October 23-25, 2025
JW MARRIOTT TAMPA WATER STREET
WELCOME TO ENGAGE
Welcome to the 2025 Collegiate DECA ENGAGE Conference!
The ENGAGE Conference is more than an event - it allows you to Go the Extra through growth, connection and opportunity. Collegiate DECA members aren’t your average college students—they open doors wide for others, dream boldly and lead with purpose. They understand that true leadership isn’t about titles or accolades, it is about the lasting impact we make on those around us.
Over the next few days, immerse yourself in competitive event preparation, leadership training, chapter forum and networking with some of the best and brightest our division has to offer. Connect with industry professionals, collaborate with peers and become inspired by new ideas that will guide your personal and professional journey.
ENGAGE is also about discovering the power of community. Each conversation you have, each workshop you attend and each challenge you embrace will leave you better equipped to achieve your goals. This conference is your chance to not only learn and grow, but to also give back by encouraging others, sharing your voice and becoming part of something greater than yourself.
Set on Florida’s vibrant Gulf Coast, Tampa is the perfect backdrop for our conference! Discover a city where innovation meets hospitality. From the vibrant waterfront to historic Ybor City, Tampa has a unique mix of culture, history and hospitality. Whether you’re grabbing a quick Cuban coffee or enjoying the evening, Tampa’s energy and charm will fuel your ENGAGE experience and create moments you’ll remember long after you leave.
Your Collegiate DECA Executive Officer Team is excited to embark on this journey with you. Together, lets challenge ourselves to think bigger, lead stronger and dream bolder. By the end of ENGAGE, you will not only walk away with valuable skills and knowledge but also with lasting relationships that will continue to elevate you long after the conference ends. You’ll return to your chapters empowered to grow membership, advance to higher levels of competition and amplify your impact on your campus and beyond.
This is your moment to ENGAGE fully - let’s grow, learn, Go the Extra and have an unforgettable experience together!
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY | OCTOBER 24
All events are in HB Plant Ballroom E-F in the JW Marriott except for the EduTours and Networking Social. Appropriate attire is business casual or business professional for all activities today, except for the Networking Social, where casual is appropriate.
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
OPENING
SESSION + NETWORKING
Meet your Collegiate DECA Executive Officer Team who will officially welcome you to Tampa and preview the conference. Effective networking is a crucial skill in today’s professional world, playing a significant role in career advancement, academic success and personal growth. Engage in a networking activity designed to connect you with fellow attendees and practice your networking skills.
9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
BECOMING THE FUTURE YOU: THE ART OF EMBODYING WHAT YOU WANT BEFORE YOU GET IT
Through personal storytelling and actionable frameworks, Jessica shows how embodiment - thinking, speaking, and acting like your future self - creates real opportunities long before credentials do. Explore the character traits employers value most, the mindset shifts that unlock growth, and the communication habits that build influence. The session is motivational yet grounded in practical leadership and careerreadiness skills.
Jessica Villegas, CEO | HiLite Coaching
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
BECOMING THE FUTURE YOU IN ACTION: COMMUNICATING WITH LEADERSHIP PRESENCE
Learn to communicate from the perspective of your future selves, integrating selfawareness, values, and leadership presence. Through guided reflection, small-group exercises, and real-world communication mapping, participants align how they speak and carry themselves with the professional image they want to project.
Jessica Villegas, CEO | HiLite Coaching
10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
PAINTING YOUR CHAPTER CANVAS 101
Join a collaborative chapter share session where members exchange innovative strategies and proven practices. Through round-table discussions, explore successful approaches to membership growth, community service, fundraising, and chapter engagement—leaving with actionable ideas to bring back to their chapters.
Collegiate DECA Executive Officer Team
11:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
COMPETITION 101
Discover the range of competitive events available to Collegiate DECA members. Get a foundational overview of event types, competition formats, and what to expect in your competitive journey.
Collegiate DECA Executive Officer Team
11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
DECA DECODE: FROM PREP TO PODIUM
Learn how to nail your role plays with confidence, the keys to preparing as a chapter before competition, and an introduction to prepared events. Whether it’s mastering onthe-spot thinking or tackling the pre-work prep, walk away with practical strategies to help you and your chapter shine to get that glass.
Mackenzie Weber, Johnson & Wales University DECA Alumni
12:30 p.m.
NETWORKING LUNCH
Enjoy a pasta buffet as part of your conference registration, and network with fellow members while finding your EduTour teams!
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Check for exact time.
EDUTOUR
Please refer to the directions provided in your registration materials for your EduTour. If your EduTour requires transportation, information on how to access Uber credits will be provided.
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m NETWORKING
SOCIAL
Splitsville Tiki + Social
Connect and network with your fellow Collegiate DECA members at Splitsville Tiki + Social, featuring luxury bowling lanes and interactive gaming you love with a vibrant tiki twist. Light bites and soft drinks provided.
Dress is casual. Splitsville Tiki + Social is in the Channelside Bay Plaza which is walkable from the conference hotel.
SATURDAY | OCTOBER 25
All events are in the HB Plant Ballroom E-F in the JW Marriott
8:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
COMPETITIVE EVENTS
Report to the HB Plant Ballroom E-F in the JW Marriott ahead of your assigned time to receive your Individual Case Study. For the purposes of competition at Engage, you will have 20 minutes to read the case study and prepare your solution, and you will have 10 minutes to present your solution to the judge(s), which is inclusive of time for judge questions. A personal or laptop computer/hand-held digital organizer may be used when appropriate. Students are allowed to bring reference materials to use in preparing their presentation. Students may utilize the Internet during both prep and presentation times, but the availability of Internet service is the responsibility of the students.
Please dress to impress your volunteer judge.
11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
GO THE EXTRA: CLOSING SESSION
As we return to our communities and chapters, you are the driving force of the future. Unleash your potential as you grow your chapter’s membership, advance to higher levels of competition and amplify your impact on your campus, community and beyond. We will also recognize our top performers in the case study competition.