Experience how the Alan Hall Marketing and Sales Invitational at the Woodbury School of Business brought over 500 aspiring business students together for real-world case competitions, networking, and industry-led experiential learning opportunities.
The 2025 Alan Hall Marketing and Sales Invitational at Utah Valley University (UVU) brought more than 500 ambitiously hungry and high-achieving high school students to the Scott C. Keller Business Building for a fast-paced day of hands-on competitions, industry engagement and early career exploration. Hosted by the Woodbury School of Business, the Alan Hall Marketing and Sales Invitational has quickly become one of the most anticipated pre-collegiate business competitions in the state of Utah, offering aspiring business leaders an immersive glimpse into the fields of business development. creative marketing, sales, and professional communication.
Now in its fourth year, the Invitational was created to welcome promising high school students, especially those involved in DECA, FBLA and business courses, to the opportunities available within UVU’s marketing and sales academic departments within the Woodbury School of Business. “Alan Hall donated one million dollars to help support the new Sales Program and Green House Sales & Marketing,” explained professional-in-residence, Brigham Griffin, “He believes that sales training changes lives and has donated to a number of causes and other universities to promote sales training. He founded a company called MarketStar and they are a ‘sales as a service’ company (SaaS). Naming the competition after him was Rita Adamson-Schwisow's idea. We wanted to give him something meaningful for his legacy that tied to his core values—helping young people with sales training and experiences.”
As the Assistant Chair of the Woodbury School of Business’ Marketing Department and the Chair of the Alan Hall Marketing and Sales Invitational Planning Committee, Griffin had a vital role in forging this event and refining it into one of the most iconic and recognized experiential learning opportunities in the state.
“The event began with a simple idea. Dr. Mitch Murdock and I had been discussing how to inform more high school students about the business majors available here at the Woodbury School of Business, especially marketing, and decided to make a competition event part of our strategic push. I had been taking UVU marketing students to college-level competition events for several years beforehand, plus had high-school-age daughters who were involved in business clubs, and had seen what they liked from these types of competitions. We knew we could host something especially engaging for high school students here on UVU campus,” Griffin recounted. In creating this experiential learning opportunity, organizers and volunteers envisioned an event that would make business education feel accessible, exciting, and welcoming. Many of the student attendees will be the first in their families to pursue a college education. Over time, it has evolved into a powerful recruiting tool and a celebrated annual tradition embraced by teachers, advisors, and students across the state and beyond.
“One thing that I like to preface to these students is, at the end of the day, you need to believe in yourself and that if you want to go far, you need to take that first step,” explained Martha Cardenas, Marketing Department Intern and Representative.
The structure of the Alan Hall Marketing and Sales Invitational is intentionally designed to maximize impact while remaining convenient and accessible for high school students and administrators. Organizers believe the success of the Invitational helps high school students discover where their strengths lie within the broader landscape of business. Many participants find clarity about whether they enjoy analytical problem-solving, persuasive communication, creative design, digital media, or product innovation. Faculty members hope the event sparks confidence, encourages students to experiment with new skills, and helps them visualize themselves as future business students and professionals.
Supported by the Woodbury School of Business, a generous community of sponsors, and more than 120 student and faculty volunteers, the event is completely free to high school student attendees.
Across the Keller Building, nine faculty-designed competitions brought real industry challenges to life. “Every competition mirrors real-world professional challenges: pitching, interviewing, analyzing data, and creating campaigns. By working directly with UVU professors, corporate partners, and college student mentors, participants see that higher education in business is not distant or intimidating; it’s collaborative, applied, and within reach,” Griffin explained, “The students are allowed to compete in as many competitions as they want during the course of the day, and that is very unique because usually there's a limit on how many competitions they can do at other event.”
Hosted by Professor Gary Brown and written by Dr. Ryan Schill, one of the day’s most rigorous and challenging activities was the Marketing Strategy Case Competition, which presented students with a live business scenario developed in partnership with Crumbl Cookies, one of the event’s returning sponsors. Teams worked under tight time constraints to analyze the company’s brand direction, expansion opportunities, and customer engagement strategies before delivering formal presentations to judges made up of UVU’s very own faculty members and industry partners.
The Sales Presentation Competition added another layer of forged-by-fire experiential learning. Working in partnership with MarketStar and hosted by Rita Adamson-Schwisow, organizers crafted a simulated sales development scenario in which students acted as representatives pitching Reddit advertising solutions to UGG. Participants were evaluated on their ability to research, engage in consultative conversation and demonstrate confidence during a live pitch with judges role-playing as clients.
Individual professional development opportunities also left a strong developmental impression on visiting students. The Mock Interview Competition, sponsored by Cinemark and hosted by Jessie Doty, placed participants in structured, six-minute interviews modeled after a real entry-level job application. Meanwhile, the résumé competition, hosted by Dr. Kim Lawson, challenged students to craft tailored, job-ready documents aligned with employer expectations from event sponsor, Swig.
Creativity was equally celebrated through the social media, artwork design and product design competitions. Social media teams produced short-form videos to promote Rise Bar’s new ProteinPOP launch. In the product design and advertising challenge, students conceptualized and pitched an entirely new product within a category assigned at the start of the hour. The artwork design competition invited participants to develop promotional graphics for Savory Fund brands, blending aesthetics with strategic messaging. Throughout the day, students were able to interact closely with company representatives who provided insights and feedback based on their professional expertise.
Aside from the competition floor, students had the chance to acquaint themselves with the Woodbury School of Business’ many resources through a campus-wide scavenger hunt activity coordinated by UVU’s Marketing Association. The activity encouraged them to visit the Keller Building’s uniquely specialized departments and centers, including the SMARTLab, the Green House Sales & Marketing Agency, the Money Success Center, Academic Tutoring, and the Baugh Entrepreneurship Institute. The first 200 students to complete their scavenger hunt cards earned a prize sponsored by FatCats, adding additional excitement to the experience.
A defining aspect of the Invitational is its collaborative spirit. Nearly the entire UVU Marketing Department participates in planning and hosting the event, working year-round to refine competition materials, secure sponsors, coordinate volunteers and ensure a seamless experience. More than 100 undergraduate and graduate students worked to support event execution, helping with judging, guiding participants, and managing logistics. The teamwork among faculty, staff, corporate sponsors, and UVU students has become a hallmark of the event and contributes significantly to its warm, energetic atmosphere. “I just can't preface enough how important it is to allow students at this age to get those cool opportunities and just to really see the impact it does have,” Cardenas proudly shared.
Feedback from participating advisors and students indicates that the 2025 event was one of the strongest yet. Survey responses reflected major improvements in organization, communication, and overall flow compared to the previous year. Students expressed a growing interest in attending UVU after experiencing the Invitational, with intention rates rising from 8% in 2024 to 13% percent in 2025. Student satisfaction also increased significantly, with 92% reporting they hope to return, up from 89% the previous year.
“Everyone here, from the industry judges to the professors, is rooting for them to succeed. The environment at UVU is upbeat and supportive; it’s about discovery, not perfection,” Griffin explained, “Many first-timers tell us they arrived anxious and left super-pumped and were so encouraged by how warm and welcoming everybody was, and how comfortable they felt here at UVU. They didn’t know much fun they could have learning in such a positive atmosphere.”
Looking ahead, the team anticipates continued growth. UVU is set to host an official regional DECA event on campus in the spring, building relationships formed through the Invitational. Sponsors and faculty members are also exploring expanding competition capacity, welcoming additional high schools, and introducing new categories to accommodate growing demand. With rising interest from schools outside Utah, including early inquiries from students in Wyoming, the event’s reach may continue to expand in coming years.
Learn more about engaged learning experiences and involvement opportunities at the Woodbury School of Business.
