The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is challenging high school students to create marketing plans that promote Louisiana seafood.
Its B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration is sponsoring the Louisiana Business Challenge with the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, and Associated Grocers, Inc., a food supply company based in Baton Rouge.
Teams of two to four students will develop national marketing plans that promote “wild-caught” Louisiana seafood. Teams must register by Oct. 31 to compete in the contest.
A total of $25,000 in scholarships to attend UL Lafayette will be distributed among the top teams. Contest organizers are also working to secure additional scholarship funds that could be used to attend other schools, including universities located out of state.
Students can focus on the entire Louisiana seafood industry, or specific categories. Those categories are: alligators, crabs, crawfish, finfish, oysters and shrimp.
Six teams will be selected by a panel of judges to compete in the finals that will be held March 5-6 at UL Lafayette. Finalists will make presentations and answer questions about their projects for a panel of judges. The panel will include University faculty, business professionals, members of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, and representatives of the state’s tourism office.
Kathryn Knott, a winner in the 2012 Business Challenge and a marketing student in the Moody College of Business Administration, describes the competition as life-changing. “If I ever had the opportunity to tell any high school students to participate in the Louisiana Business Challenge, I would do everything I could to convince them. It is such a magnificent learning experience for everyone, not just future business students.”
To learn more about the contest or to register, go to business.louisiana.edu/lbc.