On April 26, Brookfield Central DECA will travel to Orlando, Florida, for the annual International Career Development Conference (ICDC). After pulling off an outstanding performance at SCDC, the chapter is now preparing for the culmination of the entire competition season. More than 23,000 high school students, teacher-advisors, business professionals, and alumni will gather for several days of DECA excitement, networking, and career exploration.
BC DECA is proud to have a record number of ICDC qualifiers this year, including not only DECA veterans but underclassmen in their first years of competing. Lancers of all grades will join together to represent Brookfield Central and the state of Wisconsin at ICDC. From projects to series events, they will be competing against thousands of DECA high-schoolers across the globe. Events belong in one of four clusters: marketing, hospitality and tourism, finance, or business administration. All team members hope to perform as well as they did at state (or even better) and possibly bring back the famed DECA glass.
While business and competition is heavily emphasized in DECA, ICDC has so much more to offer. Every ICDC, regardless of the location, DECA members have lots of fun with their teammates as well as new friends. The Grand Opening Session is always an amazing, energetic kickoff to the conference that fills members with high spirits; there are always shows, upbeat music, keynote speakers, and a special ceremony where all states and countries present at ICDC are represented. Not only does ICDC mean a few days away from the stress of school, but also a great time to indulge in the many attractions that chosen cities have to offer. Last year, ICDC was in Anaheim, California, and BC DECA was able to enjoy Disneyland, Disney California Island of Adventure, and a short excursion to LA/Hollywood/Beverly Hills. As this year’s location is Orlando, all DECA members will have access to a 3-day Disney park pass. With Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and the famous Magic Kingdom to explore, the BC DECA team is greatly looking forward to the coming weeks.
Aside from Disney magic, there is always the excitement of networking and creating new connections with people around the world. ICDC wouldn’t be ICDC without one of its most important traditions: trading pins! Each state association of DECA designs their own ICDC pins, and each member gets several to either keep or trade off for the pins of other states/countries. Of course, the best part about this tradition is not the cool pins you get from other DECA associations, but the friends you make along the way. Additionally, both high school students and business professionals alike will be present at the conference to build relationships. Participants of ICDC are welcome to visit exhibitions of corporate sponsors of DECA, buy DECA merch from the official DECA store, and even meet up with State Officers or DECA Executive Officers for a quick photo op.
Overall, ICDC is a very exciting upcoming event that BC DECA is preparing for. Members anticipate learning more about business, honing their professional business skills, making new friends, and making unforgettable memories in Orlando.
