15.05.2025
On May 10, 2025, a special meeting of students from the Master's Program in Digital Marketing – distance learning format – was held in Room 420 of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. The event was conceived as a vibrant, engaging, and inspiring environment for exchanging ideas, building connections, and experiencing marketing beyond the screen – in real time, at a real place, with real people.
The meeting was led and moderated by Prof. D.Sc. Tsvetan Davidkov, who applied practices from management research to design a dynamic and meaningful program, starting with classic ice-breaking and networking games.
The teaching team was represented by Assistant Jeannette Naydenova, who impressed the audience with her inspiring opening remarks, emphasizing the responsibility and significance of knowledge transmission. Assistant Teodor Daskalov engaged students in the managerial logic and applicability of games, focusing on gamification as a tool for solving real-world problems.
The meeting was organized by Prof. D.Econ.Sc. Nevyana Krasteva, head of the program, with operational support from Senior Assistant Professor Dr. Alexey Potebnya. It reflects the shared commitment to building an engaged, supportive, and active community among participants in the faculty’s first fully distance-based master's program in digital marketing. Key points and guidelines related to the program’s structure and implementation were discussed.
During the event, students had the opportunity to communicate, share ideas, identify common interests, and explore opportunities for collaboration. A special emphasis was placed on gamification as a managerial approach, and participants were invited to get involved in the activities of the Gamification Transformation Laboratory under the Department of Business Administration.
The meeting demonstrated that digital marketing is much more than virtual knowledge – it is connection, practice, and community. In real time, at a real place, with real people.
At the end of the day, both students and faculty members pledged to make joint efforts to organize more meetings of this kind. The consensus was that while routine tasks and administrative communications can remain in an online format, in-person interaction is irreplaceable for building an authentic academic and professional community. This community-based approach was recognized as a valuable resource for long-term professional development, inspiration, and opportunities for deeper specialization in the field of marketing science.
