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The B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration is sponsoring the Louisiana Business Challenge, a statewide high school competition. Dean Joby John explains the project and how students can participate.

Question: What does the Louisiana Business Challenge entail?

Dean Joby John: The competition asks high school student teams to create social media marketing plans and promotional material around a specific theme. This year we are partnering with the Lieutenant Governor’s Office and Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board with the theme of Louisiana seafood.

Utilizing a $0 budget, teams of two to four students can focus on the entire Louisiana seafood industry or one of the specific categories: alligators, crabs, crawfish, finfish, oysters and shrimp. They must teach retailers, grocers, or the industry farmers and fishermen how to utilize social media to promote and to increase sales of Louisiana seafood.

We discovered from the first competition two years ago during the Louisiana’s bicentennial year that our students in the high schools around the state are so very proficient with social media that their entries are phenomenal. Their projects were so good that we assisted in implementing the top projects around the state.

Q: Why did you choose to do this competition and select Louisiana Seafood?

A: The importance of Louisiana seafood to this state and country is remarkable, and we wanted to provide an opportunity for the students to connect with businesspeople in their communities, develop valuable life skills, and earn scholarship dollars to continue their education. We also wanted to convey to students and teachers across Louisiana the quality of the programs and dedication to student success here at the Moody College of Business.

And though the competition has a very specific focus around marketing and business, any student, regardless of career interests may participate in the competition. The experience of participating in this competition will help them grow personally and professionally. These students are going to be proud of our state and its unique contributions to the regional and national economy.

Q: How is the competition judged?

A: Once they register before the Dec. 5 deadline, student teams will work to create an executive summary of their plan to submit by Feb. 7. The top six teams will be invited to the finals competition at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus March 5-6. Finalists will make presentations and answer questions about their projects for a panel of judges.

The panel will include university faculty members, business professionals, members of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, and representatives of the Lieutenant Governor’s Office. A total of $25,000 in scholarships to attend UL Lafayette will be distributed among the top teams. We are also working to secure additional scholarship funds that could be used to attend other schools, including universities located out of state.

Q: How does this benefit the students? Louisiana seafood?

A: This program benefits everyone involved. Kathryn Knott, a winner in the 2012 Business Challenge and a marketing student in the Moody College of Business, describes the competition as life-changing and has been helping recruit student teams this year. The college’s hospitality students help cook meals for the finalist teams. The faculty and staff are thrilled to see the impressive plans the student teams present.

Louisiana seafood will benefit since the potential to implement the marketing plans on a local or event national level could be very valuable. The ability within our college to facilitate the development of creative solutions for Louisiana and the generosity of the university through scholarship funds provides for a unique and valuable opportunity for all participants.

- From The Daily Advertiser, Oct. 22, 2014.

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