The Schulich School of Business hosted the 2011 National MBA Games Jan. 8 and 9, an annual business competition that brings together the largest gathering of MBA students from across the country to compete in academic, athletic and spirit activities.
The team from the Alberta School of Business at the University of Alberta was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Cup as the 2011 MBA Games overall winner. Second place was awarded to the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University and third place was captured by the Schulich School of Business.
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| Above: Team Schulich shows its winning spirit at the 2011 National MBA Games |
“We at the Schulich School of Business are your proud hosts this year,” said Schulich Dean Dezsö Horváth. “I would like to congratulate each of the participants for being chosen to represent their business school. Each position on an MBA Games team is hotly contested. Winning candidates must be multi-talented, bright, enthusiastic, energetic and inventive. They must also be superior team players.”
The team from Alberta was also awarded the inaugural Schulich Cup as the winner of the academic component of the games, which consists of three competitions in marketing, organizational strategy and business simulation, as well as the Spirit of the Games Award, in recognition of highest degree of spirit as chosen by their peers. The team from the Ted Rogers School of Management won the Laval Cup for the spirit component and the Schulich School of Business were the champions of the athletics component.
Right: The coveted Schulich Cup
“Competing with the Schulich team at the 2011 MBA Games was a great experience,” said participant and current Schulich MBA student Kendal Bradley. “I really enjoyed meeting MBA students from across the country and deepening my friendships with other Schulich students. However, the part I enjoyed the best about the games was the immense pride, enthusiasm and competitive spirit that all of the teams participating demonstrated.”
This year, 662 MBA students from 20 business schools participated, making it the largest number of delegates ever to compete in the MBA Games. The complete list of 2011 MBA Games participating universities included:
- University of Alberta – Alberta School of Business
- University of British Columbia – Sauder School of Business
- Brock University – Faculty of Business
- University of Calgary – Haskayne School of Business
- Carleton University – Sprott School of Business
- HEC Montréal
- Université Laval – Faculty of Business Administration
- McGill University – Desautels Faculty of Management
- McMaster University – DeGroote School of Business
- University of Ottawa – Telfer School of Management
- Queen’s University – Queen’s School of Business
- Ryerson University – Ted Rogers School of Management
- Saint Mary’s University – Sobey School of Business
- Simon Fraser University – Segal Graduate School of Business
- University of Toronto – Rotman School of Management
- University of Western Ontario – Richard Ivey School of Business
- Wilfrid Laurier University – School of Business and Economics
- University of Windsor – Odette School of Business
- Vancouver Island University – Faculty of Management
- York University – Schulich School of Business
Traditionally, the defending champion and host school picks a theme for the games. Last year, the games were held at Laval University in Quebec City, where Schulich was selected as the overall winner. This year, the theme was “Back to Basics” – to remind students of the importance of getting back to business fundamentals, learning from the past and networking with fellow MBAs for a prosperous future.
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| Above: The 2011 Schulich MBA Games team |
The academic component of the games included a marketing plan competition, business simulation and case competition. The athletics component was comprised of basketball, soccer, dodgeball and ultimate frisbee competitions. Finally, students received points in the spirit component for their participation in an MBA Q&A, their presentation, charitable contribution and overall team spirit.
“The marketing plan competition we included this year was a completely new format,” said Manuel Valdez (MBA ’10), a member of the MBA Games organizing committee. “Telus, one of the event’s silver sponsors, gave us a real problem teams had to solve and present to 12 senior directors in the company. The finalist then had to present their marketing plan to several Telus vice-presidents.”
Valdez credits the success of the games to the spirit and camaraderie displayed by the MBA students.
“The main benefit of the games is the opportunity students have to grow their MBA network,” said organizing committee member Stephen Nusbaum (MBA ’09). “Not only do students have the opportunity to form close bonds with their own teammates, but also to meet MBAs from across the country. Seeing what other MBAs are learning and how they are applying it is a unique and valuable experience.”
David Hamilton, (MBA ’10) and chair of the games organizing committee, spent more than six months planning the games with Valdez, Nusbaum and a committee consisting of 30 current Schulich students and recent alumni.
As part of the competition, delegates were encouraged to raise funds for charities of their choice. The total amount of charitable contributions raised during the 2011 MBA Games was more than $40,000 for 23 charities across Canada.
The 2011 MBA Games were presented by RBC. Additional organizations contributing to the games included gold sponsor Canada Goose; silver sponsors Scion, Telus and Westin Hotels & Resorts; and bronze sponsors Deutsche Bank and MINI.
Submitted to YFile by Michelle Cholak, editorial assistant, Schulich School of Business