Students from Lethbridge College’s School of Media and Design will have to think on their feet and design on the fly as they take part in a second annual Dragons’ Den-style competition this week.
On Wednesday, Feb. 15, 28 students from the college’s Multimedia Production and Digital Communication and Media programs will split up into five teams and be allotted resources at tecconnect. Each group will have just five hours to brainstorm and design marketing materials for Pink Tie Events, a local event-planning company, co-owned by college alumna Whitney Bullock (Business Administration – Accounting, 2007) and Ashley Walker.
Each team will be required to create a logo update and web site mock-up for Pink Tie Events, and will also have to create three other marketing strategies from their area of expertise, which could include motion graphics, animation, TV or radio commercials, social media accounts, virtual reality applications, smart phone apps and more.
“This is a chance for our second-year students to explore their creativity,” says Tanya Weder, Multimedia Production instructor. “The feedback they receive on their projects will help to give them insight into what clients will expect once they join the workforce.”
At the end of the day, each team will have to pitch its work to a panel that includes Bullock, Walker and representatives from Economic Development Lethbridge and the local business community.
“Teaching the technical skills needed to be competent in industry is only part of the focus in our programs,” says Vicki Hegedus, chair of Lethbridge College’s School of Media and Design. “We need to also prepare our students to be able to advertise their skills and apply them to real-world situations, and this partnership allows them to gain experience in doing that.”
tecconnect is a commercialization centre that connects people, ideas and technologies to facilitate success for entrepreneurs, anchor existing businesses and attract new companies to the high-tech industry in this region.
“tecconnect is pleased to partner with Lethbridge College to create an opportunity that enriches the student learning experience and provides value added marketing services to a local company,” says Renae Barlow, Economic Development Lethbridge VP of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. "This project is a tangible example of how tecconnect works collaboratively with the community to enhance the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Lethbridge.”