Congratulations!

What an incredible week. There are really no words to accurately describe how pleased and honoured I feel to have experienced this year's 2012 MBA International Case Competition.

The events were tremendous. The participants showed so much enthusiasm and team spirit and, quite frankly, it's all the thanks the organizers (and volunteers alike) need.

I guess I'll start with the obvious (if you've been following the newsletter, Twitter and Facebook). Congratulations to the 2012 winners: Université Laval! A well deserved win for a dedicated team.

The second and third place teams, University of Otago and University of Calgary respectively, had an absolutely nerve-racking run. Top of their divisions and brilliant presentations. A huge congratulations goes out to you as well!

I know there are some eager people out there who can't wait to see the final presentations. They will be made available for all of you next week. They need a bit of polishing before we can release them for public consumption.

With that said, our Flikr account is also being brought up to speed. If you found yourself posing for a picture or being snuck up on by one of our crafty photographers, check out the pictures on the Flikr account. We had a blast sifting through them!

Keep an eye on the blog and once again, from us to you, THANK YOU for taking part in the John Molson 2012 International Case Competition and keep following for more updates!

Tonight is the ROCKSTAR party!

You've been practicing hard, and tonight it will pay off. The kick off is at 21h30.

Dress up as your favourite rock star and get your groove on, singing to your best songs. Thanks to the cutting-edge TouchTunes jukeboxes, choose your songs in style and make it to the top of the karaoke championship. In the hotel's large and elegant EDC room, this event is one to get very excited about. After karaoke, our DJ will crank up the volume, turn on the strobe lights and make the party rock until the early morning!

But no party is a Party, if you don't start it off right. Come up to the Hospitality suite (2016), unwind and enjoy drinks with your colleagues before the main event. The doors open at 19h30.

That's not all. After the party (at 1h) come on back to the Hospitality suite. Our organizers will still be there, partying it up with you until you can't party no more.

Enjoy your evening and remember: work hard, play harder.

Case 5 Results are up!

Here are the scores for Case 5.

And the Semi-Finalists are...

Division Winners
University of Kaiserslautern
Munster University
University of Laval
Aalto University
Otago University
Miami University

Wildcard Winners
NUS
Concordia University
University of Calgary

CONGRATULATIONS!

The full schedule for tonight's Semi-Finals is here.

Our Charity: Innovation Youth

The John Molson School of Business makes a point of having a charity represented at the MBA International Case Competition. This gesture demonstrates that the business community is not only concerned with strong events and great competitions, it is philanthropically minded as well.

This year's charity, Innovation Youth, has worked with hundreds of disadvantaged teens over the years, by offering them a structured environment in a community-oriented space. They offer a high school education program for those who have dropped out of school, they a give them a listening ear when they need to talk, and they help local kids acquire the life skills necessary towards becoming autonomous, responsible adults.

Innovation Youth sent representatives to attend the evening event at the Chateau St Ambroise, and at the Cité Commerce Electronique. They have been on the Mezzanine floor talking to judges and participants since Wednesday. They will also be present at many of the networking cocktails. If you haven't already done so, please give generously and let's make this campaign a success! Get your purple ribbon and support a great cause.


If you make a $10 donation, make sure you pick up a raffle ticket at the Registration Desk. It will get you a chance to win an iPad2! The draw is tonight at midnight. Good luck everyone!

Scores for Case 4

Hey everyone - the scores of the CGI Live Case are posted in the registration desk area.

Click here for a copy of the Case 4 results PDF.

Top 5 Things you HAVE to do in Montreal

It's been all business lately so I'm going to walk a little bit on the wild side and tempt fate - open myself up to scrutiny and outrage. There are many who are passionate about this city and are bound to disagree with this list. The fact of the matter is, these five things are just my personal opinion what our competitors NEED to do before the end of the competition.

Go Ice Skating
Especially important if you live in a warm climate, you HAVE to go skating. Don't worry. Most of us are bad at it. When in doubt - grab on to someone who's half-way-decent at it and hold on tight.
Coincidentally, your organizers have an Ice Skating party planned for you Friday night at 19h. Here are the details at a glance. For more information, visit Tourisme Montreal.

L'Atrium 1000 de la Gauchetière (right next to the hotel in the underground city)
Admission : $6
Skate Rental : $4.75
Helmet Rental : $1.00
Locker Rental : $2.50

Snowshoeing on Mount Royal
Strap on a pair of snowshoes and follow the guide along the trails of Mount Royal. Les Amis de la montagne offers a family tour on fauna observation and a tour by the light of the city, inviting you to explore the Mountain’s trails at night. For more information, visit Les Amis de la montagne.

Biodome
If you jump on the Metro and head over to Pie IX station, you'll be right under the old Olympic stadium. From there, you'll have a few options. Given that it's winter, the Botanical Gardens won't seem that appealing. But make sure to take in the Biodome. It is an amazing experience that will leave you with lasting memories. Check out their site for more details. It's $16.50 to get in and well-worth the money.

Old Montreal/Old Port
An easy way to get to the heart of it, is to walk. Vieux-Montréal is one of the most beautiful, well-preserved vibrant "old towns" this side of Europe. This is a key component in what makes Montreal, "the truly different North American city". Take a stroll or take a horse-drawn carriage. Best of all - it's FREE!

Crescent Street
This tiny strip, running from Sherbrooke to Rene-Levesque, is the heart and soul of the city. Famous for its trendy restaurants, fine dinning and bustling nightlife, the street is also lined with specialty shops, designer boutiques and cafes. A wonderful sense of hospitality characterizes this Street. When the sun sets you can find it all here, from live music to dancing with the best DJ’s in the city; Crescent is the street that loves to party.


Hopefully you'll have time to take part in the great things Montreal has to offer. Let us know if you do!