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Compete

Pitch Decks: Your Questions Answered

Nov 7, 2025

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.

Compete

Helping Your DECA Members Avoid Penalty Points: A Guide for Advisors

Nov 7, 2025

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.

Compete

In the Judge's Mind: What Makes You Stand Out in Your DECA Role-play

Nov 5, 2025

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.

Chapter Strategy

Advisor Best Practice Spotlight of the Week: Katrina McDowell

Nov 4, 2025

Discover how High Plains Technology Center advisor Katrina McDowell is engaging members in marketing management through the Woodward community.

DECA News

Congratulations to the 2025 Competition University Chapter Climb Challenge Winners

Nov 4, 2025

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

Chapter Strategy

The DECA Drop Episode 2: Personal Branding & Networking

Nov 3, 2025

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

Case Study of the Week: Marketing a Cruise of the World

Nov 3, 2025

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.

Leadership

Getting Into the Giving Season

Nov 1, 2025

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.

Career Insights

The Power of Ethical Consumerism: How Gen Z Is Redefining Brand Loyalty

Nov 1, 2025

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.

Conferences

Making Connections Count: Networking Tips for Power Trip and Beyond

Nov 1, 2025

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.

Conferences

Power Up Your Experience in Arlington, VA

Nov 1, 2025

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.

Chapter Strategy

Ready, Set, Go The Extra: #DECAMonth 2025 is Here

Nov 1, 2025

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!

Career Insights

How to Start a Business with No Money in 8 Steps

Oct 3, 2025

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.

Career Insights

From National Pancake Day to Sleep Awareness Week: Unlock the Power of Social Media Holidays

Oct 3, 2025

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.

Leadership

From Umm to Aha! Tools That Help You Speak Clearly and Confidently

Oct 2, 2025

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.

Leadership

The Business of Basketball: NBA Lessons for DECA Leaders

Oct 1, 2025

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.

Career Insights

Pumpkin Spice, Pumpkin Price: How Fall Flavors Fuel the Economy

Oct 1, 2025

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.

Chapter Strategy

Scroll-Stopping Chapter Branding: How to Win on Social Media

Oct 1, 2025

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.

Career Insights

Finding Success Through DECA’s Career Clusters

Oct 1, 2025

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 Strategy

Chapter Socials for the Fall Season

Oct 1, 2025

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.

Conferences

Networking with Purpose: How to Maximize Your Time at Engage

Oct 1, 2025

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.

Conferences

Unlock Career Paths with Engage EduTOURS

Sep 30, 2025

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

Case Study of the Week: Reduce, Reuse or Recycle - Hotel Renovations

Sep 29, 2025

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.

Career Insights

The Nitro Bar: A Coffee Cart turned Famous $4.5M Brand

Sep 29, 2025

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.