If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere!

That was the slogan on the advertisement poster, to invite students from Windesheim University of Applied Sciences to subscribe for the Hong Kong Business Case Competition. Seventeen students subscribed, only four of them were allowed to participate in the Hong Kong Business Case Competition team.

For these four students, the challenge began..

After ten days struggling with a tough business case, the team handed over a marketing plan. On the first of September 2011 we received great news: We are invited to fly to Hong Kong to participate in the final, on Friday 11 November 2011. We are going to compete with four other Universities, from all over the world:

-          Ateneo de Manila University, The Philippines

-          Baylor University, USA

-          Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR

-          University of Prince Edward Island, Canada

The tickets have been booked, and we are excited to go. In the past weeks, and in the weeks to come, we have been studying and practicing business cases, we received extra marketing lessons from our tutor; Drs. Sander Janssens. Besides, Jan van der Velde, marketing director at Grolsch company, gave a guest college and practiced marketing methodologies with us. Last Tuesday  we had an interesting Anglo Saxon presentation skills lessons from Candida Snow.

But before we leave to Hong Kong, we still have to prepare a few things. For example, how to promote Windesheim and our team even more, what to wear during the final, how to make a splattering PowerPoint, and  who’s doing what.

To keep you all informed about our preparations and during the journey, we will launch a weblog soon. Interviews, articles etcetera are to be found in (regional) newspapers (de Toren and de Stentor). You can also spot and follow us at Twitter @TeamWindesheim.

On Wednesday 9 November 2011 we will depart from Schiphol airport and we will arrive at Thursday in Hong Kong. One day after arrival, on Friday, the final begins..

At 08:15 (local time) the first group gets started to solve a business case within six hours time. The next team starts an half hour later, and so on. At the end of the six hours, the analysis of the business case has to be presented to a judge. Within 30 minutes, because then the next team will give their presentation a half hour later, until all groups gave their analysis and presentation. Afterwards the judges will have questions for each team. Answering the questions will be part of the final score. The day will end with awarding the prices to the teams, followed by a diner with all teams together. 

Our residence in Hong Kong will be the Dr. Ng Tor Tai International House, in the centre of Kowloon, one of the big city centers. The paradise for the three ladies of the team: close to shopping malls, shoe stores, more shopping malls and even more shoe stores!

Windesheim really support its students, by contributing with additional lessons, practices and training. Because participating in the final is import for the image of Windesheim, Windesheim has decided to fund the trip for the students. Now, we can completely focus on getting prepared.

Hong Kong, here we come!