State Leadership Summit – Michigan DECA

October 26-27, 2026

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan DECA is excited to partner with the Broad College of Business, Michigan State University to coordinate many of the conference sessions and workshops.

The first day of the leadership conference will provide a unique opportunity for members to interact with business professionals. The Monday night banquet at the East Lansing Marriott will begin with a presentation by an industry executive. During the dinner, members from each chapter will be divided into groups of two or three people to have dinner with other members and a businessperson recruited by the Broad College of Business. Each table will have unique conservations based on the businessperson’s experience, like the way the discussions take place during DECA’s ASPIRE Academy at the International Conference. After the dinner, a fun, fast-paced networking session will be led by the State Officer team.

Tuesday’s activities will take place at the Broad College of Business. The morning will start with a second keynote session by a business executive, followed by two rounds of breakout sessions presented by the business community and representatives of MSU. After lunch we will have two rounds of DECA breakout sessions presented by the State Officers and Chapter Advisors.

Schedule Overview

Monday, October 26 at East Lansing Marriott

Noon-5:oopm – Optional MSU Campus Tours (if pre-purchased during registration)
3:00-5:00pm – Conference Registration
6:30-8:30pm – Networking Dinner and Keynote Speaker
9:00-10:15pm – Team Building and Networking with the State Officers
11:00pm-7:00am – Curfew – No chapter meetings or food deliveries during curfew

Tuesday, October 27 at Broad College of Business, MSU

8:15 – 8:45 a.m. Registration (for chapters arriving on Tuesday)
8:15 – 8:45 a.m. MSU Materials Pickup (for chapters that arrived on Monday)
8:30 – 8:45 a.m. Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Vendor and Career Expo
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Opening Session, keynote, team building, and networking
10:10 – 10:40 a.m. Break Out Sessions on Marketing and Business Topics
10:50 – 11:20 a.m. Break Out Sessions on Marketing and Business Topics
11:30 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Group A Lunch
11:30 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Group B Workshop “What I should have asked before attending college”
12:20 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Group B Lunch
12:20 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Group A Workshop “What I should have asked before attending college”
1:10 – 1:40 p.m. Break Out Sessions on DECA Topics
1:50 – 2:20 p.m. Break Out Sessions on DECA Topics
2:30 p.m. Adjournment

Registration Information

The two-day registration fee includes dinner the first night at the East Lansing Marriott, lunch on day two at MSU, participation in all sessions and workshops, and conference registration materials.

The one-day registration fee includes lunch on day two at MSU, participation in all sessions and workshops, and conference registration materials.

Refunds are not available after the final conference registration deadline.

Optional Tours on Day One: Chapters may register for optional campus tours when you submit your conference registration through the portal. The interactive tours will be given so members can better understand what life on a large university campus might be like. Neat casual attire is acceptable. Tours will be held rain or shine, so be sure to check that day’s weather and dress appropriately. An advisor must attend for every eight student members. We will have more information in the conference registration packet.

Membership Policy: All students registered for the conference must be submitted members of Michigan DECA before registering for the conference. If an individual registered for a conference does not attend or drops out of the marketing education program prior to the conference for which they are registered, they are still required to pay the membership fees, and if necessary, the $5.00 late payment penalty per member.

Supervision: At least one (1) adult must attend and pay the registration fee for the limit of ten (10) student delegates attending.

Hotel Information

All conference participants registering for both days of the conference will be required to stay at the official conference hotel. Room reservations are to be made through the online conference registration portal only.

East Lansing Marriott, 300 M.A.C. Avenue, East Lansing, Michigan 48823 517-337-4440

Chapters are responsible for their parking charges.

In the event a delegate cancels and you are unable to re-assign your delegates or arrange for a delegate(s) from another chapter to room with your students, you are responsible for full payment of that portion of the assigned room. In the event a delegate does not show up for a reserved room, the same condition applies.

There will be no state tax charged on the room, if a copy of your school’s Tax-Exempt Certificate is included with your housing registration and if the payment is in the form of a school issued check or school credit card. The 9% local tax has been included in the room rate.

Incidental Charges: The hotel will place a restriction on all DECA guest rooms for outside phone use (local and long distance) and pay-per-view movie services. However, if you would prefer any one or all your guest rooms to have either or both services, a credit card must be presented at the front desk to make these services available.

Required Forms

Each delegate attending the conference must sign the Michigan DECA Delegate Code of Conduct Form. This form is to be hand-carried to the conference by the advisor and not sent in with the registration.

Dress Code

During conference sessions and activities:

Business attire is required on Monday.
Business casual attire is allowed on Tuesday so students can fully participate with the leadership activities. Khaki (Docker) style pants (no cargo pants) will be appropriate for both males and females. Ladies should have blouses, sweaters, polo-style or collared shirts. Gentlemen should wear sweaters, polo-style, or collared shirts. Ties would be appreciated.
Denim, T-shirts, leggings, hats, and cargo pants are not allowed either day.

Planning ahead? Future dates:

2027: Monday, October 25 and Tuesday, October 26
2028: Monday, October 23 and Tuesday, October 24