INTERNATIONAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE NASHVILLE APRIL 23-26, 2016 #DECAICDC 2 CONFERENCE OVERVIEW + AGENDA Greetings from the Executive Director Greetings from the Executive Officer Team Connect with #DECAICDC Overview Agenda Grand Opening Session Achievement Awards Session Grand Awards Session 11 CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES Competitive Events School-based Enterprise Academy Election Sessions Emerging Leader Series Advisory Academy 37 CONFERENCE INFORMATION Conference Maps General Session Seating Chart Dress Code and Code of Conduct Conference Transportation Volunteers 45 PARTNERS National Advisory Board Partners for Excellence Congressional Advisory Board Exhibitors Individual Donors Approved Vendors 53 RECOGNITIONS Emerging Leader Honor Awards Video Challenge Winners Thrive Level Campaign Winners Certified School-based Enterprises Chairman’s Award INTERNATIONAL Outstanding Service Awards CAREER 61 LOOKING AHEAD DEVELOPMENT Own Your Future Campaigns CONFERENCE Conferences GREETINGS FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR We challenged you to continue your success and #beDECAepic all this year, and once again you have taken DECA to new heights. Membership continues to break records, participation in the DECA Idea Challenge soared, certifications in DECA’s School-based Enterprises rose and #beDECAepic trended throughout the year. PAUL A. WARDINSKI We are excited to welcome nearly 18,000 epic DECA members to Music City USA. Nashville @decapaw is the perfect location for our conference because it values hospitality, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing and management as much as DECA does. Like DECA’s own growth over the past years, Nashville has grown in popularity. With an increase in number of visitors for over 60 months straight, it is one of the premiere destination cities in the country. So much has changed since our last visit twelve years ago: a new convention center (The Music City Center), new hotels, a new minor league baseball stadium for the Nashville Sounds, and its own TV show on ABC. Just as exciting is how many classics remain: The Grand Ole Opry, the General Jackson, the Country Music Hall of Fame and many of the iconic restaurants in the downtown area. There is so much to do, and if you love live music, you will find all types everywhere, at all hours of the day. The DECA staff works hard to continually improve our programs and opportunities for all DECA members. DECA adjusts its competitive events to be sure members are using the current terminology and formats in business. You saw changes in the entrepreneurship events with the lean business model canvas. DECA strives to be at the forefront of industry trends as we continue to provide our members real world opportunities and authentic assessment. New talents that grow to become superstars are discovered in Nashville every year – now it is your turn to show your own epic talents and become discovered! You can say it all started in Nashville at the #DECAICDC! Congratulations on your path to get here and good luck! 2 GREETINGS FROM YOUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS These last few months, you’ve posted, Instagrammed and tweeted your excitement for the 2016 International Career Development Conference (ICDC). The anticipation that has built up as you’ve earned your way to attend #DECAICDC has been incredible! As all of our competitors and emerging leaders come together, there is no doubt this will be the most EPIC conference of the year. ALEC ROMERO When you arrived in Nashville, you took a huge step towards your success. There’s no better PRESIDENT place to prepare to be an EPIC leader than in a city that is gaining national and global acclaim @alecdeca as a hot tourism destination. Nashville is undoubtedly using its marketing, hospitality, ASHTON FILBURN finance, entrepreneurship and management prowess to leverage the city for success. CENTRAL REGION VICE PRESIDENT @decavpashton As you spend your time in Music City, utilize all the opportunities available to you by networking with competitive events judges, industry leaders, entrepreneurs and DECA MARIZZA MITCHELL WESTERN REGION VICE PRESIDENT members from around the globe. This is your chance to reach out, make connections @decavpmitch and meet new people. Stay engaged in the buzz that surrounds Nashville and ICDC using #DECAICDC on Twitter and Instagram, and follow DECA on both platforms @DECAInc. TYLER MCBEE SOUTHERN REGION VICE PRESIDENT Use every opportunity as a learning experience, for these next few days are full of activities @decavptyler that can only enhance your leadership skills and DECA experience! You’ve made it to TARA NATH #DECAICDC, so now it’s time to #beDECAepic! NORTH ATLANTIC REGION VICE PRESIDENT @decavptara 3 #DECAICDC SOCIAL MEDIA EPIC UPDATES, INSTANTLY! FIND US @DECAINC USE #DECAICDC IN ALL YOUR tweets, photos, posts and videos! GET THE APP TWEET, POST, DON’T BE THE ICDC NEWS IN Download the official conference SHARE & LIKE LAST TO KNOW YOUR INBOX DECA Inc. app and get the 2016 DECA Want to share your conference This year’s N@shvilleLive Social Media Want the top conference stories ICDC APP at bit.ly/decaicdcapp16. experience with 18,000 DECA Team will be sharing every aspect of without having to search online? With this app, you’ll be able to get members, advisors and business the #DECAICDC experience on social Then sign up to receive #DECAICDC instant conference notifications, partners? Then join the #DECAICDC media and on decadirect.org. Don’t Special Edition emails! You’ll get create your own agenda, find and conversation on Twitter, Instagram, miss out on a single Instagram post, the top stories of the day, important connect with exhibitors, meet Facebook and more! Use the social Snapchat story or EPIC tweet! Go to updates and find out what activities conference speakers and join the media prompts in the program to decadirect.org to meet this year’s are happening next, all in your inbox #DECAICDC conversation on social share your EPIC moments in Nashville, social media team, connect with them each day. Sign up now at media. and don’t forget – your photos or on social media and check out their decadirect.org or email Plus, having the app means you’ll tweets could end up on the jumbotron stories all week long. [email protected] be the first to know the #DECAICDC during the live sessions! How many to get added to the list. finalists on Tuesday morning! likes can you get this week? INTERNATIONAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE The DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) is the culmination of the DECA year. More than 18,000 high school students, teacher-advisors, business professionals and alumni gather for several CLASSROOM days of DECA excitement. CONNECTION DECA’s International Career Development DECA members demonstrate their college and career ready knowledge Conference supports educational and skills by participating in DECA’s industry-validated Competitive Events initiatives. Program, aligned with Career Clusters, National Curriculum Standards and 21st • Career Clusters® Century Skills in the areas of marketing, finance, hospitality, management and • National Curriculum Standards entrepreneurship. These members have qualified to attend based on superior • 21st Century Skills performance at the district and association level. More than 1,000 business • Common Core State Standards professionals serve as expert judges to evaluate DECA members’ mastery of • Project-based Learning these concepts. • Personal Financial Literacy In addition, thousands of members participate in DECA’s Emerging Leader Series, which helps them attain 21st Century Skills in the areas of collaboration and teamwork, communication, critical thinking and problem solving and creativity. One highlight is the involvement of executive mentors who provide college and career advice. The National Association of Secondary School Thousands of DECA advisors and educators participate in administering Principals has placed this program on the DECA’s Competitive Events Program and Emerging Leader Series while also NASSP National Advisory List of Contests and participating in professional learning activities. Activities for 2015-2016. NASHVILLE | 2016 INTERNATIONAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE FRIDAY, APRIL 22 HEADQUARTERS + TOURS BOOTH 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM Hall B Prefunction Area Registration for Chartered Association Advisors, Tours 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM SHOP DECA (including blazer sales) Level 2 Registration 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM DECA 5K RUN/WALK Pre-Registration Hall B Prefunction Area 6:00 PM CHARTERED ASSOCIATION ADVISOR DINNER (by invitation only) 105 A SATURDAY, APRIL 23 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM HEADQUARTERS + TOURS BOOTH Hall B Prefunction Area 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM SHOP DECA (including blazer sales) Level 2 Registration 7:30 AM DECA 5K RUN/WALK Shelby Park 9:00 AM OFFICER CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS 203 A 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM DECA DAY IN NASHVILLE (Enjoy museums on your own) 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM GENERAL JACKSON SHOWBOAT (Advance ticket purchase required) 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM EXHIBIT + CAMPAIGN BOOTH SET-UP Exhibit Hall B 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM GENERAL JACKSON SHOWBOAT (Advance ticket purchase required) 5:00 PM PARADE OF CHARTERED ASSOCIATIONS REHEARSAL Bridgestone Arena EXECUTIVE MENTOR DINNER Sponsored by Marriott International, Inc. 6:00 PM Renaissance Nashville Hotel (by invitation only) 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM CHARTERED ASSOCIATION PHOTOGRAPHS Demonbreun Lobby Staircase GRAND OPENING SESSION 8:30 PM Bridgestone Arena Fashion Show sponsored by FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising 10:30 PM – 11:30 PM CHARTERED ASSOCIATION PHOTOGRAPHS Demonbreun