Case Competitions: UNLV's Formula for a Winning Team (2024)

A big stage. Lack of knowledge. Fear of public speaking. These can be the kryptonite that keeps students from embracing the world of collegiate business case competitions.

Case Competitions: UNLV's Formula for a Winning Team (1)

However, if these excuses are what’s holding back aspiring business minds, then Danny Siciliano, a senior lecturerand esteemed Deloitte Faculty Fellow,is the alchemist with the antidote.

What’s a case competition?

At a collegiate business case competition, teams of undergraduate and graduate students dissect and untangle real-world business problems presented in the form of a case study. These cases, often extracted from actual corporate challenges, serve as the canvas upon which the competitors paint their strategic solutions. The experience immerses students in business strategy, analytical thinking, collaborative synergy, and the art of persuasive presentation.

During the 2023-24 academic year, Lee Business School students participated in at least 10 case competitions. Some competitions were hosted by sponsors on campus with teams of UNLV business students competing against each other. Others were hosted by organizations outside of the university and UNLV teams competed against other universities, both nationally and internationally. Beyond cash prizes and scholarship money, these competitions bring a profound sense of accomplishment and, occasionally, an opportunity to gain experience through internships or job offers.

A History of Winning

Siciliano experienced his first victory as a faculty advisor for the UNLV team that competed against 140 other universities in the 2014 AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) Competition and brought home the grand prize of $10,000.

He has since advised seven teams who have won the IMA (Institute of Management Accountants) student case competition over the last eight years. Each team demonstrated UNLV’s excellence in accounting education and brought UNLV to national prominence among the top schools at the annual IMA conference. As of June 9, 2024, UNLV accounting teams have four wins in a row at the IMA student case competition.

The Winning Formula

Siciliano, '90 BS Business Administration and '92 MBA,draws upon his experience in both higher education and the accounting industry to bring a fresh perspective to the teams he coaches. After graduating with his master’s degree in accounting, Siciliano worked at Deloitte, the largest accounting firm in the world for seven years. Then, he worked at IGT for 11 years as the chief accounting officer and treasurer and senior vice president of finance before coming to UNLV to teach in the Department of Accountingin 2012.

When it comes to guiding case competitions to consistent victory, this isSiciliano'swinning formula:

  1. Start with Strong Relationships
    Siciliano believes that his role as an advisor is to understand students and develop a relationship with them before counseling them during competition. He encourages students to push themselves, but notes that students must voluntarily decide to get involved. “You want to have a good trusting relationship, and then you get out of their way and let them do what they do,” Siciliano said.
  2. Play to their Strengths
    Placing people in the right roles is an important part of building a strong team. The teams determine their individual strengths and encourage them.
  3. Practice, Preparation and Leadership
    A strong teamrequires a greatteam captain. “If we're talking about the finals — getting the teams ready, practicing,and preparation are big parts of their success — but really the leader of the team is the captain," Siciliano said, reinforcing that his role is to provide structure andaccountability.“I've really selected some great captains over the years who are just very motivated to do a great job.”

Variety of Competition Opportunities

Hundreds of UNLV students compete each year in similar competitions. “For Lee Business School, we now have a culture of competing inside UNLV,” Siciliano said. “All of these competitions complement each other and each help build hard and soft skills for the participants. The quality of our students is on display to the community and our relationship with the community is enhanced,” Siciliano explained.

Other UNLV business case competitions include:

  • President’s Innovation Challenge
  • Cox Contender Challenge
  • Nevada Gold Mines Case Competition
  • Geocomply Diversity Case
  • Breaking Bankruptcy

Students also participate in competitions through the American Marketing Association, Institute of Management Accountants, Digital Marketing Competition, and FanTAXtic, as well as the IU Kelley Diversity Case Competition.

Along with a trophy and bragging rights, the competitions can also come with thousands of dollars in prize money.

Resume-Building Skills Through Case Competitions

Student case competitions build both skill sets and confidence in students, Siciliano said. “Public speaking is the obvious skill that is improved, but also project management, team dynamics, technical accounting skills, and data presentation. I have observed that the students who participate in these competitions have done better in their accounting careers when they have left UNLV and are able to juggle multiple commitments better.”

The IMA Case Competition, he notes, required students to present to and answer questions from four judges and hundreds of corporate executives in the audience. “If you can get comfortable in that environment — and many of the winning teams have — there is very little a future employer can assign you in the public speaking realm that will scare you or make you uncomfortable,” Siciliano said. “My students come away from these competitions with increased confidence levels.”

Jalen Valdecantos, a rising senior accounting student, represented UNLV at the national competitions in Minneapolis and San Antonio.“If you’re a student on the fence of getting involved with case competitions, I would definitely recommend giving it a shot," he said. "Participating in this case competition gave me the opportunity to network with professionals in my field, apply concepts learned in class, and create amazing memories with my teammates that we’ll look back on for years to come.”

For more information on the IMA Case Competition,email Danny Sicilianoor visit the IMA website.

To learn more about other academic and pre-professional organizations, visit the UNLV Involvement Center site.

Lee Business School's Allister Dias, Kim Nehls, and Megan Neri contributed to this story. Neri is now director of communications for UNLV's School of Public Health.

Case Competitions: UNLV's Formula for a Winning Team (2024)

FAQs

Case Competitions: UNLV's Formula for a Winning Team? ›

Your case competition presentation content should be structured in a way that is clear, compelling and easy to follow. The best way to do this is by utilizing The Pyramid Principle, telling your story in a top-down fashion.

How to win case study competitions? ›

5 Tips on Acing a Case Competition and Maximizing the Opportunity
  1. Review Key Consulting Frameworks and Concepts. ...
  2. Establish Clear Roles and Responsibilities with Your Team. ...
  3. Avoid Memorizing Your Presentation. ...
  4. Prepare for Potential Questions. ...
  5. Leave a Lasting Impression on Judges.

How to structure a case competition presentation? ›

Your case competition presentation content should be structured in a way that is clear, compelling and easy to follow. The best way to do this is by utilizing The Pyramid Principle, telling your story in a top-down fashion.

What are case competitions good for? ›

By participating in case competitions, students are able to illustrate what their résumés may say. Students are demonstrating not only their solution but their own abilities and talents to judges. This gives the judges a brief glance to what each student would be like in the workforce.

What is a case study competition? ›

A case competition is an event where teams of 3-4 solve a case study on real-life companies in a limited time frame to present innovative strategic recommendations to a panel of judges.

How do you increase your chances of winning competitions? ›

In it to win it: how to maximise your chances in competitions
  1. Read the small print. Winning a competition can be a great feeling, but businesses don't give away prizes out of generosity. ...
  2. Know child-entry rules. ...
  3. Create a new email address. ...
  4. Enter lots. ...
  5. Make an effort. ...
  6. Use your skills. ...
  7. Use listing websites. ...
  8. Consider the prize.
Jun 17, 2024

What is the best way to win a case? ›

Tips for Winning a Court Case
  1. Find the Right Court. Laypeople are often surprised to learn that their local courthouses have many different courts inside. ...
  2. Litigate for the Right Reasons. ...
  3. Mediate Instead of Litigate. ...
  4. Communicate With Your Attorney. ...
  5. Be Willing to Negotiate. ...
  6. Follow Court Procedures. ...
  7. You'll Need a Good Lawyer.
Apr 30, 2024

How to solve strategy case studies? ›

Six steps to approaching a case study
  1. Understand the task. Read the case to gain an overview of the situation. ...
  2. Understand the case. Read the case closely. ...
  3. Identify the main problem(s) ...
  4. Analyse the problems. ...
  5. Develop and evaluate solutions. ...
  6. Make recommendations for action.

How do you structure a good case study? ›

Writing up your case study
  1. Executive Summary/Synopsis. Introduce the topic area of the report. ...
  2. Introduction. Summarise the your task. ...
  3. Findings. Identify the key problems you have identified by: ...
  4. Discussion. Summarise the major problem(s). ...
  5. Conclusion. ...
  6. Recommendations. ...
  7. References. ...
  8. Appendices (if any)

What skills do you need for a case competition? ›

The skills below highlight only some of the important take-aways from participating in a case competition.
  • Problem-solving.
  • Teamwork.
  • Conflict Management.
  • Leadership.
  • Drive and motivation.
  • Presentation skills.

Are case competitions good for resume? ›

Case competitions are a fantastic way to gain experience and knowledge, but should you always include them in the resume? The answer is no. Case competitions should not be part of your resume if they are not important.

How to win a case competition? ›

  1. Make it human-centered. Get out there and talk to people! ...
  2. Keep it laser-focused. When solving an innovation challenge, there are typically a number of exciting possible solutions. ...
  3. Make it beautiful. ...
  4. Know your numbers. ...
  5. Make it actionable. ...
  6. Tell a story.
Apr 23, 2019

How to make a presentation for a case competition? ›

A basic presentation consists of the following:
  1. Introduction.
  2. Agenda.
  3. Objective (problem)
  4. Analysis.
  5. Conclusion.
  6. Recommendation.

What is case study strategy? ›

According to Yin (1989, 1993), the case study can be defined as a research strategy that is characterized by studying the phenomena as a dynamic process, within its real context, using several sources of evidence, to explain the phenomenon observed globally and considering its complexity.

How do you succeed in a case study? ›

Here are the basic steps to writing a good case study.
  1. Identify your goal. Start by defining exactly who your case study will be designed to help. ...
  2. Choose your client or subject. Who you highlight matters. ...
  3. Conduct research and compile data. ...
  4. Choose the right format. ...
  5. Write your case study. ...
  6. Promote your story.
Dec 13, 2022

How do you get answers for case studies? ›

There are several steps to writing an answer to a case study assignment:
  1. STEP 1: READ THE CASE STUDY AND QUESTIONS CAREFULLY. • ...
  2. STEP 2: IDENTIFY THE ISSUES IN THE CASE STUDY. ...
  3. STEP 3: LINK THEORY TO PRACTICE. ...
  4. STEP 4: PLAN YOUR ANSWER. ...
  5. STEP 5: START WRITING YOUR CASE STUDY ANSWER. ...
  6. STEP 6: EDIT AND PROOFREAD. ...
  7. STEP 7: SUBMIT.

How do you get good at case studies? ›

  1. Find Cases That Are Suitable for Practicing Alone. ...
  2. Synthesize the Case Background Information. ...
  3. Ask Clarifying Questions. ...
  4. Structure a Framework and Present it Out Loud. ...
  5. Propose an Area to Start the Case. ...
  6. Answer Each Case Question Out Loud. ...
  7. Deliver a Recommendation Out Loud. ...
  8. Review Your Answers and Identify Improvement Areas.

How can I do well in case study exam? ›

Take time to plan: Have a clear idea of how much time you have to answer the question. Then plan to spend some time reading the exam question, the case study and planning your answer. Reread the question to make sure you understand it and to focus your attention when you reread the case study.

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