Participation on the 10th edition of the Solvay Business Game
The 10th edition of the Solvay Business Games was organized between the 17th and 18th of February by the Solvay Brussels School and the McKinsey Company. There were 400 candidates from all around the world.
The first challenge of the competiton was provided by Lidl. After the preliminary round, consisting of an online task, the 10 best teams, composed of two members each, presented their solution in front of Lidl’s jury on the 18th of February.
The pitch-challenge, brought by McKinsey, took place on the 17th of February. Competitors had three hours to come up with a five minute pitch. The teams of four had to convince the jury about the viability of World Music company’s new 24/7 platform.
Right after the pitch-challenge, the negotiation challenge took place. In this case each team was composed of four members and had four hours to make a deal with the other party. The participants were divided in two types of teams: buyers and sellers. The parties had to find an arrangement, with specific terms and conditions that satisfied both sides. This case was provided by BDO.
The last challenge of the day, provided by Degroof Petercam, was the strategy challenge. In teams of six, participants had three hours to come up with a solution about a proper ambassador program for Degroof Petercam, a private banking institution.
The fifth challenge took place on 18th of February and it was provided by Unilever. The teams were made up of six students and had four hours to solve the task. This assignment was focusing on marketing challenges. Participants had to use the 4P model and provide a strategy for Unilever’s brand new product: PureLeaf, a tea brand.
One of the most exciting part of the competition was the final presentation of solutions for the pitch, strategy, and marketing challenges. The teams were evaluated by a jury of three.
The sixth and last task was the eloquence challenge, which unfolded after the awards ceremony. In this challenge only the best eight Bachelor’s and Master’s students were allowed to compete. Contestants had 15 minutes to prepare their arguments for the debate.
The two days long intensive competition was closed by an open bar banquet. Participants had the chance to continue the networking at Les Jeuxd’Hiver Club.