Teams from seven Ontario colleges will arrive on campus Nov. 22
Niagara College is ready to host a pressure cooker competition that will test the mettle of top college Marketing students from across Ontario.
On Saturday, Nov. 22, student teams from seven Ontario colleges will convene in Niagara to face off in the inaugural Niagara College Marketing Competition (NCMC). The event was organized by dedicated faculty and administrators from NC’s School of Business and Management after the highly-anticipated annual Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition (OCMC) was put on hold for 2025.
“Hosting NCMC means giving our students the chance to transform classroom learning to real-world scenarios, hone skillsets, build confidence, and network with future employers. That’s why case analysis and competitions are vital components of the School of Business and Management at NC,” said Dean of Business and Environment, Evan DiValentino. “So, when the Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition was canceled earlier this year, our team stepped up and said, ‘Why not host the competition ourselves?'”
The NCMC compresses the excitement of the annual provincial marketing competition into a single day, smaller-scale event, featuring teams from Durham, George Brown, Georgian, Fanshawe, Niagara, Seneca, and Sheridan colleges. They will battle across five categories – including entrepreneurship, international marketing, retail marketing, digital marketing and advanced marketing strategy – judged by industry professionals from across the region and infused with a distinct Niagara flavour.
“Experiential learning is the cornerstone of a leading business education, and the OCMC has always been a transformational highlight for our students,” said Professor Terri Champion, NCMC co-organizer. “We galvanized our team to create this high-impact event to ensure Marketing students across the province don’t miss out on a meaningful opportunity to collaborate, network with industry leaders, and dramatically enhance their job-ready skills.”
NC Business Administration – Marketing (Co-op) student Nazek Kigab is preparing to compete in the Digital Marketing and Advanced Marketing case events, eager for the challenge.
“I’m gaining so much from this experience — from developing stronger analytical and presentation skills to gaining insight into real business challenges. Each case is based on real companies, so it’s a meaningful way to apply classroom learning to real-world problems,” said Kigab. “It’s also helped me become more confident in my communication and teamwork skills, both of which are essential for my future career in marketing.”
The event is strongly supported by the NC community including student volunteers and several alumni.
DiValentino extended thanks to all those whose efforts made the initiative possible.
“Creating unique learning experiences at this scale – with seven Ontario Colleges and numerous industry partners – doesn’t just happen by accident. It happens because of the trailblazing mindset of our team and our sponsors,” he said. “Thank you to Professors Terri Champion, Chris Treschak, as well as [Associate Dean, Business] April Tyrrell and [Academic Business Manager, Business] Cara Ravesi for spearheading the initiative; and thank you to our sponsors – Stukent, KPMG, Fastenal, and NCSAC – we couldn’t have done this without their support.”
Sponsors for the NCMC include Stukent (presenting event sponsor and faculty mixer), Fastenal (student lounge), KPMG (award ceremony). The NC Student Administrative Council has also supported the event with complimentary snacks for participants.
Event details
The NCMC will take place on Saturday, Nov. 22 at NC’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, which is home to NC’s School of Business and Management.
After kicking off with breakfast (9 a.m.) and welcome event (9:30 -10 a.m.), the first teams will begin their case preps (10 a.m.). Event presentations will run from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Teams of two will have 30 minutes for case preparation, followed by a high-pressure 15-minute presentation and a five-minute Q&A session with the judges. They will be evaluated on introduction, problem identification, SWOT analysis, alternatives, recommendation, implementation, Q&A, presentation skills and creativity.
Students and faculty will have a dedicated networking opportunity (4 -5 p.m.) before the competition wrap-up dinner (5-6 p.m.). The event will cap off with an awards ceremony from 6-6:30 p.m.
Full competition details are available at niagaracollege.ca/business/nc-marketing-competition/.
