KU Professional Selling Program/King’s Hawaiian Sales Competition

The KU Professional Selling Program/King’s Hawaiian Sales Competition will be hosted by the KU School of Business March 24-25, 2023, on campus in Lawrence, Kansas.

Sponsored and judged exclusively by King’s Hawaiian, the competition is open to all universities, with four undergraduate students and one sales coach representing each university. Components of the competition include:

Individual Speed Selling Round: 90-second elevator pitch to get King’s Hawaiian a meeting with a potential grocery store chain buyer
Team Case Competition: Three-round tournament-style case competition on a real-life business situation for King’s Hawaiian
- Round 1: Uncover additional information to make solid recommendations
- Round 2: Present recommendations via formal presentation
- Round 3: Finals

Competition materials

Stipends and prizes

The following cash stipends and prizes will be provided.

Travel stipend for each university:

$1,000 per university

Cash prizes for Individual Speed Selling Round:

1st place — $600
2nd place — $500
3rd place — $400
4th place — $300
5th place — $200
6th place — $100

Cash prizes for each winning Team Case Competition:

1st place — $4,000
2nd place — $3,000
3rd place — $2,000

Please send all questions to Kristen Helling at khelling@ku.edu.

Sponsored by King’s Hawaiian

Emory University
Morehouse College
Oklahoma State University
Texas Tech University
University of Arizona
University of Central Missouri
University of Iowa
University of Kansas
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
University of North Dakota

Day One Schedule
Day Two Schedule

Day one*

Check-in – 10:30-11:45 a.m. | Burge Union

Lunch – 11-11:45 a.m. | Burge Union

Welcome – 12-12:30 p.m. | Nancy Walthall Doane Lecture Hall, 1020 Capitol Federal Hall

Speed Selling – 12:55-1:55 p.m. | 2056 A/B, 3056 A/B Capitol Federal Hall

Announce Finalist – 2:05-2:10 p.m. | 1020 Capitol Federal Hall

Speed Selling Finals – 2:15-2:55 p.m. | 2056 A Capitol Federal Hall

Round 1 – 3:15-4:45 p.m. | 2056 A/B, 3056 A Capitol Federal Hall

Appetizers and Key Notes – 6 p.m. | The Eldridge Hotel

Dinner – 6:30-7:45 p.m. | The Eldridge Hotel

*Please note that the schedule is tentative and is subject to change.

Day two*

Breakfast – 7:30-8:15 a.m. | Tim Barton Colloquium, 1010 Capitol Federal Hall

Welcome – 8:15-8:30 a.m. | 1020 Capitol Federal Hall

Round 2 – 8:30-11 a.m. | 2056 A/B, 3056 A Capitol Federal Hall

Lunch – 11-11:45 a.m. | Anderson Family Atrium, Capitol Federal Hall

Announce Finalists – 11:45 a.m.-noon | 1020 Capitol Federal Hall

Round 3 – noon-1:30 p.m. | 1020 Capitol Federal Hall

Awards – 1:50-2:15 p.m. | 1020 Capitol Federal Hall

*Please note that the schedule is tentative and is subject to change.

Day one*

Check-in – 10:30-11:45 a.m. | Burge Union

Lunch – 11-11:45 a.m. | Burge Union

Welcome – 12-12:30 p.m. | Nancy Walthall Doane Lecture Hall, 1020 Capitol Federal Hall

Speed Selling – 12:55-1:55 p.m. | 2056 A/B, 3056 A/B Capitol Federal Hall

Announce Finalist – 2:05-2:10 p.m. | 1020 Capitol Federal Hall

Speed Selling Finals – 2:15-2:55 p.m. | 2056 A Capitol Federal Hall

Round 1 – 3:15-4:45 p.m. | 2056 A/B, 3056 A Capitol Federal Hall

Appetizers and Key Notes – 6 p.m. | The Eldridge Hotel

Dinner – 6:30-7:45 p.m. | The Eldridge Hotel

*Please note that the schedule is tentative and is subject to change.

Day two*

Breakfast – 7:30-8:15 a.m. | Tim Barton Colloquium, 1010 Capitol Federal Hall

Welcome – 8:15-8:30 a.m. | 1020 Capitol Federal Hall

Round 2 – 8:30-11 a.m. | 2056 A/B, 3056 A Capitol Federal Hall

Lunch – 11-11:45 a.m. | Anderson Family Atrium, Capitol Federal Hall

Announce Finalists – 11:45 a.m.-noon | 1020 Capitol Federal Hall

Round 3 – noon-1:30 p.m. | 1020 Capitol Federal Hall

Awards – 1:50-2:15 p.m. | 1020 Capitol Federal Hall

*Please note that the schedule is tentative and is subject to change.

The second KU Professional Selling Program/King’s Hawaiian Sales Competition was hosted at the KU School of Business Friday, April 8, and Saturday, April 9, 2022.

Competition winners

Speed selling

First place (tie): Hannah Besedin, University of Arizona ($300); and Thanh Tan Nguyen, KU ($300)
Third place: Brenna McCarthy, University of Minnesota ($100)

Case study

First place: University of Central Missouri (Watch the presentation)
Second place: University of Nebraska (Watch the presentation)
Third place: KU (Watch the presentation)

Competition materials

Participating schools

University of Arizona
University of Central Missouri
Emory University
University of Iowa
University of Kansas
Kansas State University
Loyola Marymount University
Marshall University
University of Minnesota
University of Nebraska
University of North Dakota
Texas Tech University

The first KU Professional Selling Program/King’s Hawaiian Sales Competition was hosted virtually by the KU School of Business Friday, April 9, and Saturday, April 10, 2021.