Business Simulation Competition

2025 Live Case Competition 1st place team: “SJ Dinosaurs”, won First Prize the second year in a row. From left to right: Dr. Morrie Mendelson (Acting Associate Dean, Faculty of Business), Tyler Williams (SJ Dinosaurs), David Johnson (SJ Dinosaurs), Camille Ferland (CPA Atlantic), Dr. Ali Taleb (Dean, Faculty of Business), Griffin Cassidy (SJ Dinosaurs), Viktor Lorberer (SJ Dinosaurs).

The Faculty of Business Live Case Competition is held every year, giving 3rd and 4th year students the opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge to real world business problems.

With a focus on sustainability, strategy, and teamwork, the 2025 Live Case Competition examined Port Saint John’s efforts to balance sustainability and growth as it navigates the pressures of climate change and economic opportunity. The port faces critical decisions on how to reduce emissions while maintaining operational efficiency and competitiveness. Students explored strategic options such as incentivizing tenants, forming partnerships, and investing in green technology.

The competition can range from a single day or multiple days, depending on the size of the simulation, student enrolment, and partnering stakeholders. Teams then work together in break-out rooms to complete the business simulation.

Each team analyzes the information given to them, develops a feasible set of alternatives and makes recommendations for a course of actions during the multiple stages/chapters/tasks of a simulation.

Teams then present to a panel of expert judges, comprised of professors, entrepreneurs, and local business partners. Judges are asked to make their assessments based on both the simulation score (whether they met their goals at the game) and, more importantly, how they defined and explained their strategy to the judging team and audience, in a time-limited pitch presentation.

At the end of the day, all participants and faculty are invited to the awards ceremony where the winners are announced. The winning teams receive cash prizes donated by our sponsors. Even though it is a competition, all participants gain valuable experience tackling the simulations that is based on real-life business challenges while also having the opportunity to network with faculty, staff, and our business partners.