Niagara College is gearing up to welcome some of Ontario’s top Marketing students as it launches a new competition designed to fill the gap left by a major provincial event put on pause for 2025.
On Saturday, Nov. 22, teams from seven colleges across the province will converge on the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake for the inaugural Niagara College Marketing Competition (NCMC). The one-day event was created by faculty and administrators from the School of Business and Management after the annual Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition (OCMC) was unexpectedly halted for the year.
“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,” said Evan DiValentino, Dean of Business and Environment. “That’s why case analysis and competitions are vital components of the School of Business and Management at NC. 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 will feature student teams from Durham, George Brown, Georgian, Fanshawe, Niagara, Seneca, and Sheridan colleges. They will compete in five high-stakes categories: entrepreneurship, international marketing, retail marketing, digital marketing, and advanced marketing strategy. Each case will be judged by industry professionals and, organizers note, infused with a distinctly 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.”
Among the competitors is NC Business Administration – Marketing (Co-op) student Nazek Kigab, who will take on the Digital Marketing and Advanced Marketing Strategy cases.
“I’m gaining so much from this experience – from developing stronger analytical and presentation skills to gaining insight into real business challenges,” said Kigab. “Each case is based on real companies, so it’s a meaningful way to apply classroom learning to real-world problems. 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 buoyed by strong support from NC students, volunteers, and alumni. DiValentino thanked those who helped bring the idea to life.
“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.
The competition will kick off with breakfast at 9 a.m., followed by a welcome event from 9:30 to 10 a.m. Case preparation begins at 10 a.m., with team presentations running from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Teams of two will have just 30 minutes to prepare before delivering a 15-minute presentation and participating in a five-minute Q&A with judges. Competitors will be evaluated on introduction, problem identification, SWOT analysis, alternatives, recommendations, implementation, Q&A, presentation skills and creativity.
A networking session for faculty and students runs from 4 to 5 p.m., followed by dinner from 5 to 6 p.m. The day will conclude with an awards ceremony from 6 to 6:30 p.m.
Full details can be found at niagaracollege.ca/business/nc-marketing-competition/.
