From left to right: Joey Martin, Melissa Fochs, Tracy Johnson, Nicole Peterson and Lauren Buck of ICOM.

Marketing Students Place First in Global Marketplace Competition

ICOM and Macrosoft, two University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire teams comprised of students from the Marketing 438 capstone course, took first and third place, respectively, in the Global Marketplace Competition administered by the University of Tennessee. Students representing ICOM were Lauren Buck, Melissa Fochs, Tracy Johnson, Joey Martin, and Nicole Peterson. Representing Macrosoft were Sara DeSantis, Mike Gatzke, Patrick Gitzlaff, and Steev Moericke.

From left to right: Patrick Gitzlaff, Mike Gatzke, Sara deSantis (front), Steev Moericke of Macrosoft.

According to Joseph Bonner, assistant professor of marketing and instructor of marketing 438, 42 teams from business schools in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Central and South America participated in the competition. ICOM placed ahead of teams from institutions such as Indiana University, Western Illinois University, Tennessee State University, University of Wyoming, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, University of Economics in Bratislava, University of Applied Sciences in Cologne, American University in Bulgaria, Charles University (Prague), Vusoka Skola Chemicko Techonologicka Praha (Czech Republic), and Politechnika Bialostocka (Poland).

UW-Eau Claire students were in the most difficult level of competition. The 10-week Internet-based competition required teams to use a sophisticated computer program that mimicked the ever-changing global marketplace as students simulated the start-up and management of an entrepreneurial firm. The competition dealt with business basics and the interplay between marketing, manufacturing, finance, accounting, and management.

» View Results