UW Students Travel to Boston to Tackle the Northeastern CUIBE Case Competition
Over Halloween weekend, the four of us (Emily Albertson, Abdullah Al Farsi, Emily Kargl, and Karah Hsu) had the amazing opportunity to travel to Boston, Massachusetts to compete at Northeastern University’s business case competition. Traveling to Boston to compete last month was a rewarding experience in which we learned about the importance of team dynamics, presentation styles, and most importantly, the makeup industry. During our time in Boston, we were able to travel around the city, visit historical sites and see other universities. We experienced all Boston had to offer, we tried the lobster rolls, toured Harvard, and walked along Newbury Street. We bonded as a team and saw how well our personalities worked with each other. We learned how to best communicate with each other and make sure our voices were heard without overpowering each other. Furthermore, we exercised disagreeing with each other in a civil manner. We learned how to work productively with one another, a skill which will be valuable as we move forward with many more teams in the future.
Abdullah Al-Farsi, Emily Albertson, Emily Kargl, Karah Hsu, and Faculty Advisor Marty Matthews at the Northeastern CUIBE Competition in Boston, MA
In addition to teamwork, we also learned about different ways teams present. For example, the winning team had a smooth, choreographed presentation which is something our team could improve upon. After watching the final round presentations, we noticed the different presentation styles teams had. Even though the competition was all domestic, we still learned about culture and how that differs from coast to coast. We gained insight on different ways the East Coast varies from the West Coast in terms of case competitions.
Our 24-hour case competition was centered around a makeup removal product and how it should best enter the e-commerce market. Our team developed a strategy for this small company to standardize their packaging to improve supply chain efficiency and create a cohesive brand, use social media to better market to their target consumers, and partner with a company to sell their products to environmentally conscious consumers. We were able to come up and design a whole new package and website for the company within those 24 hours that really targeted millennials.
Our time in Boston was a great experience in which we met people from other universities and spent time on the East Coast Huskies’ campus. While we didn’t win the competition, we still learned a lot along the way and we wouldn’t want to spend our Halloween any other way.
