Case Competition 101

Case Competition 101: From First Brief to Final Pitch

Case competitions are one of the best ways to put classroom knowledge into practice. You’re given a real-world problem, a limited amount of time, and the challenge of turning complex information into a clear recommendation.

Whether it’s your first competition or your fifth, the goal is not to know everything from the start. It’s to work well as a team, ask the right questions, and build a solution you can stand behind.

Start with the problem, not the slides

Before dividing tasks, make sure everyone understands the brief. What is the client actually asking for? What constraints matter most: cost, safety, sustainability, time, customer experience, or feasibility?

A strong team agrees on the problem statement early. This keeps research focused and prevents the final presentation from becoming a collection of disconnected ideas.

Build a team with complementary strengths

The best teams are rarely made up of people who all think the same way. Look for a mix of strengths:

• Someone who can structure the problem and keep the team on track
• Someone comfortable with research and data
• Someone who can test the financial or technical feasibility of an idea
• Someone who can shape a persuasive story and present with confidence

Good communication matters more than having the “perfect” team. Set expectations early, keep updates short, and raise concerns before the final night.

Keep the solution practical

Judges are looking for more than a creative idea. They want to see a recommendation that can realistically be implemented.

When developing your solution, ask:

• Who would own this?
• What would it cost?
• What are the biggest risks?
• How would success be measured?
• What happens in the first 30, 60, and 90 days?

A simple, well-supported recommendation usually lands better than an ambitious idea with no clear path forward.

Make the pitch memorable

Your final presentation should tell one clear story:

1. Here is the problem.
2. Here is why it matters.
3. Here is our recommendation.
4. Here is how it works.
5. Here is why the client should act now.

Keep slides clean, use evidence selectively, and practise transitions between speakers. The best presentations feel like a conversation, not a script being read aloud.

Give it a go

Case competitions can feel intimidating, especially at the start. But they are designed to help you learn quickly, meet new people, and build confidence in solving unfamiliar problems.

If you’re curious, find a teammate, put your name down, and give it a go. You might be surprised by what you can build in a weekend.