UB Holds 11th Annual Marketing Expo

The University of Belize’s eleventh annual marketing expo unfolded today inside the Civic Center in Belize City. The multipurpose complex was bustling with marketing students who were challenged in creating a business concept that is eco-friendly and economically viable. News Five’s Hipolito Novelo has the story.

Hipolito Novelo, Reporting

The Belize City Civic Center was today buzzing with UB students, pitching their business ventures to the public. It was the eleventh annual marketing expo. This year, students of UB’s Management and Social Sciences program were tasked with creating a product or service that’s eco friendly and economically viable. The students were given a couple months to finalize their product and service relating to this year’s theme, “Marketing for a Sustainable and Economic Development.”

Eda Arzu

Eda Arzu, Marketing Lecturer, University of Belize

“Preparations start from august, from the beginning of the semester and they work up to the launch date to November.  This is fifty percent of their final grade, this is like their exam. They are being advised based on their product and the ideas that they put forward. We just guide them whatever they have passion for and they execute it at the end.”

In keeping with this year’s theme, X-STRAWdinary decided to tackle a worldwide problem- plastic pollution. The group specifically decided to challenge consumers to use glass straws instead of plastic ones.

Natasha Michel & Sabrina Staine

Natasha Michel, X-STRAWdinary

“Plastic straws you used them a couple o f minutes and you throw them away so the glass them you use the, wash them and then you reused them again.”

Sabrina Staine, X-STRAWdinary

“We had to find the supplied. We purchase the tubes. These tubes came as five feet tubes so we had to manually cut each tube. Then we had to file it and we use the torch to melt it so there is no splinter and it is completely. The colors here were used by color rods. Those also came as five feet color ros. We melted them and designed them as how we desired.”

For Charcoal Care, their desire was to encourage persons to practice dental hygiene by using their charcoal based toothpaste- guaranteed to whiten your teeth and brighten your smile, according to Allysha West.

Allysha West, Charcoal Care

“We already did a market research with people tested. They said that it is a good idea because it helped them and it is good way to help people go organic with the things that they do in helping them.”

Allysha West

Hipolito Novelo

“What have been the reactions from the persons who have visited the booths so far?”

Allysha West

“First we had, ‘you sure my teeth will not fall out?’ we told them that it helps whitens your teeth. Ajority people know that charcoal helps to whiten your teeth.”

According to Marketing Lecturer at the University of Belize, Eda Arzu, over the past decade, business concepts produced by the students have grown to incorporate solutions to local and regional problems.

Eda Arzu

“We have seen development in the state where we have them think outside of the box. At the same time we have them look at needs and opportunities locally and there is a need for them at how it can transform into the needs of the international market.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Hipolito Novelo

Bam Bottle won for most creative product, while ‘Bubblelicious’ won for most attractive booth.