Competition Schedule and Rules

• Each school will be represented by a team of four full-time MBA students. Currently practicing physicians are not eligible to participate.
• In the event a team member is unable to participate, the team must register an alternate full-time MBA student via email to case-competition_jenkinsmba@ncsu.edu. Please note that once travel arrangements have been made, changes to the team roster are not allowed.

• Teams that are staying at StateView Hotel can check-in at the front desk.
• ALL teams must pick up the case competition registration packet at StateView Hotel. Teams that are staying at StateView can pick it up upon checking in for lodging.  Teams that are not staying at StateView (which may be the case for local teams) must have at least one team member come to StateView to pick it up.
• Teams must check-in the first morning of the competition; exact location to be confirmed.
• Teams will be able to work in various spaces across Centennial Campus and StateView Hotel.
• Dress is business professional for all presenters in all rounds of competition.
• All teams are required to attend Final Presentations and the Awards Reception on Saturday morning / early afternoon.
• Each team will submit a unique team name when registering online. The teams are required to display their team name on the title slide of their presentation. School colors, mascots, logos, and any other school references should not be included in the team name or presentation materials. This includes PowerPoint slides, posters, clothing, documents, or verbal cues. All school affiliations must remain anonymous until the Awards Reception on Saturday. School colors are allowed during the Awards Reception.

• The first case (the Foundational Challenge) and the first clue will be shared with all teams, thereby giving all a month to prepare the initial presentation. 
• Additional and subsequent clues will be sent to teams on a weekly basis.
• All communications will be sent to team leaders from the event email account which is case-competition_jenkinsmba@ncsu.edu.

• The Foundational Challenge will be evaluated by judges consisting of Merck and other industry executives. The top teams will be selected for the Grand Business Challenge by these judges.
• The teams in the Storyboard Challenge will be evaluated by the same judges that participated in the Foundational Challenge.
• The Grand Business Challenge will be evaluated by four new judges.

Foundational Challenge

• Each team will be randomly assigned to a presentation group.
• Teams will present their solutions for the Foundational Challenge to judges.
• Timing is a component of the judging criteria. Teams will be given a maximum of 30 minutes; 15 minutes allocated for the presentation and 15 minutes allocated for Q&A. A timekeeper will inform teams of their elapsed time.
• Questions from the judges may be directed to specific individuals or to the team as a whole. Every team member is expected to participate during the presentation as well as the Q&A.

Succession Challenge

• Teams will present their solutions for the Succession Challenge to judges.
• Timing is a component of the judging criteria. Teams will be given a maximum of 30 minutes; 15 minutes allocated for the presentation and 15 minutes allocated for Q&A. A timekeeper will inform teams of their elapsed time.
• Groups on Friday are the same as the first day.

Selection to the Final Round

• On Friday, February 21st, one team from each of the presentation groups will be selected to participate in the final challenge (the Grand Challenge). The selection of the top teams will be based on the team’s overall performance in the Foundational and Succession Challenges.
• The final teams will compete in the Grand Business Challenge. All other remaining teams will compete in the Storyboard Challenge on Saturday, February 22nd.
• Team deliverables for the Grand Business and Storyboard Challenges will be given out on Friday, February 21st.

The Storyboard Challenge

• These teams will present to a panel of rotating judges between 9:30 – 10:15AM EST.  All Storyboard Challenge participants will then attend the Grand Business Challenge final presentations.
• Winners of the Storyboard Challenge will be announced at the Awards Reception.

The Grand Business Challenge

• The top teams will present to a panel of new judges starting at 10:30AM EST. The audience will consist of Storyboard Challenge participants and others involved in the NC State Grand Business Challenge.
• Timing is a component of the judging criteria. Teams will be given a maximum of 40 minutes; 20 minutes allocated for the presentation and 20 minutes allocated for Q&A. A timekeeper will inform teams of their elapsed time.
• Winners of the Grand Business Challenge will be announced at the Awards Reception.