COMPETITION

SELECTING AN EVENT

UNDERSTANDING COMPETITIVE EVENTS

ROLE PLAY EVENTS

Role Play/Case Study events challenge students to think on their feet as they solve a business scenario given at the conference, with limited prep time—10 minutes for individuals or 30 minutes for two-person teams in Team Decision Making. After preparing, you’ll present your solution to a judge in an interactive session.

Competitors also take a 100-question exam based on their event, worth 1/3 of the total score (Role Plays make up the other 2/3). Both the exam and Role Plays are built on Performance Indicators—real-world, industry-verified skills aligned with National Curriculum Standards. While many are covered in class, extra preparation is encouraged.

BREAKDOWN OF ROLE PLAY EVENTS

    • Only first year DECA members can compete in principles events

    • There are 5 Principles Events
      (Principles of Business Management & Administration, Principles of Entrepreneurship, Principles of Finance, Principles of Hospitality & Tourism, Principles of Marketing)

    • Principles are SINGLE COMPETITOR events

    • 10 minutes of prep time

    • All Principles Events take the Business Administration Core Exam

    • There are 14 Individual Series Events
      (Accounting Applications, Apparel and Accessories, Automotive Services Marketing, Business Finance, Business Services Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Food Marketing, Hotel & Lodging Management, Human Resources Management, Marketing Communications, Quick Service Restaurant Management, Restaurant and Food Service Management, Retail Merchandising, Sports and Entertainment Marketing)

    • Individual Series are SINGLE COMPETITOR events

    • 10 minutes of prep time

    • Individual Series Events take a Cluster Exam - based on the cluster the event covers (Business Management & Administration, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Hospitality & Tourism, Marketing)

    • There are 8 Team Decision Making Events
      (Business Law & Ethics, Buying and Merchandising, Entrepreneurship, Financial Services, Hospitality Services, Marketing Management, Sports & Entertainment Marketing, Travel & Tourism)

    • Team Decision Making events are TEAM events – you MUST have two people to compete in these events

    • 30 minutes of prep time

    • Team Decision Making Events take a Cluster Exam - based on the cluster the event covers (Business Management & Administration, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Hospitality & Tourism, Marketing)

    • There is 1 Personal Financial Literacy event

    • Personal Financial Literacy is a SINGLE COMPETITOR event

    • 10 minutes of prep time

    • This event takes the Personal Financial Literacy Cluster Exam

PREPARED EVENTS

Prepared Events give students the opportunity to research, create, and practice their presentation before the conference. Competitors develop a written business plan or pitch deck (depends on the event) in advance and then present it live to a judge. Events topics range from marketing campaigns to entrepreneurial proposals.

Projects with a written or pitch deck component will turn those pieces in ahead of the conference. Presentations are given and evaluated at the conference. These events are evaluated on both the written component and the delivery, using real-world business standards. Strong preparation, creativity, and professionalism are key to standing out.

    • There are 6 Entrepreneurship Prepared Events
      (Business Growth Plan, Franchise Business Plan, Independent Business Plan, Innovation Plan, International Business Plan, Start-Up Business Plan)

    • Entrepreneurship Events can have teams of 1-3 competitors

    • 4 of the Entrepreneurship Events have a 20 page paper and an in-person presentation (Business Growth Plan, Franchise Business Plan, Independent Business Plan, International Business Plan)

    • 2 of the Entrepreneurship Events require a 20-slide Slide Deck and an in-person presentation (Innovation Plan, Start-up Business Plan)

    • Prepared Entrepreneurship Events do not have an exam

    • There are 5 Business Operations Research Events
      (Business Services Operations Research, Buying & Merchandising Operations Research, Finance Operations Research, Hospitality & Tourism Operations Research, Sports & Entertainment Marketing Operations Research)

    • Operations Research Events can have teams of 1-3 competitors

    • Operations Research Events have a 20 page paper and an in-person presentation

    • Prepared Operations Research Events do not have an exam

    • There are 5 Business Operations Research Events
      (Business Services Operations Research, Buying & Merchandising Operations Research, Finance Operations Research, Hospitality & Tourism Operations Research, Sports & Entertainment Marketing Operations Research)

      • Operations Research Events can have teams of 1-3 competitors

      • Operations Research Events have a 20 page paper and an in-person presentation

      • Prepared Operations Research Events do not have an exam

    • There are 3 Integrated Marketing Campaign Events
      (Integrated Marketing Campaign - Event, Integrated Marketing Campaign - Product, Integrated Marketing Campaign - Service)

      • Integrated Marketing Campaign Events can have teams of 1-3 competitors

      • Integrated marketing Campaign Events have a 20 slide slide-deck, an exam, and an in-person presentation

      • This event takes the Marketing Cluster Exam

    • There are 3 Professional Selling + Consulting Events
      (Professional Selling, Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling, Financial Consulting)

      • Professional Selling Events are individual events.

      • Professional Selling Events have an exam and an in-person presentation

      • These events take the a Cluster Exam in their respective cluster.

BREAKDOWN OF PREPARED EVENTS

DECIDING WHAT COMPETITIVE EVENT WORKS BEST FOR YOU

A FEW THINGS TO CONSIDER AS YOU SELECT AN EVENT:

  • What subjects or industries do I enjoy learning about?

  • Which event will help me develop skills I want for my future career?

  • Am I stronger at writing and preparing in advance, or thinking quickly on my feet?

  • Do I enjoy working with a team, or do I prefer competing individually?

  • How much time can I realistically dedicate to preparing for this event?

  • Do I want to challenge myself with something outside my comfort zone, or build on what I already know?

  • What event would push me to grow in areas I want to improve (public speaking, research, teamwork, problem-solving)?

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO HELP YOU SELECT AN EVENT:

PREPARING TO COMPETE IN THE EVENT YOU SELECTED

Once you’ve chosen your event, the next step is preparing to shine. This means understanding the event guidelines, practicing the format, and building the skills you’ll need—whether that’s researching and writing a project, role-playing business scenarios, or mastering key performance indicators. Preparation also includes setting goals, practicing regularly, and seeking feedback from advisors or peers so you feel confident and ready when competition day arrives. Check out the resources linked below to get started!