You are cordially invited to attend the thirteenth annual Virtual Enterprises Trade Fair, which will be held in New York City on March 24-25, 2010 and is sponsored by the New York City Department of Education.
The event this year will celebrate the 14th Anniversary of the launching of the Virtual Enterprise program in New York City public schools, a program that has drawn national attention as an applied learning instructional model for business economics, finance and career education and has grown in the United States to include programs in over 500 secondary and post-secondary institutions.
The Virtual Enterprise trade fair is one of the signature activities of the Virtual Enterprise practice firm program. It provides students with the opportunity to showcase and market the products and services of their virtual businesses as they engage in commerce with their local, national and international peers in a simulated global marketplace. Students will demonstrate their skills, knowledge and diverse talents in entrepreneurship, communications, computer technology, and global business management.
There will be several competitions related to the VE Trade Fair, which are explained on the Competitions page of this site. Students will have the opportunity to compete for prizes in the following categories: Best Booth, Best Sales Pitch, Best Web Page and Best Catalog.
In addition to the competitions at the trade fair, two other competitions will be held during Trade Fair Week—the US Network of Virtual Enterprises National Business Plan Competition, and the Global Business Challenge events sponsored by the U.S. Network of Virtual Enterprises.
In the US Network of Virtual Enterprises National Business Plan Competition, finalists from statewide business plan competitions will compete in a championship round for cash prizes to be awarded to team members and their programs. The top three national teams will be announced on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at the opening ceremony of the trade fair.
In the Global Business Challenge, students are assigned to a multinational team, and are given a 2.5 hours to solve a global problem. Each team will analyze company data, identify relevant information for the assigned task, and prepare a business strategy to be presented to Merrill Lynch judges.
This year’s trade fair event is being held in the heart of New York City at the 69th Regiment Armory, located on Lexington Avenue at East 25th Street. This location affords participants direct access and exposure to New York’s vast and diverse business, cultural, and educational communities.
On behalf of the New York City Department of Education and our corporate mentors and supporters, we extend a special invitation to our national and international colleagues and friends to join us for a rich and rewarding educational experience. This year’s events truly epitomize the 2010 trade fair tagline: Working in a Global World
We look forward to welcoming you to New York City in March 2010 and hope that you will take advantage of the many cultural activities and sightseeing opportunities that await you in New York City.