The annual Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition will be hosted by Fanshawe this year, marking only the second time in the competitions 27-year history that the college will play host.

On November 15 students from across the province will gather at the Hilton Hotel in downtown London to take part in a two-day competition that will put them in real-life situations in the hopes of giving them a taste of what they'll be facing upon graduation.

“All the major colleges in Ontario have a team of students that they pick within the program,” said Mike Sloan, Business and Marketing faculty member and co-chair of the Fanshawe team. “They get to compete with one another in case study competitions. It's a case that's been created by a real-life business in the community so it's not fictitious, it's real.”

The students compete in a variety of categories, which include market research, entrepreneurship and direct marketing, some of which are in small groups, while others, including the competitions main event, the Quiz Bowl, are individually judged.

“We'll compete in eleven events,” explained Chris Pressey, third year Administrative Marketing student, and one of Fanshawe's 20 entrants. “There are two individual events, eight two-person events and one four-person event and they're judged by live clients and through presentations.”

“The students present their best marketing solutions to the business situation they've been given,” explained Sloan. “And at the end of the day a panel of judges, some of which may have helped create the task, award them. It's almost like the marketing Olympics almost because they're awarded with medals.”

Fanshawe last placed in 2005 when it tied for third place with Algonquin College, but this year they're hoping to build on solid finishes at the past couple events.

“It's a combination of the best marketers across Ontario,” explained Pressey. “And our goal is to win it, especially since we're hosting.”