Once again, the UW-Whitewater American Marketing Association chapter achieved elite status at the International Collegiate Chapter conference in New Orleans on April 5 through 7. After investing countless hours throughout the year, they capped off the AMA event season with another outstanding performance and retained Chapter of the Year status.
Sales Corps President Matthew Young shared, “The AMA ICC conference was an amazing experience! I was able to watch students compete at their highest level and place in top spots throughout all competitions. We worked as a team to show other schools what AMA Whitewater is all about.”
Professor of Marketing and AMA Chapter Adviser Jimmy Peltier shared his respect for the collegiate marketers, saying, “It never ceases to surprise me when our students reap international acclaim. Although our track record is amazing, AMA has nearly 11,000 students in the United States and internationally, representing over 350 chapters. Our AMA students are leaders and they have an inspiring work ethic. They care, work hard and have a clear vision for the future.”
Notable awards from the 2018 International Collegiate Chapter conference include:
- UW-Whitewater AMA retained its coveted International Chapter of the Year status in 2018. Chapter of the Year is a two-year reign but requires significant effort and exceptional performance to maintain the elite status for both years.
- The team placed second in the highly competitive International Case Competition event.
- Earning top International Sales awards, junior marketing major Matthew Young and senior marketing major Kelsey Berchem tied for first place, junior marketing major Thomas Zoerner placed second, and junior marketing major Paytin Kennicott placed third.
- Sophomore Kaitlin Amerling placed second and Samuel Wanezek placed third in the Perfect Pitch Competition.
- The Marketing Simulation Team placed fourth in their event.
- Kelsey Berchem won the USCA Sales Student of the Year and placed 2nd in the AMA International Marketer of the Year.
Kelsey Berchem, past president of the UW-Whitewater AMA chapter, shared the bittersweet nature of the event, saying, “I have been involved in the American Marketing Association since my freshmen year, so this weekend at the AMA ICC acted as the closing ceremony of my AMA journey. I could not be more grateful to be named the USCA Sales Student of the Year and Runner-Up for AMA Student Marketer of the Year.”

The UW-Whitewater AMA student competitors and advisers are all smiles after an outstanding performance at the AMA International Collegiate Chapter conference in New Orleans on April 5 – 7, 2018.