The AOM will be held in Montreal, Canada August 6-10.  The conference theme is “Dare to Care: Passion & Compassion in Management Practice & Research.”  More information about the AOM conference can be found at their website.

The AMA meeting is being held in Boston, MA August 13-16.  The conference them is “The Role of Marketing in Creating Customer Value and Enhancing Societal Welfare.”  More information is available at their website.

If you’re attending either conference, please stop by and say hello and check out our newest simulation – Marketplace Live.

Some two weeks ago I came back from the Conscious Capitalism conference at Bentley University. What a conference! There were many enlightened speakers at the conference, but let me point only a few who were inspirational to me.

Firstly, let me say that spending two days at the conference was very refreshing, very helpful to broaden and deepen my views on how to “upgrade” capitalism and where we stand in the process. As Raj Sisodia’s presentation stated we are getting on that road. It starts with a definition of what is a “great” business. Indeed, what is it? A great business maximizes the “total value created” on a sustained basis and distributes that value in an equitable and enlightened manner among all of its stakeholders. This enhances the overall health and well-being of society; it brings joy, fulfillment, and a sense of meaning to all of its stakeholders.

So how can we find out if a company belongs to this fine group? Search for a company with a clear, committed, consistent, conspicuous, courageous, candid, compassionate, cheerleading, centered and conscious leadership.

Is it possible to set up an enterprise where everybody and everything wins? Gary Hirshberg, the CEO of Stonyfield Farm, thinks so. The cows live longer and happier lives; the farmers are paid more; we customers get better food; the environment is treated well; and the shareholders are doing nicely too. So the success of Stonyfield Farm definitely speaks for itself.

John Sterman talked about system dynamics and conscious capitalism. He says that in order to sustain life on planet Earth we need to make sure renewable resources are used no faster than they regenerate. Pollution and waste are produced no faster then they can be absorbed or transformed. Non-renewable resources cannot be used in the long term; and non-renewable resources in the short term need to be used no faster than renewable resources can be introduced. He suggests that we will need to shift from consumption to transformation. That is: The result of whatever we do will at some point need to be dealt with in some fashion or manner by someone else.

“So how do we get extraordinary results from ordinary people?” asked Doug Rauch, the former CEO of Trader Joe’s. It definitely helps if the company is privately held and does not have to focus on short-term quarter results. Doug argues that we need to go inside out, from the purpose and mission of the company, listen to the employees, let them have a voice, look at the business with customers’ eyes, have fun (it’s contagious!), engage the heart and create orbital velocity. At the same time we are to watch the growth, which, if we are not careful, could turn into a form of cancer. And we are not to forget about competitors, who Doug views as key stakeholders. He says that Wholefoods made Trader Joe’s a better company. In fact he suggests that a suspension bridge is a good analogy between company stakeholders.

See you next year in Boston

Jano

At times our Marketplace users create something extra for their games just for fun. Its always nice to see students and faculty getting excited about the simulation and adding their own spin on things. As an example Steven Johnson, a UT student, posted this video that pokes fun at a team not doing so well in the competition. We give him an A for effort, but be careful Steven or your gloating may come back and bite you some day.

ILS will proudly be displaying the newest member of their family of simulations – Marketplace Live.  Marketplace Live is a visually rich, realistic online business simulation. It is the successor of the popular award winning Marketplace simulation.  Built on the robust simulation model and proven teaching methodology of its predecessor, Marketplace Live introduces a new interface with a realistic 3D environment, multimedia content and built-in tools for real-time team collaboration.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The Marketplace Live Business Simulation’s win was announced on Thursday, April 29. The winners are listed at the Brandon Hall website.

The Marketplace Live Business Simulation is not one simulation, but a family of visually rich, realistic online business simulations in marketing, entrepreneurship and corporate strategy. Several hundred universities and colleges around the world use Marketplace Live as an experiential learning tool to make the learning process more effective, and to help their students better understand key business concepts, principles and ways of thinking. Marketplace Live features a realistic 3D environment, multimedia content and built-in tools for real-time team collaboration. The simulation is made available through Innovative Learning Solutions, Inc. of Knoxville, TN.  More information about Marketplace Live can be found at the Marketplace Live website.

“We are excited about winning the Silver Excellence award,” said Ernie Cadotte, creator of Marketplace Live and Professor of Marketing at the University of Tennessee. “It is great to be recognized for our excellent design by an independent and world-renowned e-learning and research organization.”

The Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Technology Awards are presented by Brandon Hall Research, one of the leading research firms in training and development. The Learning Technology Awards program showcases innovations in the products in the marketplace for creating and managing learning, talent and performance.

“These outstanding tools and systems propel the learning profession forward,” said Brandon Hall, Ph.D., chairman of the Awards program. “These innovative products let customers make learning faster, better and easier.”

The entries were evaluated by independent judges around the world.

About Innovative Learning Solutions, Inc. (ILS)
Innovative Learning Solutions, Inc. is a leading publisher of online learning solutions for business students and professionals around the world. Ernie Cadotte, creator of Marketplace Live, has been developing its simulation model for more than 20 years. In 2001, ILS released the first fully web-based business simulation that required no downloads or installation, which were then the norm. In January 2009, ILS released the first fully web-based business simulation with multimedia content and a realistic 3D environment.

About Brandon Hall Research
Brandon Hall, Ph.D. is the CEO of Brandon Hall Research and author of the ground-breaking “Web-Based Training Cookbook.” Since 1992, Brandon Hall Research has been providing independent research reports and expert advice on using technology in learning. Brandon Hall Research conducts Awards programs each year to recognize the best in innovative learning.

My name is Gary Lewis and I’m the newest addition to the team here at Innovative Learning Solutions.

I was born right here in Knoxville, TN, and though I often travel, I’ve never found anywhere else I wanted to call home. My background has primarily been in customer service and sales and I’ll be bringing that experience to the technical support staff team here at ILS.

Most of my free time is spent outdoors at the local parks, up in the Smoky Mountains or playing whatever game happens to have caught my interest.

Please join us in welcoming Gary to the team!

	First Place: GTL Computer Company Representing: University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, USA Instructor: Joseph Bonner
	Second Place: Animate, Inc. Representing: University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, USA Instructor: Joseph Bonner
	Third Place: AMACS Representing: Ekonomika Univerzita v Bratislave, Slovakia Instructor: Ingrid Potiskova

To view the other top three teams in each game, please visit the Hall of Fame.

Thanks to all who participated in the Global Competition!

The competition spanned 12 games with over 70 teams participating.  The countries represented within the competition were Germany, Greece, the Republic of Georgia, Slovakia and the United States.

Thank you to all the participants for making this another successful Global Competition!

First Place: Animate, Inc.  (in Game 4)
Second Place: JK Enterprises (in Game 5)
Third Place: AMACS (in Game 2)

Don’t see your team name listed above?  No worries – all teams still have a chance to take the lead in their games.   So, hang in there – your team picture might just be included in the Hall of Fame by the end of the competition!