On 10 September 2025, excitement buzzed through the air as the University of Pretoria’s Marketing Management honours students arrived at the Sandton Convention Centre, ready to engage with the South African business community at Leaderex – the country’s premier convention for thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals in marketing, technology, and business. Before the event, students played an active role in preparing for the expo, contributing fresh ideas towards custom-designed t-shirts, and designing an interactive activity for UP’s Department of Marketing Management’s exhibition booth. The hands-on approach reflected the Department’s philosophy of “Consult-from-Classroom”: bringing classroom learning directly to real-world challenges.

Leaderex set the stage for growth, networking, and inspiration. The Department of Marketing Management’s Consult-from-Classroom initiative took centre stage at the booth, showing visitors how UP bridges academic theory with practical consulting for real businesses, empowering students to solve actual client problems before they graduate.

The Marketing Management honours Class of 2025 at the UP Consult-from-Classroom booth at Leaderex

Every moment at Leaderex brought new learning. Managing the University’s expo booth challenged and grew students’ professional confidence. Students learned about brand representation, adaptability in messaging, and the importance of teamwork in communicating with diverse attendees.

“Managing the expo booth allowed me to put my communication and engagement skills to
practice. I was able to practice how to answer questions confidently and adjust my
responses depending on the person I was conversing with.” Gia Eichstädt

Industry talks and panel discussions proved deeply insightful. Leaders discussed a range of topics, including budgeting for campaigns and maximising returns, as well as creative advertising, branding, and the impact of artificial intelligence.

“The industry talks felt very impactful as they made relatively difficult concepts easier to understand. Being able to connect with these professionals and have meaningful conversations was a highlight. Leaderex definitely grew my passion for the marketing industry.” Laiqah Dinath

“It was truly pleasing to be able to see how each of us brings different skills to the honours class and different perspectives to the whole marketing world.” Dominique Bester

Students managing the Consult-from-Classroom booth at Leaderex. From left: Ntando
Gwebu, Laiqah Dinath, Scott Harvey, Emeldah Maila and Lenaze Nelson

Students valued the one-on-one coaching sessions by chartered marketers (CMSA), where career advice was tailored to each student’s strengths and aspirations. Rebecca Attenborough described her session as “eye-opening and encouraging”, with advice to “put myself out there...I have nothing to lose, only something to gain”.

Throughout the day, camaraderie, teamwork, and shared laughter were just as important as the formal activities. Students honed practical skills and supported each other, realising that in marketing, collaboration and strong relationships matter as much as creativity and expertise.

By evening, students left Leaderex not only with new contacts and ideas, but also with greater confidence and motivation to continue growing. Emeldah Maila summed up the sentiment:
“This combination of learning, networking, and practical exposure made the event both
challenging and rewarding, giving me a clearer picture of what it means to be a marketer
beyond the university context.”

The experience transformed theory into action, leaving each student eager to one day return – not just as learners, but as leaders in the industry.

The t-shirts that the students helped to design for Leaderex.