American Marketing Association’s Immersive International Collegiate Conference Experience

Seven students from the University of Maine’s Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) traveled to New Orleans, LA, from April 3–5 to attend the 2025 AMA International Collegiate Conference (ICC), marking the club’s first time attending since 2019.

Held annually, ICC brings together over 1,600 students from more than 130 collegiate AMA chapters worldwide. The conference offers students the opportunity to compete in national competitions, attend professional development sessions, and network with like-minded peers. For UMaine AMA, it was an opportunity not just to represent their university, but to grow as marketers and bring home a renewed vision for the future of their chapter.

Each of the seven attending members got the chance to apply their classroom knowledge to national competitions, including the JBL Design Lab challenge. “For this challenge, we were given 90 minutes to create a marketing strategy for their college campus influencer program. JBL representatives were there and actually judged our presentation,” says Elaina Eves, AMA Vice President. “I was able to really put my marketing skills to the test in a unique environment.”

Along with competitions, members also gained valuable insights to strengthen their chapter by attending educational sessions led by the leaders of chapters that have excelled in previous years.

“ I really liked that clubs talked about how they were structured and how their structure allowed them to expand and attract high-quality members who were in it for the long term,” says William Chase, AMA director. “We want to bring that back to help us build an involved, high-performing member base.”

Outside of the competitions, there was so much to explore in New Orleans and time to bond as a team. “I had fun on Bourbon Street, which is infamous for hosting Mardi Gras. It was a great way to learn about New Orleans culture and tourism,” Chase says. “Even on an out-of-season weekend, it was really nice to just people-watch walking down the street, it really showed a fun culture of activity.”

The executive board is now excited to implement what they learned. Plans for the upcoming school year include restructuring the board to encourage more member participation and introducing fresh events and initiatives. The ICC experience has set the foundation for UMaine AMA’s next step to growth and success.

Story by: Andie Lovejoy