Students from (name of school) will leave (day) for the Decatur Conference Center & Hotel in Decatur, Illinois, to attend the 61st Annual State Career Development Conference of the Illinois Association of DECA.

These students are among (number) (school name) students selected to participate in the conference, which is designed to help develop future leaders for marketing and management. It will be held March 1 - 3, 2007 and is expected to have close to 800 DECA members and Chapter Advisors in attendance representing 50 different high schools throughout the state.

DECA is the only international student organization operating through the nations’ schools to attract young people to careers in marketing, management, merchandising and entrepreneurship. Its purposes are (1) to develop a respect for education that will contribute to occupational competence and (2) to promote understanding and appreciation for the responsibilities of citizenship in our free, competitive enterprise system. The purpose of the State Career Development Conference is to provide worthwhile activities to assist students in career development as they prepare to be marketing leaders of tomorrow.

A special feature of the Conference will be the presentation of scholarships from the Illinois Foundation for Marketing Education to a number of outstanding DECA students.