News

Entrepreneurs hold Market Place

Logos photo by Jordan Melcher NIACC students spent Wednesday, November 17 at the annual Pappajohn Market Place in the Activity Center as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Week. Those participating sold their products and services.

Jordan Melcher
Assistant Editor

NIACC hosted the annual Pappajohn Market Place as part of the Global Entrepreneurship Week on campus for artists, entrepreneurs and companies to sell their products and services in the Activity Center on November 17.

The Pappajohn Center, located on the NIACC campus, promotes Global Entrepreneurship Week, which was held the week of the November 15-19. Activities such as “Ask The Experts” and “Market Searching 101” were held on different days for students to learn how to sell their ideas and create a business plan for later in life.

The Market Place featured vendors and artists signed up to display their products and sell their own work.

April Olinger, a first time vendor, was enjoying not only marketing her work, but also making connections with other sellers.

“This also a great way to achieve publicity for my employers and our products,” Olinger said. “Meeting people is part of business.”

One booth displayed photography from Marie Thomes’ Digital Photography class.

“NIACC provided the frames and prints for us to do this,” Tim Ayer, a NIACC student who participated in the event, said.

Candee Schamberg said she was thrilled to have something she photographed up for everyone to see.“It’s great to have fellow students see our work and be able to sell it at the same time,” Schamberg said.

The Market Place is open to any NIACC and Pappajohn affiliated student and for the first time this year alumni students.

“We’re pretty pleased with the numbers of vendors who participate,” Mary Spitz, who helped organize worked during the event, said.

“There are only upsides to something like this for early entrepreneurs,” Tim Putnam, associate director of Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, said.

He said this is open to individuals to show talent, passion in their work and to put their work out there with nothing to lose, but so much to gain.

“We want as much exposure for the students and faculty for their talent,” Putnam said.

There is a considerable amount of planning that goes into the Market Place and the Pappajohn Center encourages others to participate.

“It may seem like a daunting task, but it’s rewarding,” Putnam said.