The collegiate chapter of the American Marketing Association at Oakland University has established a relationship with the Palace of Auburn Hills via collaborations and fundraisers, following a meeting with the Palace on Jan. 19.

The members of the AMA were treated to dinner at the Caesars Windsor Club, where they met with Ryan Bertschman,  director of group sales and premium events, to discuss internships, fundraisers and the business of sports at the venue.

Bertschman spoke about careers in the sports industry and how he achieved success in it. Following his discussion, he gave résumé tips and answered questions.

“It’s a pretty big deal. We haven’t really (had) an opportunity before to work with such a large organization,” Christina Venditti, director of PR and communications, said.

“I think it shows the hard work we put out this year.”

The first major part of the newly formed relationship was an internship oppotrunity offered to OU students.

The Palace is offering five to eight students an internship that deals with business and selling skills in the sports environment. The AMA will be promoting these internship opportunities as part of the bargain.

The internships are mainly office work, with some opportunities for students to work on game days. The internships are unpaid, but whichever student performs best will receive a paid summer internship.

“The current position is very flexible, only asking for about two four-hour shifts a week and (the Palace) is flexible with class schedules,” said Stephanie Moore, president of the AMA. “It’s a great experience especially since they hire internally and they often hire interns full-time once they are graduated.”

OU’s AMA is also hosting a fundraiser for the Palace, selling discount tickets to four Pistons games. $5 will be donated to the AMA per ticket sold.

The AMA is a national organization, founded in 1937 from the merging of the National Association of Marketing Teachers and the American Marketing Society.

Its goal is to teach, develop and inform marketing practices through providing resources and education, sharing knowledge and fostering connections. It currently holds 76 professional chapters and over 350 collegiate chapters.

The collegiate chapter at OU is considered a student organization and is involved in many different activities around campus.

“We participate in campus events, host and attend professional events, host fundraisers and perform community service,” Moore said. “We also attend professional development and networking opportunities that are off-campus,  such as attending marketing conferences and AMA Detroit events.”

Moore said that community service is vital to  the AMA.

“We also perform at least one act of community service per month,” she said. “We believe since we are a professional organization, it is our duty to give back to the community.”

For more information on OU’s AMA chapter, contact President Stephanie Moore at [email protected], or Christina Venditti at [email protected].

For more information on the Pistons tickets, visit ticketmaster.com

 

Contact senior reporter Jordan Gonzalez via e-mail at [email protected]