If you fault at this, then your project is likely toast. But, that also opens you up to some pretty (potentially) devastating negatives. International finalists will be announced during the achievement awards session (which is the morning of Grand Awards). In fact, the entire entry shows your research, strategy and plan to achieve your purpose. Do you get nervous before taking an exam? You have no one to hold you responsible to any deadline, and if you start to lose interest, you will have to find a way to reel yourself back in. People you know will often give you sugar-coated advice, and this will do more harm to your project than good. Recently, I was asked by a few DECA members for written conference competition tips. If you like business research and strategy, BOR is a great fit for you! Series Event Tips Straight From A #DECAGlass Winner and 3X - Medium