The traits of skill, cleverness, wit and courage are what keep the world’s most famous fictional spy one step ahead of his adversaries. And they’re the same traits that students are encouraged to adopt at this week’s 12th annual Alberta Deans of Business Case Competition, co-hosted by Lethbridge College and the University of Lethbridge.
James Bond is the theme of this year’s event, which will bring in close to 70 competitors from post-secondary institutions across Alberta. A total of 14 teams, including a group from Lethbridge College, will take part in the competition. Working in teams of four or five, students are tasked with developing beneficial solutions for real-world business problems.
“This is a tremendous experiential learning opportunity for these students,” says Dennis Sheppard, Dean of Lethbridge College’s Centre for Applied Management. “The ability to work under pressure and present their results to a panel of professionals will add value to their education, which ultimately sets them apart from their peers in Business programs across Alberta.”
The competition runs from Thursday, March 23, through Saturday, March 25, at Lethbridge College. Thursday features a welcome dinner and keynote speaker Greg Stonehocker of ActionCOACH, Business Consulting Firm.
Teams will receive their cases at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, and they will have until 6 p.m. to analyze the case, brainstorm solutions and prepare a final PowerPoint presentation. The case will test their management, marketing, finance, accounting and human resources skills.
On Saturday, each team will have 12 minutes to present their findings to a panel of three local business professionals. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top-three finishers, including a first place prize of $4,000.
“We’re excited to host these top young business minds here on our campus,” says Sheppard. “To see them put to use the lessons they have learned in the classroom and be able to turn that into real-world solutions is rewarding for any instructor. We look forward to a great weekend of competition.”