Resource:How to run an eight week Ultimate Trader Challenge

This Article provides instuctions and tips on how to implement an eight week Ultimate Trader Challenge at your own campus. The Ultimate Trader Challenge drew inspiration from Kyle MacDonald and his, One Red Paper Clip story. Kyle became famous after he managed to make a series of great trades that led him from starting with a small red paper clip to his final trade of a house. This entreprenurial idea of making smart trades can be implemented on your own campus but modified to fit a college campus. Holding an event like this on your own campus helps build a community and is also a great marketing opurtunity especially on the internet. 

Assess What You May Need

The first step that needs to be taken is to get organized! Before being able to go out and start asking for sponsers or promoting the event you need to figure out how an event like this would best be implemented at your campus.  Make realistic goals of how  many students may attend an events like this. Have a conservative goal and a stretch goal. 

    •    Audience (the primary audience for the event)
    •    Facilitator (how you determined who should run the event)
    •    Activity and content (how you found the type of activity and materials, and how you determined the learning or big-picture aspect)
    •    Format (the way the event is structured, length of the event, etc)
    •    Cost (all the elements that had to be paid for, and how they were paid for)
    •    Dates (how you selected the date during which the event was held)
    •    Fundraising and sponsorships (how you found the money and/or dealt with sponsors)
    •    Space (what elements you were looking for, the location, and how you found the right space)
    •    Branding (how you determined the name and overall message for the event)
    •    Promotion (how you invited participants and shared the details with your primary audience)
    •    Support (students, faculty, staff needed to facilitate prior to and during the event)
    •    Event logistics (what else needed to be done prior to and during the event)
    •    Media capture (how you arranged for photos or video to be captured)
    •    Activities (how the activities were presented and run)
    •    Evaluation (measuring impact and numbers of participants)
    •    Sustainability and planning for future events (elements necessary to ensure that the event would happen again if desired)
    •    Future leadership (how you figured out who would lead this event after you graduate)
    •    Lessons learned and tips for others (what worked and what didn’t, and your recommendations for others)