LHS’s Virtual Enterprise (VE) class attended the Long Island University Tradeshow hosted by Virtual Enterprise International on January 9 . The class of 33 students dressed to impress in matching suits and a pop of orange with ties and headbands representing their company, Revive.
“These tradeshows prepare us for the real world. Getting up and dressing professionally really puts into perspective the possibilities that our futures hold,” CFO Jack Greenfeld said.
The day started with the booth setup for the company. The entire company contributed and created an on-brand booth with fiery and icy colors to show off its innovative idea of heating and cooling inserts designed to help with muscle pain and people who live in extreme climates. While the majority of the class interacted with other schools by selling and buying from their companies, six students prepared for the business presentation that would determine if Revive would advance to regionals.
CEO and junior Sydney Coble said, “As nervous as I was to present, I had no doubt of our group’s abilities. The judges were welcoming and overall supportive.”
The six students who presented (Sydney Coble, CEO; Elizabeth Ortiz, CCO of social media; Brooke Mazzei, COO; Jack Greenfeld, CFO; Olivia Romanowski, CMO; and Joaquin Vergara, CMO) prepared for weeks prior to the event.
“It was stressful, especially not knowing what to expect from the judges but all the hard work definitely paid off!” CMO Olivia Romanowski exclaimed.
After a long day of selling, awards were given out. The Revive firm was presented with gold recognition for the newsletter the class created in the first couple weeks of business. In addition, the class sold around $300,000 in their products during the two days at the tradeshow.
CSO Bennet Votano, Sales Associate Brian Gilmartin, and past-CEO Alexandra Ioannou joined the six presenters for a second day at LIU on January 10. Never done before, teacher and VE facilitator Dr. Benedict Tieniber was invited to judge the second day of the Virtual Enterprise Tradeshow. CEO of VE last year, Alexandra Ioannou, aided Dr. Tieniber in judging the competition.
“It was truly an honor to be there as more than a facilitator.” he said, “Spreading my knowledge of business and being able to advise other companies was an incredible experience that I hope to have again.”
The students were able to get to know about VE companies throughout Long Island and were given “credit cards” to use at companies to their liking. They were also able to put their training to use and had the opportunity to pitch their company Revive to hundreds of people throughout the two days at the university.
“It was exciting to use the sale pitches that we worked on at the beginning of the year and sell our product to our peers,” CMO Joaquin Vergara explained.
With two more tradeshows on the horizon and the possibility of attending regionals, there is likely more in store for Revive.
CCO Brooke Mazzei said, “It honestly was so fun, and I learned a lot. Overall, a very great experience and I can’t wait for more.”
