Western Marketing Association

Last night, WMA was excited to welcome Nick Goral, a Senior Graphic Designer at LesserEvil Snacks Co. LesserEvil is an organic and clean snack company based in Danbury, CT. Nick brought us through all of the graphic design used at LesserEvil. This includes their social platform strategy through platforms like TikTok and Instagram, their email marketing, influencer campaigns, and packaging. Thank you Nick for an insightful speaker session!

Last night, WMA was thrilled to welcome Noah Dempsey, a Marketing Coordinator at Delgado Stone Distributors. Delgado Stone Distributors is a leading natural stone distributor company. Noah spoke about his journey to where he is now by describing the importance of “wearing multiple hats” or being informed on how to do multiple tasks. We were also able to learn about the company’s CRM HubSpot. Thank you Noah for an insightful speaker session! #WMA #WesternMarketingAssociation

Last night, WMA welcomed Rich Feldman, the Head of Marketing at Finario! Finario is a software the provides capital investment management for companies. Rich described the importance of doing your “due diligence” to create a marketing insight, and then how to market that insight properly and effectively. We as students were even able to participate in a marketing insight workshop. Thank you Rich for an insightful speaker session! #WMA #WesternMarketingAssociation #studentagency

This week we welcomed entrepreneur, Jessica Paternoster, for an engaging speaker session! Jessica is the founder and CEO of JP Empowerment LLC. She spoke about •Her experience as a small business owner •Her journey since WCSU •Organizational skills for success •Tips for job searching Thank you Jessica for an enlightening speaker session!

Last week, the Western Marketing Association hosted our annual Regional Conference! This year our regional conference was themed AI Evolution, and we heard from some amazing speakers on AI in marketing. At the conference, we heard from speakers Gregory Shimer, Mikayla J. Melaas, MBA, Christopher Gaube, MBA, and Kimberly Reddington. They spoke to the importance of how AI can help us and the industry. We went through some great workshops learning about AI’s application in agencies, customer behavior, market research, and small business strategy. Thank you to our speakers and to everyone who made Marketing Week and Regional Conference possible! #WhyAMA

Last night, we were excited to welcome Matt DiStasio an Associate Director of Paid Media at Rebellion Group. Rebellion Group is a marketing agency that offers creative solutions to businesses. Matt described the ins and outs of agency work, and showed us the importance of fitting a customer’s needs. Additionally, we learned the different types of ways we can market using paid media. Thank you Matt for an insightful speaker session!

Last night WMA was joined by Allen Van Natter from Van Natter Consulting Group for an informative self-branding and networking workshop! Allen explained the steps of bar vs elevator pitches, how to overcome obstacles in job searching, and the process of networking. Students practiced pitching themselves, highlighting experiences that set them apart. Thank you Allen for doing a wonderful Marketing Week presentation! #WhyAMA

Last night, WMA was excited to welcome Sissi R. Roger Velasquez and Maria Velasquez for our third night of Marketing Week - the Industry Trends Panel. The three of them answered questions about AI in the marketing industry, the importance of personal connection, and skills that make you stand out as a job candidate in today’s market. We had some insightful discussions, and had the opportunity to learn about the real life applications of many marketing concepts. Thank you Sissi, Roger, and Maria for leading an engaging industry trends panel! #westernmarketingassociation #studentagency #wma #WhyAMA

Last night WMA was thrilled to host our annual Big Idea Competition! We heard some great business pitches from our contestants, Vince, Keona, and Olivia, as well as encouraging and engaging feedback from our judges. Congratulations to Vince Diesta for his winning big idea, and thank you so much to our judges Bill Imada, Rich Feldman, and Kimberly Reddington! #WhyAMA

Today WMA was thrilled to kick off Marketing Week with an engaging presentation on sports licensing by Steve Scebelo! Steve is President at REP Worldwide, a leading sports licensing consulting firm. He explained the importance and process of licensing, especially in sports. Steve also led WMA through a great conversation on the growing market of women’s sports, and the opportunity to close the gender gap in sports licensing. Thank you Steve for a fantastic workshop and wonderful start to WMA’s 2024 Marketing Week! #WhyAMA