APEC3511

This is a course in which students will work in teams to address a real-world issue faced by a retail food company. The National Grocers Association (NGA) determines the particular case annually, and the event is held at their annual meeting along with the Industry-University Coalition. Elements of the solution may involve marketing, budgeting, strategic pricing, and market research. Students are asked to prepare a presentation to a group of retail grocers at the annual meeting of NGA, typically held in Las Vegas, NV. Students will complete weekly assignments in which they lay the groundwork for the competition.

The competition is held in February. During the Fall semester, students engage in research and evaluation of options on the case study. During the Spring semester, students finalize their presentations and compete at the NGA Show with teams from about 18 other universities that are members of the NGA Industry-University Coalition. The competition involves a 15-minute presentation on the first day with 10 minutes of questions and answers. Students are guaranteed to present twice with a second presentation on the second day. Four finalists are chosen for the finals on the third day with the winning team being recognized at the evening banquet and a cash prize.

Students will also have the opportunity to interact with industry representatives at the show in a number of ways during the four days.

prereq: APEC 1101 or 1101H or Econ 1101 or 1101H

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