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GLOW Region High Schoolers to Participate in 16th Annual Virtual Business Trade Fair at GCC

Batavia, NY (03/06/2019) — Genesee Community College is pleased to host the Virtual Business Trade Fair on Friday, March 29, 2019. The trade fair will be set up in GCC's William H. Stuart Forum at the Batavia Campus from 10 to 11:30 a.m. for everyone to come and enjoy some virtual shopping.

The Virtual Business Trade Fair, available through GCC's Accelerated College Enrollment (ACE) Program, provides students enrolled in economics and entrepreneurship courses with a hands-on learning opportunity to apply the theories, practices and knowledge from the classroom to an almost-real innovative business venture. The students work collaboratively to develop all of the components of a successful virtual business. They begin by writing mission statements and conducting extensive research into product features and competition, and culminate their work, with advertising pieces, trade fair displays and salesmanship.

The students' trade fair goal is to sell their products or services and allow the attendees to make purchases with virtual dollars. Community members are invited to come, pick up virtual spending dollars, shop any of the companies and support our local students. Thousands of virtual dollars will be given out to attendees to "spend." At the end of the trade fair, the business or school with the most virtual dollars and virtual sales will be recognized.

As in years past, high schoolers from the Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties will come to the Forum and set up booths to "sell" their virtual products and services. This year will feature the following high schooler-created companies:

  • Batavia High School featuring Concert Countdown
  • Dansville High School featuring Authentic Trends
  • Elba High School featuring Carnival Box
  • LeRoy High School featuring U-Knight Sports
  • Livonia High School featuring Rent-a-Pet
  • WNY Tech Academy featuring Appetizers for Autism
  • WNY Tech Academy featuring I C Shapes

"Virtual Business is a wonderful opportunity for students to explore the depth of business career opportunities while learning entrepreneurship intricacies directly by doing as they develop a complete business from ground up," Ann Valento, Career Pathways Program specialist said. "It's wonderful to watch the transition from student to professional as they each embrace their respective role within the company."

For the fourth year, volunteer bankers from M&T Bank will be on-site to help the virtual businesses to track and manage their sales, while local business representatives and instructors will be judging the businesses on their display booth, marketing strategies and salesmanship.

For more information, contact Marketing Communications Associate Director Donna Rae Sutherland at (585) 343-0055 ext. 6616, or via email: dsutherland@genesee.edu.

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Editor's Note:

Images from the 2018 Virtual Business Trade Fair, courtesy of GCC, are available in the following Facebook Album:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/sunygcc/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10156340772688103

An image from the 2018 Virtual Trade Fair is available at:

http://marketing.genesee.edu/images/Virtual_Trade_Fair_2018.jpg

Media Attachments

An image from the 2018 Virtual Trade Fair

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