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Pitch Decks: Your Questions Answered
New for the 2025-26 school year, six competitive events will replace the previously required 10-page written paper with a 20-slide pitch deck. Check out this article for answers to questions about the change to Pitch Decks.

Helping Your DECA Members Avoid Penalty Points: A Guide for Advisors
As DECA advisors, one of our crucial roles is helping student members navigate the technical requirements of written events. Use this article to guide your student members in avoiding common penalty point deductions.

In the Judge's Mind: What Makes You Stand Out in Your DECA Role-play
Go beyond the official rubric to reveal the unwritten expectations of role-play judges to hear from several experienced judges about the details that separate the solid role-plays from the unforgettable ones.

Advisor Best Practice Spotlight of the Week: Katrina McDowell
Discover how High Plains Technology Center advisor Katrina McDowell is engaging members in marketing management through the Woodward community.

Congratulations to the 2025 Competition University Chapter Climb Challenge Winners
Competition University and DECA Inc. are thrilled to announce the top three teams of the 2025 Competition University Chapter Climb Challenge!

The DECA Drop Episode 2: Personal Branding & Networking
Your 2025–2026 Executive Officer Team saw how podcasts were taking off and wanted to give DECA members the same kind of experience: a place to pick up tips, hear updates and get to know our team!

Case Study of the Week: Marketing a Cruise of the World
Step into the role of the marketing manager for Lantern Cruises, the largest cruise line brand by revenue. The director of marketing wants you to develop a marketing plan that will sell spots on the Platinum World Tour cruise.

Getting Into the Giving Season
From food drives, service events, or acts of kindness within their own schools, members have the opportunity to use this time of year to positively impact their community while living out DECA's mission of leadership and service.

The Power of Ethical Consumerism: How Gen Z Is Redefining Brand Loyalty
For decades, businesses have relied on catchy slogans, sleek packaging and competitive prices to capture the hearts of consumers. But for Gen Z, such aesthetics aren’t enough to win long-lasting faithfulness.

Making Connections Count: Networking Tips for Power Trip and Beyond
Networking can open doors to new friendships, leadership opportunities and future career prospects. Here are a few ways to make those conversations count this fall.

Power Up Your Experience in Arlington, VA
Whether you're from Arlington, TX, Arlington Heights, IL, or anywhere in between, here are seven ways you can make your mark in Arlington, Virginia, at the Ultimate DECA Power Trip.

Ready, Set, Go The Extra: #DECAMonth 2025 is Here
With so much happening, there is no shortage of ways to show your DECA pride during DECA Month. Here's how to get involved by participating in the #DECAMonth Social Media Challenge!

How to Start a Business with No Money in 8 Steps
Today, it’s faster and easier than ever to get your business up and running without the need for funding. Let’s look at the eight steps it takes to start a business with no money.

From National Pancake Day to Sleep Awareness Week: Unlock the Power of Social Media Holidays
These holidays aren’t just for fun—they’re powerful tools for brands to connect with audiences in authentic, engaging ways. Tapping into these trends allows businesses to join broader conversations, boost visibility, and showcase personality.

From Umm to Aha! Tools That Help You Speak Clearly and Confidently
Let’s face it, speaking in public can be scary. Even professionals still feel nervous at times! The real question is, what tools are available to help turn those nerves into power? Learn more in this article.

The Business of Basketball: NBA Lessons for DECA Leaders
With a global reach and billions in revenue, the NBA is a business powerhouse. For people involved in DECA, there’s real value in understanding how the world of the NBA and basketball highly connects to the world of business.

Pumpkin Spice, Pumpkin Price: How Fall Flavors Fuel the Economy
Pumpkin spice is a cultural phenomenon generating millions. For DECA members, it’s a reminder that creativity, consumer psychology and timing can turn a small idea into a spice-tacular business case.

Scroll-Stopping Chapter Branding: How to Win on Social Media
Your social media is more than a feed; it’s your chapter’s brand. And building that brand doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s how to make your content stand out.

Finding Success Through DECA’s Career Clusters
When you view career exploration as an adventure, the process becomes exciting. DECA’s five career clusters offer a simple way to begin that journey and help you find a path that aligns with your interests and aspirations.

Chapter Socials for the Fall Season
It’s the perfect time to start celebrating fall and fall into some chapter socials that will get your members involved and networking! You never know how the connections you build now will impact your future.

Networking with Purpose: How to Maximize Your Time at Engage
You’ve heard it before: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” When it comes to getting a job, that phrase holds weight. But when it comes to keeping a job, that’s where your knowledge, skills and results will carry you.

Unlock Career Paths with Engage EduTOURS
CDECA’s Engage challenges members to understand their career interests, skills and experiences. During the conference, members have the opportunity to attend an EduTOUR of a thriving Tampa business.

Case Study of the Week: Reduce, Reuse or Recycle - Hotel Renovations
Step into the role of the general manager of Lilac Inn, an independent hotel property in a city of 30,000 people. The owner wants you to identify waste redirection opportunities that could lead to a better brand image.

The Nitro Bar: A Coffee Cart turned Famous $4.5M Brand
In honor of National Coffee Day, here’s a Rhode Island success story that shows how smart marketing can transform a business from a coffee cart to a viral sensation.

