Marketing experts to offer advice at training event in Missoula June 25-26

Three western Montana marketing experts will join participants at The Marketing Game workshop and simulation for an open discussion and problem-solving session to wrap up the two day event in Missoula on June 25-26.

The panelists are Nancy King, New View Marketing in Missoula, a senior level marketing executive with over 21 years experience in different industries including food, toys, software, voice technology, and the Internet;

Fraser McLeay, senior manager of the Montana World Trade Center and adjunct professor of marketing at the University of Montana, specializing in international business and marketing after working for multinationals such as Nestle (Poland), and Nutricia Asia-Pacific, Ltd (Hong Kong);

and Gary Scheel, Cornerstone Services in Whitefish, assisting customers and organizations with marketing and sales for more than 27 years.

Course participants will work in teams using a real product to decide which customer segments to target, which distribution channels are appropriate, how to develop a product according to customer needs, and how much emphasis to place on marketing communications and/or sales promotion. A computerized simulation will provide competing teams with immediate feedback on company profit & loss, industry trends & competition, and market research.

Following the simulations, participants will then have an opportunity to ask the marketing panel questions about specific marketing challenges they have at their firms and how to apply simulation learnings.

The training is provided by the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC) in cooperation with MAEDC, MonTec, the Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce, and the local SBDC office. The simulation combined with an open discussion with professionals gives participants a powerful combination of hands-on learning and applied marketing problem-solving.

MMEC training is supported by Montana Department of Commerce Work Force Training Funds. For more information about this marketing training, contact MMEC at 406-994-3812 or visit the Web site http://www.mtmanufacturingcenter.com.