Capilano University makes a name for itself at the American Marketing Association's 39th International Collegiate Conference

NORTH VANCOUVER B.C. – A team from Capilano University won second place at the American Marketing Association’s 39th International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans, March 16 to 18, 2017, and instructor Andrea Eby won Faculty Advisor of the Year.

This was only the second year a team from Capilano University has competed against mostly American universities and colleges, including those with well-known business schools, such as Carnegie Mellon University.  

“You just assume that they’re going to be better than you because they’re well-known schools, but I guess all the hard work really shows at the end,” says Pauntehah Poursaba, team lead.

CapU’s team was one of nine finalists that presented its case for attracting consumers ages 18 to 35 to eBay. 

“Coming in second place after Texas State University – they’re a big-name school with 38,000 people – it really puts Cap on the map,” says Eby. “We beat a whack of other big-name schools so that’s what I’m totally proud of.” 

Eby dedicated hundreds of hours to coaching and motivating CapU’s marketing team. Her tireless work was rewarded with a nomination from the Cap U Marketing Association for the Hugh G. Wales Award for Faculty Advisor of the Year, which she won. As a result, Eby will speak in front of 1,500 attendees at next year’s collegiate conference. 

“It was the highlight of my career,” Eby says. 

In other great news, Hamzah Elhassani, an Iraqi-born permanent resident of Canada, was able to attend the conference in New Orleans to compete in the sales event, despite earlier concerns about President Donald Trump’s ban on travel for people from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

“I am extremely proud of our team of students and their faculty advisor, Andrea,” says Halia Valladares, dean of the Faculty of Business & Professional Studies. “Winning a top spot at the American Marketing Association competition shows the high calibre of our marketing program and the business skills our instructors teach. This is an excellent example of our instructors’ commitment to teaching and our focus on experiential learning.”

“Congratulations to Andrea and her hard-working team,” says Capilano University’s president Paul Dangerfield. “Andrea’s award and this second-place showing demonstrate how our small University fosters big success.”

About Capilano University
Capilano University is a teaching-focused university based in North Vancouver, with programming serving the Sunshine Coast and the Sea-to-Sky corridor. The University offers 99 programs, including bachelor’s degrees in areas as diverse as film, jazz, early childhood education and tourism management. Capilano University enrols approximately 11,600 students each year, 8,300 in for-credit programs and 3,300 in non-credit courses. Capilano University is named after Chief Joe Capilano, an important leader of the Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh) Nation of the Coast Salish people. Our campuses are located on the territories of the Lil’wat, Musqueam, Sechelt (shíshálh), Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

For more information, or to schedule interviews, please contact: 

Cheryl Rossi
Senior Communications Advisor
Capilano University
t: 604 983 7596
c: 778 879 7119
e: cherylrossi@capilanou.ca 
www.capilanou.ca