The five-day event featured industry executive keynotes, the Marketing Olympics, an Outdoor Marketing Panel, and an Outbound Sales Competition.
BOZEMAN, Mont. – Oct. 19, 2026 — The American Marketing Association (AMA) at Montana State University hosted its annual Marketing Week Oct. 12–16, giving students opportunities to connect with industry professionals, develop marketing and sales skills, and compete with their peers.
The five-days of events included professional development, networking, an Outdoor Industry Panel, an Outbound Sales Competition, and concluded with a tour of MAP Brewing with lunch at nonprofit organization Fork & Spoon.
“With a total attendance of 84 people for the week of events, Marketing Week is one of our most impactful events of the year,” said Kira Weter, AMA chapter President. “In addition to providing students with the opportunity to build professional connections, showcase their skills through competition and engage with peers who share their passions.”
One of the highlights of the week is the Outbound Sales Competition, sponsored by Consolidated Electronic Distributors (CED). In that competition, students have three minutes to secure an appointment with a sales lead. Top three finishers out of 22 students competing were: Kira Weter, Erik Bakken and Brayden Ware. Kira Weter won partial funding toward her trip to the AMA International Collegiate Conference (ICC) in New Orleans in April 2027.
CED Marketing Week Events:
Day 1 (Monday, Oct. 12):
Marketing Week opened with a kickoff presentation from Lauren Beck of Disney. Beck presented on branding and how important timing can be. She used the launch of the Disney princesses as an example of when Disney made the shift from only individual sales to bigger bundles with multiple princesses. She also talked about the timeline they used for the release of new princesses.Day 2 (Tuesday, Oct. 13):
AMA co-hosted the Marketing Olympics with Women in Business (WIB). Student teams tested their marketing knowledge and sales skills in friendly competition, and winning teams received prizes. They played jeopardy on Business logos and slogans, had a mini pitch contest with random items as well as a collaborative competition.Day 3 (Wednesday, Oct. 14):
The Outdoor Industry Panel brought together professionals from leading outdoor and adventure brands to share insights on marketing in the outdoor industry. Panelists included:Stacie Harris, Vice President of Communications, Boyne Resorts, owners of Big Sky Resort
Natalie Flowers, Director of Digital Marketing, Black Diamond Equipment
Troy Forrest, Chief Marketing Officer, Murdoch’s
Scott Trépanier, Executive Vice President, MeatEater
Day 4 (Thursday, Oct. 15):
Students competed in the annual CED Outbound Sales Competition, where participants had 90 seconds to secure an appointment with a sales prospect.Day 5 (Friday, Oct. 16):
Marketing Week concluded with a tour of MAP Brewing, where attendees learned about the brewery’s operations, production process and marketing strategy, followed by lunch at Fork & Spoon, a restaurant operated by HRDC, a Bozeman-based nonprofit organization that is Montana’s first and only pay what you can restaurant.
The American Marketing Association at Montana State University prepares students for professional careers through experiential learning, networking, personal development and ethical leadership. The chapter welcomes students from all academic majors. For more information, visit www.amamontanastate.org.
Montana State AMA Contacts:
Clara Griffin
Vice President of Communications, AMA
communications.msu.ama@gmail.com
Dr. Eric Van Steenburg
Faculty Advisor, AMA