Marketing raises money for trip to New York

Luca Giordano
Video Editor

Luca's marketing collage — Collage of photos from Mx. Webster, Night in the Courtyard and Powderpuff Game. Photos by Sam Klein, Izzy Poole and Luca Giordano; collage by Lydia Urice

Powderpuff, Night in the Courtyard, Putt Putt, Mx. Webster: events organized by the Marketing team have raised over $10,100 cumulatively.

Marketing II class has worked since the beginning of the semester on different community events to raise money for its trip to New York City from Jan. 10-15.

The New York trip was a yearly occurrence before the COVID pandemic. Marketing did not go on its trip in the last two years and used money earned from events to donate to charities of students’ choice.

One way that events raise money is through sponsorships. Students are required to secure at least one sponsorship for their projects. The Putt Putt event on Nov. 12, raised $3,537, the most of any single event.

For the Putt Putt event, senior Ellie Nakatani made sponsorship calls and had Hudson Elementary students create the putt putt obstacles.

“I knew I wanted to go into marketing or something in the business world as a job, and so it just made sense to take marketing,” Nakatani said.

Marketing teacher Kathryn Laurentius allows students to pick their own projects and groups to work.
“They have a lot of freedom on who they want to work with and what they want to do, and I just try to guide them so they can be successful,” Laurentius said.

Senior Makenna Sauter emphasized the freedom allowed in planning their events.
“We have pretty much all the freedom. Once Jerry (Collins) approves your event, you’re set.” Sauter said.

Sauter organized the 10k Prize Shot event, which took place on Dec. 9, during half-time of a Webster Men’s Basketball tournament semi-final. Through a prize insurance company, Sauter’s group secured $10,000 for someone who could make a series of basketball shots, ending with a half-court shot.

For the event, Sauter had to get sponsorship for the event, secure the prize insurance, sell temporary tattoos for extra money, and purchase 150 Chick-fil-A sandwiches to sell at the event.

Marketing is also an experiential learning opportunity for students. By making sponsorship calls, planning events, and promoting their events, students emphasize the real-life experience they are gaining through the class.

“It definitely prepares you for the real world and things, especially if I go into marketing, that I’m gonna need and I’m gonna be doing as a job,” Nakatani said.

“The events are like real-life experience, so it’s not like any other class where you’re just learning about the thing. You’re actually doing it and you’re actually reaching out to businesses to ask for sponsors and you’re talking to, for us it was insurance companies and the Chick-fil-A owners,” Sauter said.

“The topics that she (Laurentius) teaches us are actually interesting and they can help you in the real world,” senior Byron Hoffman said.

Hoffman worked on Night at the Courtyard, a live music event incorporating young musicians from Webster and other local high schools. Hoffman created a ballot box used for a raffle at the event and helped sell concessions.

The money raised from the events is split among all marketing students and deducted from the final total of their trip to New York. In New York, marketing students will visit businesses and advertising agencies including the National Hockey League headquarters, the HBO headquarters and Madison Square garden.

“The goal of it (the trip) is for students that are interested in business and marketing to see careers in the industry in New York and see all the opportunities that there are and to make connections with people that are in powerful positions,” Laurentius said.

After the New York trip, marketing students will spend the second semester on organizing the Jim Schoemehl 5k run for ALS.

Marketing I is available for students to take in their junior year, and if students decide to take Marketing II in their senior year, they will have the opportunity to work on these events themselves.

Featured Graphic includes seniors Evelyn Linck, Alexis Romano and Ian McCann as they host Mx. Webster. Mx Webster took place on Nov. 30, in Knights Auditorium. Photo by Sam Klein