Students from Blackburn College’s Event Marketing Class recently collaborated with the IL Archers Youth Basketball Program and the Greenville Comets to create, manage, and execute a successful three-on-three basketball tournament. The event, held at Greenville High School in late March, served as the students’ final project, providing invaluable hands-on experience in event planning and marketing.
Under the guidance of Dr. Carley Swalley, Professor of Marketing, Blackburn students Alexis Drury, Alex Coffman, Bryce Wrightsman, Cayden Paquette, and Danielle Vogel took charge of the tournament’s organization. Their responsibilities included developing a marketing strategy, designing promotional materials, securing sponsorships, managing player and parent communications, drafting contracts, and overseeing tournament logistics.
“This event was an amazing opportunity for my students,” said Swalley. “They gained real-world experience by navigating the day-to-day operations of event marketing. The project reinforced their theoretical knowledge with practical application, and their dedication was inspiring. Not only do these students balance a full course load, participate in sports, and complete their work program hours, but they also went above and beyond to ensure the tournament’s success. We are very grateful for the supportive youth community and our generous sponsors.”
The tournament saw participation and awards in multiple categories from several locations, including players from Greenville, IL, Centralia, IL, and Carlinville, IL. This partnership between IL Archers and Blackburn College exemplifies the power of experiential learning, bringing together students, athletes, and the local community for an impactful event.
The group extends a special thank you to Terry Swalley and the IL Archers program in Greenville, IL, for their assistance in coordinating the event; to Blackburn College Athletics for sponsoring the tournament awards; and to Lu-Bob’s for being a competition sponsor. Their support played a crucial role in making the event a success. Without the support of the local community, the success of extracurricular youth programs would be significantly impacted.