Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (I.C.B.C.)

Over the course of the summer and in the early fall, the University Liaison will elicit interest from professors and students across Canada and internationally. Once registration is complete, prospective finalists compete for a position in the Final Round by completing a business case analysis that the ICBC executive provides; this makes up the Preliminary (former Inter-University) Round. Cases co

me from a variety of sources - some are written by Queen's School of Business faculty, some are written by corporate sponsors and others are acquired through our partnerships with other recognized Business Schools. Students are given a month to complete their analysis after which their cases are sent back to the ICBC executive who distribute the cases to esteemed Queen's School of Business faculty for marking and evaluation. All entries are stripped of any details that identify the school from which the entry came from before being submitted for marking, ensuring that the process is as uniform as possible. After careful deliberation, the top 6 finalists in each category are selected and invited to compete in the Final Round of the competition in January. The Final Round is an exhilarating 4-day event which balances the spirit and ferocity of the competition with many opportunities to network and socialize with fellow competitors, volunteers and sponsor representatives. The actual competition itself takes place over the course of two days, with four events being held each day. Students arrive in the morning and receive a business case in their respective discipline which they will have 5.5 hours to analyze and prepare a cohesive presentation which offers a solution to the problem posed. (Debating is a little different in structure in that students are given several resolutions throughout the day and have shorter amounts of time to prepare their arguments.) After their preparation time is up, students are escorted into their presentation room where they present their case in front of a panel of judges who are comprised of leaders from the respective industry and sponsor representatives. After their presentation is complete, the teams will have the opportunity to answer the judge's questions as well as receive feedback on their performance. The experience, although nerve-racking, has been described as exhilarating and profound for all of those involved and has accrued benefits and relationships gained beyond that of the presentation. Over the course of the weekend, the executive has both formal and informal dinners planned, as well as fun evening socials for everyone to get to know each other in a more relaxed setting. All in all, it is an incredible experience which always leaves everyone involved wanting more! Continue to browse our site to look for ways which you can become involved in this fantastic and historic event.