KU Professional Selling Program/King’s Hawaiian Sales Competition


KU students at the 2023 KU/King's Hawaiian Sales Competition

Overview

The KU Professional Selling Program/King’s Hawaiian Sales Competition will be hosted by the KU School of Business on April 5-6, 2024, which will be held on campus in Lawrence, Kansas. We offer generous prize money and a $1,000 travel stipend per university—no registration fee.



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



Teams that register during this time will receive a special early-bird registration package sent to you directly from King’s Hawaiian. Specific team details about participating students will not be due until early 2024.

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

Participating schools

  • Indiana State University
  • Marshall University
  • Texas Tech University
  • University of Arizona
  • University of Central Missouri
  • University of Georgia
  • University of Iowa
  • University of Kansas
  • University of Minnesota
  • University of Missouri
  • University of Nebraska
  • University of North Dakota
  • University of Wyoming

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

Sponsored by King’s Hawaiian

Day one*

Check-in – 10:30-11:45 a.m. | The Oread Hotel

Lunch – 11-11:45 a.m. | The Oread Hotel

Welcome – 12-12:25 p.m. | Nancy Walthall Doane Lecture Hall, 1020 Capitol Federal Hall

Speed selling – 12:35-1:45 p.m. | TBD

Announce finalist – 2-2:05 p.m. | TBD

Speed selling finals – 2:15-3:10 p.m. | TBD

Round 1 – 3:15-5:15 p.m. | TBD

Networking and dinner– 6-7:45 p.m. | The Eldridge Hotel

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

Day two*

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

Welcome – 8:30-8:45 a.m. | TBD

Round 2 – 9-11 a.m. | TBD

Lunch – 11-11:45 a.m. | Dana and Sue Anderson Family Atrium, 1000 Capitol Federal Hall

Announce finalists – noon-12:10 p.m. | TBD

Round 3 – 12:15-1:45 p.m. | TBD

Awards and closing remarks – 2-2:15 p.m. | TBD

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

Day one*

Check-in – 10:30-11:45 a.m. | The Oread Hotel

Lunch – 11-11:45 a.m. | The Oread Hotel

Welcome – 12-12:25 p.m. | Nancy Walthall Doane Lecture Hall, 1020 Capitol Federal Hall

Speed selling – 12:35-1:45 p.m. | TBD

Announce finalist – 2-2:05 p.m. | TBD

Speed selling finals – 2:15-3:10 p.m. | TBD

Round 1 – 3:15-5:15 p.m. | TBD

Networking and dinner– 6-7:45 p.m. | The Eldridge Hotel

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

Day two*

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

Welcome – 8:30-8:45 a.m. | TBD

Round 2 – 9-11 a.m. | TBD

Lunch – 11-11:45 a.m. | Dana and Sue Anderson Family Atrium, 1000 Capitol Federal Hall

Announce finalists – noon-12:10 p.m. | TBD

Round 3 – 12:15-1:45 p.m. | TBD

Awards and closing remarks – 2-2:15 p.m. | TBD

*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, March 24, and Saturday, March 25, 2023.

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

Participating schools

  • 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

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

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.

Competition winners

Speed selling

1st place: William Sullivan, University of Missouri

2nd place: Yarizette Sequeria, Villanova University

3rd place: Elijah Morris, University of Georgia

Case study

1st place: University of Kansas (Watch the presentation)

2nd place: University of Georgia (Watch the presentation)

3rd place: University of Minnesota (Watch the presentation)

 

Competition materials

Case competition

Case study cover letter

Case study

Judging rubric

Speed selling round

Cover letter

One-pager

Judging rubric

Participating schools:

  • University of Central Missouri
  • University of Georgia
  • University of Kansas
  • University of Minnesota
  • University of Missouri
  • Oklahoma State University
  • Texas Tech University
  • Villanova University