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Competition Guide
Welcome
Welcome to the inaugural Nielsen Case Competition at the University of Florida. Were delighted to have such a diverse and talented group of participants this year. In the dynamic world of global business, leaders must be proactive to stay ahead of customer demands and pressure from competitors. This case competition is designed to enrich and challenge your creativity and problem-solving skills to help prepare you for a career in todays rapidly changing business environment. I encourage you to take full advantage of this opportunity to dive in, connect and learn. Best of luck, and we look forward to receiving your solutions.
Competition Guide
This guide includes materials to help student teams prepare for the case competition. The guide covers everything from how to delegate work to what to expect at the competition. The guide will also ensure that each team has the opportunity to take advantage of all aspects of the competition. The competition offers participants not only great business experience, but also the chance to network with prominent leaders attending the event as judges or as organizers. Students are encouraged to relax and socialize between presentations. Enjoy the experience!
Competition Committee
The Nielsen Company
Michaela Barbour, Staffing Partner Robyn Dow, VP, University Relations Kathie Miller, SVP, Communications, Global Business Services Betsy Williams, SVP, Human Resources
University of Florida
Josh Funderburke, Asst. Director of Career & Leadership Programs & SIFE Sam Walton Fellow Sarah Alexander, Student Director Alli Dreyer, Student Director Aly Fernandez, Student Director Kara Jordan, Student Director Kenny Merritt, Student Director Daniel Rybin, Student Director Kathryn Stolarz, Student Director
Judges
Gainesville Round: February 8, 2011
University of Florida
Amy Jo Coffey, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Telecommunication Kara Kravetz Cupoli, Director of Student Services, Traditional MBA Programs Michelle Darnell, Lecturer, Dept. of Management Kelly Gust, Associate Director, MBA Programs Joe Hartman, Professor and Chair, Industrial and Systems Engineering Steve Kirn, Executive Director, David F. Miller Center for Retailing Education and Research Stephen J. LaBarbera, Lecturer, Dept. of Marketing David Ostroff, Chair, Dept. of Telecommunication; Interim Chair, Dept. of Journalism Craig Petrus, Director of Career Services, Hough Graduate School of Business William Rossi, Program Director & Sr. Lecturer Alex Sevilla, Assistant Dean and Director, MBA Programs Mary Steffel, Postdoctoral Fellow Craig Tapley, Graham-Buffett Master Lecturer of Finance Horace Tucker, Associate Director, School of Business Asoo Vakharia, Beal Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Mgmt; Director, Center for Supply Chain Management Barton Weitz, JC Penny Eminent Scholar Chair Eric Wild, Adjunct Professor
Competition Rules
The case is NOT to be shared or distributed to anyone outside of the competition at any time, as outlined in the confidentiality agreement signed by all participants Students may not receive help prior to competing from any professors or faculty members All work presented must be the work of solely the participating team members The final deliverable must be presented using PowerPoint and any videos or graphics used must be embedded directly into the presentation, as internet access will not be available during the competition The presentation format must be PC-compatible The organizers will provide each team with one PC notebook for presenting Only invited guests, competition staff and judges may attend the various presentations The student teams that do not move on to the semi-final round will be invited to view the semi-finalist teams presentations The semi-finalist teams will not be able to view other semi-finalists presentations Finalist teams who have not yet presented will not be able to view other teams presentations. After a team has presented, team members may attend the remaining final round presentations.
Student Teams
Teams may consist of four to six students Teams must be made up of students registered for and currently attending a University of Florida undergraduate program At least two students must be from majors outside of business or accounting Only four students are required to physically present during the competition presentation, but all students must be able to answer questions from the judges Each team must have a team name; teams without names will have one assigned Each team will receive jump drives containing the Competition Guide as well as two spiral bound printed copies of the document Team Captains must sign up for presentation time slots registration order will be assigned during the Case Kickoff. Before signing up, Captains should be aware of any scheduling conflicts from their team members A random ballot will be used to assign teams to leagues
Question Protocol
Any questions regarding the case and/or competition logistics should be sent to
nielsencasecompetition@nielsen.com
Every attempt will be made to provide an answer within 24 hours to the student or team who posed the question. Questions and answers will also be posted on the case competition website:
http://www.nielsen.com/content/corporate/case_competition.html
Final Deliverable
Teams may submit only one final presentation to the judges The presentation must be in Microsoft PowerPoint The presentation must be in English
Supplies
Laptops and projectors will be provided for the presentations. Teams should bring their presentation on at least two different jump drives, in case there is an issue with one. On February 7 between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., all teams will have access to the Hilton to view the room size and test their jump drives with the provided laptops.
Prizes
Each participating student, judge and student director will receive a Nielsen gift bag
Each semi-finalist team member will receive a Nielsen fleece Each finalist team member will receive an iPod Nano, a $100 iTunes gift card and a trip to New York city including transportation, accommodations and meals The winning team members will receive an Apple iPad and a $200 gift card 5
9:00 AM 9:35 AM 10:10 AM 10:25 AM 11:00 AM 11:35 AM 12:00 PM 1:30 PM 2:05 PM 2:40 PM 3:15 PM 3:30 PM 4:05 PM 4:40 PM 5:00 PM 5:45 PM
Team 1 Team 2 Judges Break Team 3 Team 4 Judges Deliberation Lunch and Semi-Finalist Announcement Semi-Finalist Team 1 Semi-Finalist Team 2 Semi-Finalist Team 3 Judges Break Semi-Finalist Team 4 Semi-Finalist Team 5 Judges Deliberation Keynote Address: Bob Livingston Networking Dinner and Finalist Announcement
Keynote Address
Todays graduates will enter into a world of uncertainty. You will be impacted by the remains of the recession, the resultant poor job market and your needs for future earnings. All of these conditions impact how you will need to prepare for business life in a competitive and ever-changing world. It will be essential for you to work hard at uncovering your path to differentiation: Competition for initial jobs is unprecedented. Advancement in careers is very competitive. Your work skills (What You Do) will be the cost of entry. But, the ultimate differentiator will be
Judging/Scoring
Teams will be evaluated on a 100-point scale. The top team in each first-round league will continue to the semi-final round. After the semi-final round, all judges will deliberate privately to decide which teams will move to the final round in New York. Teams will be judged on the following criteria:
Presenting
When entering the presentation room, team members should introduce themselves to the judges and quickly take their positions. Prior to presenting, it is suggested that the team designates a member or members to change slides. There should be balance and flow between presenters. Practicing these transitions can be as important as the presentation itself. Sloppy or awkward transitions are distracting and show a lack of preparation to the judges. A minimum of four members of the team should present the case, and all team members should be available to answer questions.
Question Period
When the team has completed the presentation, all members should stand and wait for the judges to begin the question period. When a judge asks a question, be careful that several team members do not jump in to answer. Team members should discuss prior to the presentation who will answer certain categories of questions. If the question is unclear, ask for clarification before trying to present an answer. After a team member has answered a question, a follow up answer should only be given by another member of the team if it will add value to what was already said. Teams must also ensure that they do not contradict each other while answering questions. At no time should a team argue with a judge. Many times judges will tell teams they do not agree at all with the solution presented. Some may even tell the team that they are wrong. When this occurs, becoming confrontational will only hurt the team. It is this time when confidence in the solution must be presented. Teams should support their answers, but should do so by revisiting the facts they presented and assuring the judge that the chosen plan is the optimal solution to the problem. Teams should also pay attention to the body language of the judges. When a judge begins to nod their head in agreement or present other body language that sends similar signals, the person answering the question should wrap up and allow for the next question to be asked. The objective is to efficiently answer questions in the 10-minute period.
Attire
It is important to dress professionally while participating in the competition. Business professional attire is required. It is important that team members not only wear professional clothing, but that they are comfortable in their attire. 11
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