By Kaede Takaishi ‘26

Spring break looked a little different for a group of University of Mount Union marketing students this year. Instead of beaches and road trips, they packed their ambition and headed to Chicago for the 2026 AMA International Collegiate Conference (ICC).

Turning Class Concepts Into City Experiences

Ten students, representing both the American Marketing Association (AMA) chapter and new Experiential Marketing course, traveled to Chicago for the ICC, one of the largest gatherings of marketing students in the world. Throughout the week, they balanced competitions, career development, agency visits, and immersive brand experiences across the city.

“This trip was really meant to bring class concepts to life,” said Professor Laura Kelly, assistant professor of marketing. “Students got to see how what they’re learning in the classroom translates to their careers.”

More Than a Conference

AMA students competed in a range of national marketing competitions, attended speaker sessions, and connected with companies and peers from across the country at a large internship and career fair. Experiential Marketing students went a step further, visiting Chicago-based agencies Pivot Design and Agency EA, where they heard firsthand about careers in experiential design and the behind-the-scenes strategy that brings brand activations to life.

Students also explored Chicago’s iconic retail scene, including the Nike flagship store and multi-level Starbucks Reserve Roastery, the largest Starbucks location in the world.

“The Starbucks Reserve stood out the most,” said marketing and accounting major Katelyn Eberhardt ’28. “It felt like a luxury brand while still being recognizable as Starbucks, and the multi-level layout offered something for every type of customer, it was a place where people genuinely wanted to stay.”

When Theory Meets Store Layout

One moment at the Nike store became a live case study. Students noticed that the only restroom was located on the top floor, ensuring customers traveled past all of the inventory first. They quickly connected this to a recent class discussion about movement through activations and how physical space ca be used strategically to guide customer behavior.

“In the Nike store, students pointed out how purposeful the layout was,” Kelly said. “We had talked about this concept in class the week before, it was awesome to see the ‘a-ha’ moment in real time.”

Competing on a National Stage

Mount Union students did more than observe. They stepped up and competed among nearly 2,000 students from across the country. Maddie May ’27 and Anya Stupica ’28 advanced to the finals and earned a fourth-place in the Marketing Research Poster Competition, impressing judges with the originality of their research approach.

Other students took on the Marketing Strategy Competition, Digital Marketing Competition, and the Perfect Pitch and Sales Competitions. “Confidence is so important,” said senior marketing major McKayla Dunkle '26. “Even if you are nervous, be confident in yourself.” Stupica added that competing “really emphasized the importance of time management, working in a fast-paced environment, and communicating complex research clearly to people hearing it for the first time.”

Learning From Alumni and Industry Leaders

Across the conference and the city, students expanded their networks with professionals, recruiters, and fellow student leaders. They met Mount Union alumni working in the Chicago area, agency professionals at Pivot Design and Agency EA, and representatives from companies such as Ben & Jerry’s.

“I think sometimes students are skeptical when they hear things inside the four walls of the classroom, thinking it is just theoretical,” said Joel Evans, assistant professor of marketing and AMA faculty advisor. “When they hear similar things from recent graduates, it validates what they are learning in the classroom.”

Students echoed that meeting alumni and employers helped them see new career paths, understand the job market, and recognize the power of building a strong professional network early.

Bringing Lessons Back to Campus

Students returned to Alliance with ideas to strengthen Mount Union’s AMA chapter, new perspectives on agency and brand work, and stories they can share in job interviews and future classes. “When a student graduates from our marketing program, they are ready to hit the ground running in their careers,” Kelly said. “That’s because of how experiential we make our learning. It sets our graduates apart and sets them up for success.”

“I would describe this trip as an incredibly valuable experience that helps you grow both personally and professionally,” Eberhardt said. “It gave me the chance to see amazing places and learn things I wouldn’t have been exposed to otherwise.”

Before the group left Chicago, Evans texted them with a reminder: there are approximately 200,000 marketing majors nationwide, and fewer than 2,000 attended this year’s AMA ICC. Mount Union’s students were part of the 1% who chose to spend their spring break learning, growing, and building their futures.

That’s the Mount Union difference.

Stay Connected: See More From Chicago

Want to see more moments from the trip and follow what our marketing students are doing next? The Mount Union School of Business has been sharing highlights, competition results, and behind-the-scenes content from Chicago on LinkedIn.

Explore the full recap posts and photos from the AMA International Collegiate Conference and Chicago agency visits on LinkedIn:

• DAY 1: Travel and Explore
• Day 2: Retail Environment Explore
• Day 3: Conference Kick-Off and Agency Visits
• Day 4: Competition Day at AMA-ICC
• Day 5: Final Day of AMA-ICC and St. Patrick Parade
• Recap Post of the Trip

Follow the Mount Union School of Business on LinkedIn to keep up with student experiences, internship, and future experiential learning opportunities.