Seven years ago, three local Cegeps gathered to compete in the first Vanier College BDC Case Challenge. It was a humble beginning for a competition that this year will welcome 30 teams from colleges across Canada coming to Montreal to compete against one another on February 11-12, 2012 in the hope of earning a chance to compete in the finals and vie for a top place trophy. This event that is supported by the Business Development Bank of Canada has become the most prestigious, national, collegiate level case competition with teams hailing from British Columbia all the way to Newfoundland.
What’s a case competition
The Case Challenge is an intense two-day event that brings together the best of the best among students in technical business programs across Canada. The challenge is to analyze a never-seen before business problem in three hours, draw up a viable marketing plan, and prepare a Power Point presentation to give before a jury panel of experts from business, industry and education. Competitors need to be top notch shape if they are to maintain a clear head and put their creativity to work to come up with a plan that addresses the needs of the problem under study.
The benefits of particpating in the Vanier College BDC Case Challenge
“The Vanier BDC Case Challenge is a great example of how Vanier offers its students a first class opportunity to put their knowledge and marketing skills into practice,” states David Moscovitz, Case Challenge organizer. “Pitting their abilities against those of students coming from every province in the country inspires students and drives them to work hard and adopt a professional attitude. Normally, case competitions only take place at baccalaureate and graduate levels, so the Vanier contest that is the only national marketing case competition at the college level attracts very serious students. They come to Montreal wanting to do well, to meet other competitors, and to network and learn from each other and the judges.”
Teams from 30 community colleges and cegeps
The two-day competition in February will include teams from Cégep André-Laurendeau, Collège Lionel-Groulx, Cégep régional de Lanaudière à Joliette, Champlain College, St-Lambert, Collège de Rosemont, Collège de Valleyfield, Collège Édouard-Montpetit, Dawson College, John Abbott College and Vanier College, from Québec; Algonquin College, Centennial College, Durham College, George Brown College, Humber College, Mohawk College, Seneca College, Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, St. Lawrence College, Cornwall and St. Lawrence College, Kingston, from Ontario; J.R. Shaw School of Business, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, from Edmonton, Alberta; Langara College, Okanagan College and Sprott-Shaw Community College, from British Columbia; Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, from Saskatchewan; Red River College, from Manitoba; New Brunswick Community College, from St. John, New Brunswick; Nova Scotia Community College from Nova Scotia; Holland College, from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and College of the North Atlantic, from Newfoundland.
Details of the competition
The 2012 competition will take place once again at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel (Montreal Airport). Because of the large number of participants, there will be three theatres of 10 presentations on Saturday. That evening, the top two teams from each theatre will be announced at a gala dinner. These six teams will then go on to compete with a new case to analyze in the medal round on Sunday morning. Following the final presentations, an awards luncheon will take place.
The Business Development Bank of Canada
BDC is Canada’s business development bank. From more than 100 business centers across the country, BDC promotes entrepreneurship by providing highly tailored financing, venture capital and consulting services to entrepreneurs.
