Be sure to check out the DECA website for more information regarding your event. Contact the leadership team if you have any further questions.

Participants may only choose to compete in one event!

Business Operations Research Events

Participants are expected to demonstrate knowledge and skills needed by management personnel, as well as execute actual studies in their communities. 
Participants: 1-3
Page Count: 20 Pages

Guidelines
The 2021-2022 topic for each career category is the development of a strategy to improve the employee experience. As a result of the pandemic, many businesses adapted to work-at-home or hybrid models, conducted virtual onboarding, provided additional mental health initiatives, promoted upskilling, downsized and more. As we continue to emerge from the pandemic, companies must chart a course for the future of their workplace culture based on the experiences from the past year. Participants will collaborate with a local business or organization to assess and analyze current perceptions and practices of the employee experience within the company or organization. Participants will then present a strategic plan to improve and enhance the organization’s employee experience.
business service operations
Providing services to businesses on a fee or contract basis or providing services to consumers. Examples may include: human resources companies, information technology companies, legal services firms, training and development organizations, health care service providers, libraries, construction companies, landscaping companies, beauty salons, car washes, automotive repair companies, interior decorating, child care services, photography and tutoring services.
Buying and merchandising Operations
Getting the product into the hands of the customer through forecasting, planning, buying, displaying, selling and providing customer service. Examples may include any retail or wholesale business that provides consumer goods: specialty stores, department stores, shopping malls, grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, discount stores, farmers markets and car dealerships.
finance operations
Providing financial services to commercial and retail customers. Examples may include: banks, credit unions, accounting firms, investment companies, insurance companies and real estate firms.​
hospitality and tourism operations
Providing products and services related to event management, lodging, restaurant management and travel and tourism industries. Examples may include: hotels, lodging services, convention services, food and beverage services, restaurants, museums, amusement parks, zoos and other tourism-related businesses.
Sports and Entertainment Marketing Operations
Providing products, services or experiences relating to amateur or professional sports or sporting events, entertainment or entertainment events, selling or renting of supplies and equipment (other than vehicles) used for recreational or sporting purposes or products and services related to hobbies, leisure or cultural events. Examples may include: sports team, movie theatres, waterparks, music venues, concerts, festivals, amateur practice facilities, tournaments, summer camps, outdoor adventure companies and craft/music classes.

Entrepreneurship Events 

Participants are given the opportunity to explore entrepreneurial concepts from idea generation, business planning, to growing an existing business.
Participants: 1-3
Page Count: 10 Pages
​Innovation Plan
​Involves the idea generation and opportunity recognition needed to take advantage of market opportunities to introduce a new business, product or service
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Guidelines
​Start-Up Business Plan
This event provides an opportunity for the participant to develop and present a proposal to form a business. The participant must use his/her skills in order to thoroughly analysis a business opportunity.
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Guidelines 
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Participants: 1-3
Page Count: 20 Pages 
Independent BUSINESS PLan
Involves the development of a comprehensive proposal to start a new business.
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Guidelines 
International Business Plan
Involves the development of a proposal to start a new business venture in an international setting.
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Guidelines
Business Growth PLAN
This event is only available to those who own their own business. Involves the idea generation and strategy development needed to grow an existing business.
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​Guidelines
Franchise business plan
The participant/s are required to present a comprehensive business plan proposal to buy into an existing franchise. The participant seeks to become a franchisee. 
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Guidelines

Integrated Marketing Campaign Events

Participants must develop an integrated marketing campaign of no more than 45 days in length for a real event, product or service and present the campaign in a role-play situation.
Participants: 1-3
Page Count: 10 Pages
Exam: Marketing Exam

​Guidelines
Performance Indicators
​INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN- EVENT
Includes a campaign that is related to any sports and entertainment event and/or company event. Examples include concerts, festivals, fairs, tournaments, pet adoption day, charity events, etc. ​

​INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN- product 
Includes a campaign that is related to any hard/soft line retail products including e-commerce. Examples include apparel and accessories, retail products, etc. 

​INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN- service 
Includes a campaign that is related to any service or intangible product. Examples may include pet services, golf lessons, health care services, salons, restaurants, amusement parks, etc. 

Principles of Business Administration Events

The participant will be given a business situation to review. In the role-play, the participant must respond to the business situation by translating what he/she has learned into effective, efficient and spontaneous action.
Participants: 1
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Interview Time: 10 minutes
Exam: Business Administration Core

Guidelines
Performance Indicators
Principles of business management and administration
The business situation will use language associated with careers in Administrative Services, Business Information Management, General Management, Human Resources Management, and Operations Management.

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Principles of Finance
​The business situation will use language associated with careers in Accounting, Banking Services, Business Finance, Insurance and Securities, and Investments.
principles of hospitality and tourism
The business situation will use language associated with careers in Hotels, Restaurants, and Tourism and Travel.
​principles of marketing
​The business situation will use language associated with careers in Marketing Communications, Marketing Management, Marketing Research, Merchandising and Professional Selling.

Team Decision Making Events

These events provide an opportunity for participants to analyze elements essential to the effective operation of a business in the specific career area. The business situation to be analyzed will be presented as a case study. 
Participants: 2
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Interview Time: 15 minutes
Exam: Career Cluster Exam
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Guidelines
Performance Indicators
Business law and ethics 
For the purposes of this event, business law is U.S. law and will include contracts, product liability, employment and types of business ownership. The ethics component involves evaluating competing social values that may reasonably be argued from either side.
buying and merchandising
Employees in buying and merchandising positions get the product into the hands of the customer. This process includes forecasting, planning, buying, displaying, selling and providing customer service.
entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship includes the ability to recognize opportunities and to act on them, determine needs, identify markets, utilize marketing research, identify sources of capital and use management skills.
financial services
Financial services refer to services offered in the finance industry by financial institutions. Concepts include understanding the source and purpose of financial statements, the impact of management decisions on statements, and the analysis and interpretation of data for planning purposes.
hospitality services
Hospitality services include marketing and management functions and tasks that can be applied in hotels, motels, lodging services, related convention services, and related food and beverage services.
marketing management
Marketing management includes marketing and management functions and tasks that can be applied broadly in a non-retail marketing environment.
sports and entertainment marketing
Sports and entertainment marketing includes marketing functions and tasks that can be applied in amateur or professional sports or sporting events, entertainment or entertainment events, selling or renting of supplies and equipment (other than vehicles) used for recreational or sporting purposes, products and services related to hobbies or cultural events, or businesses primarily engaged in satisfying the desire to make productive or enjoyable use of leisure time.
travel and tourism
Travel and tourism includes marketing and management functions and tasks that can be applied in enterprises engaged in passenger transportation, travel service, attracting and serving the traveling public, arranging tours or acting as independent ticket agencies, and other services incidental to the travel or tourism industry.

Personal Financial Literacy Event

Designed to measure the student’s ability to apply reliable information and systematic decision making to personal financial decisions. Designed for DECA members who are enrolled in personal finance and financial literacy courses.

​Participants: 1
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Interview Time: 10 minutes
Exam: Financial Literacy Exam

Guidelines
​Performance Indicators
​personal financial literacy
​Students will be assessed on their knowledge of areas such as: financial responsibility and decision making, income and careers, planning and money management, credit and debt, risk management and insurance, and saving and investing.

Professional Selling and Consulting Events

Participants will organize and deliver a sales presentation or consultation for one or more products/services/customers.
Participants: 1
Presentation Time: 15 minutes
Exam: Career Cluster Exam
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​Guidelines
financial consulting
​For 2021-2022, you will assume the role of a financial consultant. A client has scheduled a meeting with you because he/she is thinking about buying a home, but is not sure if he/she would qualify for a mortgage—and if so, what the amount of the loan would be. The client is single, is 35 years old, has an annual income of $65,000 and has a $300/month car payment. The client would like you to explain the four C’s of qualifying for a mortgage—capacity, credit, cash and collateral—as it relates to his/her profile.

Performance Indicators
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hospitality and tourism professional selling
For 2021-2022, you will assume the role of a sales representative of a virtual running/race events company. The director of tourism of a city with a population of 150,000 is interested in learning about your company to show off all the city has to offer to potential visitors through a virtual running event. The city is surrounded by many smaller suburbs whose citizens frequent the larger city, which is vibrant, offers many nature and outdoor activities and is perfect for a long weekend getaway. Participants of the previously held in-person annual running event were from within a 50-mile radius. However, with the increasing popularity of virtual running events, the director of tourism wants to use this opportunity to host a virtual 5K that not only attracts its core base but also expands its participant base beyond the typical market. You have a meeting scheduled with the director of tourism to present your ideas and showcase how the city can leverage your company’s virtual running event products and services to bring tourism to the city.

Performance Indicators
professional selling
For 2021-2022, you will assume the role of a sales representative for a company providing health and safety auditing and consulting solutions. The owner of a chain of convenience stores has scheduled a meeting with you because he/she is interested in having an independent, third-party verify that proper protocols are in place at all locations, help ensure compliance with local, state and federal guidelines, and provide insight and guidance on industry best practices. He/she wants to learn about your company’s products and services and how they can contribute to ensuring a healthy and safe experience for its customers and employees.

Performance Indicators

Individual Series Events

Measure students’ proficiency in the knowledge and skills identified by occupational practitioners as essential to success in a given career. Participants receive recognition for achievement in each role-play scenario and in the series as a whole.

Participants: 1
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Interview Time: 10 minutes
Exam: Career Cluster Exam
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Guidelines

Accounting applications
​Students will be challenged to perform management functions and tasks focusing on the application of financial data to business planning, including collection and organization of data, development and use of reports, and analysis of data to make business decisions. 

Performance Indicators
apparel and accessories marketing
Students will be challenged to perform marketing and management functions and tasks in retail establishments, wholesale establishments and/or manufacturing firms primarily engaged in the marketing of clothing and related articles for personal wear and adornment.

Performance Indicators
automotive services marketing
Students will be challenged to perform marketing and management functions and tasks related to auto dealers, service stations and related businesses or auto parts stores.

​Performance Indicators
​Business Finance
Students will be challenged to perform management functions and tasks focusing on high-level financial and business planning, including collection and organization of data, development and use of reports, and analysis of data to make business decisions. 

Performance Indicators
business services marketing
Students will be challenged to perform marketing functions and tasks involved in providing services to businesses on a fee or contract basis or providing services to consumers.

​Performance Indicators
entrepreneurship
Students will be challenged to perform the ability to recognize opportunities and to act on them, determine needs, identify markets, utilize marketing research, identify sources of capital and use management skills.

Performance Indicators
food marketing
Students will be challenged to perform marketing and management functions and tasks in retail establishments, wholesale establishments and manufacturing firms resulting in the sale of food.

Performance Indicators
hotel and lodging management
Students will be challenged to perform marketing and management functions and tasks in hotels, motels, lodging services, convention services, and food and beverage services.

Performance Indicators
human resources management
Students will be challenged to perform management functions and tasks focusing on staffing, recruitment, selection, training, performance appraisal, compensation and safety training.

Performance Indicators
​marketing communications
Students will be challenged to perform marketing communications and functions and tasks that inform, persuade, or remind a target market of ideas experiences, goods or services.

Performance Indicators
quick serve restaurant management
Students will be challenged to perform marketing and management functions and tasks in retail establishments, wholesale establishments and manufacturing firms primarily engaged in the quick-serve restaurant industry.

Performance Indicators
restaurant and food service management
Students will be challenged to perform marketing and management functions and tasks in a full-service restaurant or a food-service business.

Performance Indicators
retail merchandising 
Students will be challenged to perform marketing and management functions and tasks that can be applied in any retail establishment.
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Performance Indicators
sports and entertainment marketing
Students will be challenged to perform marketing and management functions and tasks related to amateur or professional sports or sporting events, entertainment or entertainment events, selling or renting of supplies and equipment (other than vehicles) used for recreational or sporting purposes, products and services related to hobbies or cultural events, or businesses primarily engaged in satisfying the desire to make productive or enjoyable use of leisure time.

Performance Indicators