The challenge

You’ll get a creative brief based on a real brand with a real marketing goal, inspired by the kinds of challenges flytedesk works on every day.

Your job is to craft the best sales solution, using your publication, your campus, and your imagination. Then you’ll pitch it live to the flytedesk sales team at CMBAM.

The catch?

You must include at least one idea your organization has never tried before, and you need to be confident you could deliver it.

We’re not looking for ideas that play it safe. Surprise us. Go big. Show us what your student media organization can do that no one else can. 

Who’s judging

The flytedesk sales team. They plan and sell campus marketing campaigns for national brands every day. They know what brands want and the challenges they face.

How it works

• Teams of 1–5 students, one team per student media organization
• Sign up at flytedesk.com/cmbam26 by Wednesday, November 4th
  
  • Within 48 hours, we’ll send you the pitch brief so you can get started
• Each team gets 7 minutes to pitch, plus time for questions
• Pitches will take place Saturday afternoon at CMBAM. You will receive your pitch time slot by Friday, November 6th.

What the judges want to see

Our judges will evaluate entries based on the following criteria:

• You understand what the brand is trying to do
• Your new idea is something only your organization could deliver
• Your plan is realistic, with pricing that makes sense
• Your plan delivers clear value for the money
• You can handle tough questions and defend your recommendations

A great sales deck helps, but solving the brand’s problem matters most!

The prize

🏆 Grand Prize: $5,000

There’s no second place in sales. The winning team gets a $5,000 prize, announced at the CMBAM Awards Ceremony.

Each member of the winning team also gets a personalized LinkedIn recommendation from the flytedesk sales team, highlighting the strengths they demonstrated during the competition.

Every team gets written feedback from the judges after the competition.

Why enter?

• Get real-world feedback from experienced media buyers
• Stretch your creativity and try something new
• Build relationships with industry professionals
• Win $5,000 for your team
• Leave CMBAM with a story you'll talk about for years

We can't wait to see what you build.

Sign up now

Complete the form below to enter the pitch competition. After you sign up, we'll send you the pitch brief within 48 hours.