Entrepreneurship reigns at the AMA MALL
In order to showcase products by Management students in LS 127, and to help the Ateneo community, at the same time, with their Christmas shopping, the AMA Mall exhibit was successfully mounted at the SEC Garden last Nov. 21-25, 2005. Entitled, A Merchant's Crusade: the Battle for all Bargains, this is a yearly event organized by the Ateneo Management Association. For this year, the organization chose a medieval theme for their grounds design and entertainment. Set apart from the merchandising products on sale, consumers could also enjoy medieval treats, such as, tarot and palm reading, archery and jousting!
The medieval entertainment showcase is part of AMA's ENTREP Challenge. Based on the popular TV show "The Apprentice", AMA members who joined were divided into two groups and then face off each other in a series of challenges. Dorothy Tan, Ervin Jader and Donna Barcelon, who are in charge of the game, explain that the running of the medieval entertainment booths is the second leg of the Challenge.
"The first leg was to come up with the most entertaining program for the participants of the DLSU Campus Tour during the first semester. In this second leg, given the medieval theme, they have to come up with the entertainment as well, for AMA Mall customers."
The
Mall featured a fine blend of products. Students of LS 127 were given the
opportunity to sell their original concepts and ideas. One of the stalls
was Salvo. A clothing line, Salvo sells vintage inspired t-shirts.
When asked what that exactly means, Donna Tan explains that vintage
designs feature intricate detailing with the use of rhinestones and beads.
The T-shirts are made to look distressed or faded. "The edge of our
product is that although the design is vintage, the t-shirts are of
high-quality. It's a mix of the old and the new, I would say." The
store also sold accessories and shoes. She was quick to add that their
shoes comply with the SOM dress code.
Another
interesting stall was called Tuckey Burger, burgers which are 100%
meatless but taste a 100% just like meat. For P35, the burgers came in
three flavors: Teriyaki, Garlic and Regular. When asked why their group
honed in on this concept, Keit Patricio spoke of consumers' need to find
ways to make their diets healthier, ‘without sacrificing taste. Our
burgers are really juicy and taste good!"
Another
stall with the same idea of providing consumers with a chance for a
healthier diet was Zapped. Students had come up with the idea of
producing juice drinks fortified with ginseng, a well-known
energy-enhancing herb. Blended with fruit, ice cream and honey, the drink
was sold at P40 a glass.
When asked to assess the success of the endeavor of the AMA Mall, Bobby Sangalang, this year's project head had this to say:
"The turnout was great and the student participation was clearly present during the whole week. A lot of people were saying a lot of good things about the stalls especially the food stalls. Customers found the products for sale innovative and sulit. Many were impressed at the fact that fellow students came up with such great ideas. Overall, the event was all that we could ever hope for."