Case Competitions

Lazaridis School of Business and Economics students have the opportunity to unleash their competitive edge by participating in a number of case competitions throughout their time at Laurier.

Through these competitions, we bring our students together and challenge them to develop innovative solutions for real-world business problems, honing their critical thinking, teamwork and presentation skills.

student team presenting on stage with trophies in foreground

Our Competitive Experiences

See how our Lazaridis School students have the opportunity to represent us globally in external competitions, and how they can hone their academic skills through internal competitions.

External Competitions

The Lazaridis School is proud to support and recognize the efforts of many of our students at external case competitions around the globe. The continued success of Lazaridis School students at these competitions is a testament to our students' ongoing commitment to building on the skills they learn in the classroom.

Students work together with professors and alumni who provide endless hours of guidance and support to help make the Lazaridis School a global competitor. 

Are you representing the Lazaridis School at an external case competition? Let us know by completing this Qualtrics Survey.



ABC competition team

2023: Top 10

Accuracy Business Cup (ABC)

The Accuracy Business Cup is a three-phase competition, hosted by financial services company, Accuracy, giving students the opportunity to work on an international financial and strategic business case. With preliminary rounds organized by local Accuracy offices, winners from the national phase move onto the international competition at Accuracy’s global headquarters in Paris, France.

2023 Competition

Team members: Grace Bilodeau, Sean Cornelius, and Karen Zhuang (McGill University)

Highlights: In 2023, there were 1,230 candidates forming 410 teams from nine participating countries (Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Morocco, Spain, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom).

Two students from the Lazaridis School were part of the Canadian finalist team at the 2023 Accuracy Business Cup in Paris, France. Congratulations to the team for ranking as one of the top teams, surpassing over 400 teams internationally to take a spot in the finals.

Read about this competition.

BBICC competition team

2024: Lazaridis School team attended

2022: Second place (short case); third place (long case)

2019: First place overall

Belgrade Business International Case Competition (BBICC)

The BBICC is a global undergraduate business case competition held in Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia. As one of the top global business case competitions, BBICC is a unique opportunity for international business schools to take part in challenging case competition and experience Serbia and its culture.

2024 Competition

Team members: Vivek Bhardwaj, Tailai Wang, Elizabeth Robbins, and Rachel Clark

Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos, Kathryn Porretta, and Daniel Roytman

Highlights: In 2024, the BBICC goal was to maintain the crossroad of diverse cultures, create a good learning environment, and provide all the participants with valuable knowledge. Twenty universities from around the world were invited to solve three real business problems with innovative ideas to ensure participants received relevant knowledge for their professional future.

Past Competitions

Case IT competition team

2024: Lazaridis School team attended

2023: Second Place (Division B 24-hour Case); Fourth Place (Division B 5-hour Case)

2021: Second Place (8-hour Case); Second Place (24-hour Case)

CaseIT

CaseIT is the world’s premier international undergraduate Management Information Systems (MIS) case competition. Business students from across the globe converge in Vancouver, BC, to put their skills to the test in this week-long event with opportunities to network, explore, and learn.

2024 Competition

Team members: Perry Au, Aryanna D'Addio, Katelyn Scime, and Tiwalade Olobayo

Coach: Josephine McMurray

Highlights: At CaseIT in 2024, Lazaridis BTM students analyzed a case involving Pacific Coastal Airline from British Columbia and its functional interoperability — essentially, how various computer systems work together and communicate.

In most cases, CaseIT is one of the stand-out memories of Lazaridis BTM students, and it continues to pay dividends long into the future. Past competitors have earned consulting jobs at Konrad and Deloitte or worked as analysts at private equity firms. One graduated team member recently advanced to a vice-president role at Goldman Sachs.

Read about this competition.

Past Competitions

CFA competition team

2023: Finalists

CFA Institute Research Challenge

The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics. Students are tested on their analytical, valuation, report writing, and presentation skills. They gain real-world experience as they assume the role of a research analyst.

2023 Competition

Team members: Dipal Doshi, Natalia Rusu, and Violeta Shabatura

Coaches: Bruce Everitt and Sean Patterson

Highlights: Congratulations to three Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) double degree students from the Lazaridis School earned a finalist spot in the 2023 Local CFA Institute Research Challenge Finals.

Supported by faculty advisor, Bruce Everitt, and industry mentor Sean Patterson, the team had been preparing their recommendation since November.

Read about this competition.

Enactus competition team

2023: National champions

2022: Top five

2021: Finalists

2020: National champions

Enactus Canada

Enactus Canada competitions inspire excellence amongst postsecondary students across the country. At regional and national events, students demonstrate how their community empowerment projects and business ventures are shaping the economic, social and environmental landscape of Canada in two types of competitions: impact challenges and the Student Entrepreneur National Competition.

At the Enactus Canada National Exposition, all student teams across Canada compete in the Enactus National Competition. The successful team advancing through opening, semi-final and final rounds of competition is named Enactus National Champion and advances to represent Canada at the Enactus World Cup.

2023 Competition

Coach: Laura Allan

Highlights: Laurier’s Enactus team claimed the national title at the Enactus National Exposition. A total of 44 teams competed from across Canada at the event held May 1 to 3, 2023 in Montreal.

The Laurier team, which presented two student-led enterprises, defeated competitors from Saint Mary’s University, Okanagan College and the University of Ottawa in the final round of competition. Enactus Laurier represented Canada at the Enactus World Cup in Utrecht, Netherlands in October 2023.

In addition to winning the national title, Enactus Laurier received the 2023 Hazelview Sustainable Cities Project Accelerator Best Project prize for the work of Kuponya Innovations, which has created a sustainable, climate-resilient housing solution for Indigenous communities in Canada’s North. Enactus Laurier’s President Zander Smith also received the Enactus Student Leader of the Year award.

Read about this competition.

Past Competitions

Lazaridis Hall Exterior

2022: Third place

2020: First place

FEP U Porto

The FEP School of Economics within the University of Porto hosts an International Business Case Competition where international teams boost their intrepid problem-solving spirit to solve a real live business challenge. The 48 students from 12 global universities are put to the test in a competition that requires them to use their talents to the full. It’s an excellent opportunity to make new friends and to advance further in case-solving skills.

2022 Competition

Team members: Vivek Bhardwaj, Isabella Brodeur, Kyle Chang, and Imaad Mian

Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos

Highlights: Representing the Lazaridis School, the team participated virtually and earned third place.

Running over the span of four days, competitors solved a real-life business problem in this extensive case study. Galp Energia challenged students to develop a 10-year strategic plan for their commercial business unit to adapt its fuel stations network according to changing environmental and consumer trends. Teams were asked to identify how trends such as the shift towards electric vehicles and increased needs of consumer flexibility, would impact their business model.

Read about the competition.

Past Competitions

HRPA competition team

2023: Second place

2021: Second place

Human Resources Professional Association Student Case Competition (HRPA)

Hosted annually, this two-day virtual competition engages the best and brightest HR students and challenges them to tackle real-life business and HR situations.

Participating students are presented with an HR business case and have a few hours to read and analyze the case, develop a response strategy, and produce a 15-minute presentation with their team’s recommendations. 

2023 Competition

Team members: Micayah Coutinho, Suhavi Garg, and Victoria Talvitie

Coaches: Steve Risavy.

Highlights: This year marks the fourth-annual event which hosted 18 teams from educational institutions across Ontario. Hosted virtually, the two-day competition engages HR students and challenges them with real-life business and HR situations.

Read about this competition.

Past Competitions

ITMSA competition team

2023: Winner of the Most Innovative Pitch Award

Information Technology Management Students' Association Case Competition (ITMSA)

The ITMSA is a non-profit, student-run course union serving students within the Business Technology Program (BTM) at the Ted Rogers School of Management of Toronto Metropolitan University.

Incredibly relevant to today’s shifting workforces to digital and innovative workplace practices, ITMSA's mission is to collaborate with organizations, leaders, and alumni in business and technology to equip BTM students with professional and academic experiences to ensure their future success in the industry and excel beyond their expectations.

2023 Competition 

Team members: Pery Au, Wesley Choy, Ethan Gardiner, and Shaza Najeeb

Coach: Josephine McMurray

Highlights: Lazaridis BTM students continue to positively represent the school and their program in student competitions and the team at this year’s Symcor Case Competition was no exception. The competition was hosted by the ITMSA at Toronto Metropolitan University. The team impressed the judges and were awarded the Most Innovative Pitch Award.

Read about this competition.

JDCC competition team

2024: Academic Cup – First Place; School of the Year – Second Place; All-Star Awards – Third Place; Debate – Second Place; Social – Second Place; Finance – First Place; Human Resources – First Place; International Business – First Place; Marketing – Second Place; Business Strategy – Second Place; Entrepreneurship – Third Place.

2023: Academic Cup – First Place; School of the Year – Second Place; Digital Strategy – First Place; Business Strategy – First Place; Marketing – Second Place; International Business – Second Place; Finance – Second Place; Entrepreneurship – Second Place; Accounting – Second Place.

JDC Central (JDCC)

JDCC is a multi-disciplinary competition hosted by the Canadian Association of Business Students (CABS). It is the largest undergraduate business school competition in Central Canada, and brings over 600 student delegates together from Ontario, Québec, and the Maritimes. Lasting three days each Winter, JDCC is comprised of the following events: Eight academic case competitions, debate competition, social competition, sports competition, charity competition, and overall school spirit.

2024 Competition

Team captains: Kyle Chang, Imaad Mian

Coaches: Brandon Van Dam and Michael Blair

Highlights: The Laurier Case Team soared to victory at the 2024 competition, leaving with an impressive array of awards. The team not only secured top honors in several key categories but also walked away with the highly coveted Academic Cup, solidifying their standing as a powerhouse in the world of business competitions.

The Laurier Case Team's triumph at JDC Central serves as an inspiration for aspiring business leaders. Their outstanding achievements in multiple categories and the acquisition of the Academic Cup reflect the team's commitment to excellence, innovation, and collaboration.

Read more about this competition.

Past Competitions

MBA John Molson competition team
John Molson MBA International Case Competition team.

2024: Third place, John Molson Sustainability Case Competition

2023: Won three of five cases, MBA International Case Competition

2021: Finalists, John Molson Undergraduate Case Competition

John Molson School of Business Case Competitions

The John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec hosts several case competitions per year for undergraduate and graduate students.  

Lazaridis Hall exterior

2024: First place

National Retail Case Competition (NRCC)

The David Sobey Centre National Retail Case Competition offers students a one-of-a-kind opportunity to tackle real-world challenges and obstacles faced by today's retailers, all while engaging in spirited competition with teams from across Canada. Upon delving into a specially crafted case, participants have the unique privilege of meeting with industry executives, gaining valuable insights, and posing questions to deepen their understanding of the problem.

Teams embark on a journey of ideation, crafting their most innovative solutions to address the case challenge. Students will submit a video case presentation, where a panel of judges will select the cream of the crop who will advance to the final round and showcase their solutions live (virtually) to the very company executives who presented the challenge. This grand finale is not just a showdown; it's an opportunity to vie for the grand prize and solidify their position as retail problem-solvers extraordinaire.

2024 Competition

Team members: Michael Ye, Alex Nagy, Katrina Sage, and Sophia Divita

Highlights: The Laurier Case Team were asked to give a recommendation to grow Decathlon’s new expansion into Canada. They explored concepts of demographic analysis, strategic alignment, and retail-specific concepts relating to store design and customer experience.

ROCA competition team

2023: First place

2022: Second place

2021: First place

Rotterdam/Carleton International Case Competition (ROCA)

ROCA is an annual case-based competition featuring top undergraduate student teams from leading business schools across the globe. Thanks to is strong focus on sustainability, leadership, and innovative shifts in the modern economy, this week-long experience provides students, coaches, judges and volunteers with a meaningful and transformative global experience.

ROCA is a co-hosted by Rotterdam University (Netherlands) and Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada).

2023 Competition

Team members: Kyle Chang, Rachel Clark, Arnav Hiremath, and Duncan Spizzirri

Coach: Sean Cameron

Highlights: The 2023 Rotterdam-Carleton International Case Competition (ROCA), hosted in partnership by Carleton University's Sprott School of Business and the Rotterdam Business School, has concluded with a resounding victory for the team representing the Lazaridis School earning first place.

This prestigious competition brought together top business students from across the globe to tackle complex real-world challenges presented by various companies.

Read more about this competition.

Past Competitions

FECC competition team

2023: First place

2022: First place

2021: First place

2020: First place

Schlesinger-Global Family Enterprise Case Competition (SG-FECC)

The Schlesinger-Global Family Enterprise Case Competition is the first global case competition to focus on family businesses, creating unique challenges for students to solve. Participants applying the knowledge and expertise developed in the classroom to understand and solve critical issues unique to family enterprises.

 

Past Competitions

Technical University Dublin Case Competition team

2020: First place

Technological University Dublin Case Competition

2022 Competition

Team members: Megan Corbett, Leanne Hirabayashi, Kathryn Porretta, and Angela Zhou

Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos

Highlights: A team of undergraduate business students won first place in Dublin, Ireland at a competition hosted by the Technological University, Dublin (TU Dublin). They earned the top spot for their recommendations for Irish whisky company, Tullamore D.E.W., who asked students to assess the value of adding a new product. The solution identified the ideal target market for this new product, as well as campaign strategy and tactics that could be used to reach that market.

Read more about this competition.

Toronto skyline

2024: Third place

Undergraduate Real Estate Case Competition (URECC)

The University of Guelph’s Undergraduate Real Estate Case Competition (URECC) is a student led organization that began in 2015. The competition is designed to challenge undergraduate students to collaborate with their team and prepare a full-scale development proposal on a site selected in Toronto/GTA.

Delegates are challenged to create an analysis that considers all aspects of development feasibility including market analysis, sustainability, physical constraints, financial viability and government regulation. Students will then proceed with a recommendation to the judges based on their analysis.

2024 Competition

Team members: Daniel Brokhman, Adrien D’Silva, Yanni Karos, Sebastien Rojas, and Owen Varkey

Coach: Anne Domurath

Highlights: The team was tasked with redeveloping an existing site at 110 Sheppard Ave E, located in North York. They proposed demolishing the existing building and building a 496-unit apartment building, with a grocery store and coffee shop on the first floor, and 2 floors of coworking space above the grocery store. The residential portion was 30 floors. During the project, the team did the planning, zoning, cost analysis, financial modeling, market analysis, and land valuation.

Joseph Bath, Sia Bhaskar, Annette Schiller, and Duncan Spizzirri with coach, Sofy Carayannopoulos

2024: Second place

2023: First place

2018: First place

University of Navarra International Case Competition (UNICC)

The University of Navarra International Case Competition (UNICC) is an annual international case competition that brings together undergraduate university students from different countries to compete in a fast-paced and challenging business cases study.

2024 Competition

Team members: Joseph Bath, Sia Bhaskar, Annette Schiller, and Duncan Spizzirri

Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos

Past Competitions

Sydney skyline

2022: Second place

University of Sydney Business School Case Competition (USBSCC)

The Sydney International Business Competition is coordinated and managed by Sydney Consulting Club, the University’s premier consulting society on campus. From the amazing events and social gatherings to the challenging and mind-stimulating competition they have planned, the team is dedicated to creating an unmatched experience for all competitors.

2022 Competition

Team members: Abigail Leu, Allison Sutherland, Connor Sinclair, and Imaad Mian.

Coach: Sofy Carayannopoulos.

Highlights: A team of Lazaris Schoool undergraduate students won second place in the 2022 University of Sydney Business School Case Competition (USCC). The international competition was held remotely and brought together 11 teams from leading universities around the world.

This year’s business challenge was to create and present a new business model for electrification and public transit. The pitches were presented to a team from JOLT, an electric vehicle charging company with operations in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the U.S., and the U.K.

Read more about the competition.

Nicholas De Sario, Lara Unal, Mitchell Switzer, Daniel Frank, Umar Kapadia, and Thomas Dixon

2023: Second place

2018: Second place

Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC)

The Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) allows students to immerse themselves in the role of venture capitalists and demonstrate their abilities in planning and execution while gaining valuable real-world insights.

The competition evaluates participants based on their thorough preparation and strategic implementation and offers a dynamic platform for students to delve into the nuances of venture capital investment. By engaging in simulated investment scenarios, students are challenged to make crucial decisions under pressure, replicating the scenarios faced by actual venture capitalists.

2023 Competition

Team members: Nicholas De Sario, Lara Unal, Mitchell Switzer, Daniel Frank, Umar Kapadia, and Thomas Dixon

Highlights: Competing with schools from across Canada, students were provided information on three early-stage companies seeking financing and given an opportunity to interview the company founders before presenting their recommendations to judges serving in the role of venture capital partners.

Past Competitions

Internal Competitions

Learn more about the competitions hosted by the Lazaridis School for our students.



bdo-winners-2024.png

BDO Future Leaders Challenge

Demonstrate incredible entrepreneurial spirit and "fall in love with the problem, not the solution."

In the fall term of first year, BBA students work in teams to generate ideas for a new venture. Then, in the winter term, they develop a business plan and present it to their peers. Scholarships are awarded to the winning team, as judged by a panel of entrepreneurs and external business community members.

Past Ventures

Some past venture ideas include: 

  • Uni-Shoe (2022): Multi-purpose athletic shoes where users can change out the sole to meet their specific activity needs (Presented by: lex Campagnolo, Lea Braun, Maria Boutros, Michael Burke, and Nicolas Bruno).
  • Back on Track (2021): Wearable technology for improving posture in an interactive and gamified way (Presented by: Celine Chung; Eric Corrigan; Kenson Hui; Olivia Thiessen; Arist Xu).
  • Smile Tabs (2019): Water-soluble toothpaste capsules with a focus on environmental sustainability (Presented by: Rohit Dabke, Aditya Dhanasekharan, David Li, Spencer Lynn, and Hanna Roglic).

Past Competitions

Read about the BDO Future Leaders Challenge: 

Five students pose with arms folded in front of them.

case@BTM

The Lazaridis School’s Business Technology Management (BTM) program is a specialized kind of business education. We believe that being immersed in the world of technology is key in preparing our future leaders for success in companies where understanding technology is a competitive advantage.

Faculty-led case-based learning and skills development workshops are designed to enhance students’ academic program, develop critical thinking skills, and build confidence in formulating and presenting solutions to complex problems facing real-world organizations.

Students test their learning by participating in a 24-hour case competition in the winter and a four-hour case competition in the spring.

Past Cases

MetOcean Telematics (2023) 

MetOcean Telematics is a leading global provider of innovative full-spectrum telemtry products and solutions for environmental, marine, defence and security clients. 

The challenge was for students to understand the company's path towards doubling its revenue and to recommend innovative solutions to improve efficiency and agility in their operations in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) (2022)

The teams were to find solutions and make recommendations on how the Vancouver International Airport can recover after the airline industry collapse during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Past case@BTM Stories

Read stories of students in the BTM program and how they prepare for meaningful participation early in their career through case@BTM:

Five students posing.

ICE Week

Be a part of a tradition that faces challenges with innovation.

The Integrated Case Exercise (ICE) takes place in the third year of the BBA program. A real business presents a problem it is trying to solve, and students must apply what they have learned in all of their classes for each functional area – from Finance to Marketing, Operations to Accounting.

Throughout the week, teams prepare their proposed solution to a business problem and present it with their group members.

Past Cases

Symcor (2023) 

Symcor provides client-centric business solutions to enable secure data exchanges and support businesses' digital transformations. The company has expertise in payment processing, customer communications and fraud analytics. 

The Symcor case required studies to evaluate and recommend opportunities to use Symcor's producst and expertise to enhance operations and streamline information flow in new industries, both in Canada and internationally. 

RWI Synthetics (2022) 

RWI is a proudly Canadian, women-led, Certified Aboriginal Business based in Edmonton, Alberta. They enable their clients to tackle complex and critical issues by using 3D synthetic models where they provide different scenarios, calculating impacts and outcomes for decision-making. 

The RWI Synthetics case asked students to find ways for the company to grow to $10 million in revenue in the next three years while continuing to attract new talent and preserving its entrepreneurial culture. 

Past ICE Week Competitions

Read stories of past ICE Week Competitions to learn about one of the most anticipated and memorable experiences of the Business Administration programs: 

Group of Lazaridis School students.

BBA First-Year Live Case Competition

Develop creative solutions to a real problem faced by a real company to hone critical problem-solving and communication skills.

In the very first semester, students work in groups to answer a strategic business question posted by a real company. Students study the situation and develop a detailed recommendation and implementation plan.

A panel of industry experts evaluates the proposals and awards cash prizes to the top six teams.

Past Cases

Wealthsimple (2022)

Wealthsimple is one of Canada's leading financial technology companies. The challenge for the Wealthsimple case was to look at how fintech companies can leverage technology to better address Generation Z's (Gen-Z) needs using their various products and services. 

Team BU Consulting suggested gamification to encourage Gen-Z to engage with Wealthsimple products. They outlined how the gaming aspect would be complemented with lessons and learning apps for customers to expand their knowledge of financial concepts. 

Live Case Competition Stories

Read past competition stories: