Master-level communication – Our undergraduate students competed in Florida
Our undergraduate students participated in the Heavener International Case Competition (HICC) in Florida from 9-15 February 2025. The team of Aquila Consulting – Bánk Lukács Kozma, Emma Petrovicz, Luca Németh and Petra Jenei- represented our university at the competition.
After successfully completing the Cases on International Business Strategy (CIBS) and the other Case Track courses, the students were selected and prepared for the competition by László Bence Pistrui, PhD, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
HICC stands among case competitions for its unusual presentation format: instead of the usual 10–15-minute presentation and 10-minute question-and-answer session, teams have 3-5 minutes to present their solutions on 2-5 slides, followed by a roughly 20-minute question-and-answer session. In addition, the 3-minute presentation was held at a conference table throughout, simulating a business meeting. In preparation for the new format, our team focused on developing various interpersonal skills such as pitching, appropriate and clear communication, and dynamics in line with Anglo-Saxon culture.
The preparation for the Florida competition was very intense due to the tight deadlines, and we had to adapt to a completely new style, which made the process even more exciting and challenging. The competition required a completely different approach, so we practiced specific formats during the workshops to learn the new approach as much as possible. I particularly enjoyed the challenge, and I feel that we have managed to integrate confidently into the local competition culture,
said Petra Jenei about the preparation.
Key messages should not be conveyed in words, but rather through visuals. Very difficult to do it well in practice, requires a fundamentally deep understanding of a concept.
added Bánk Kozma regarding the new communication style.
We focused on simplifying the slides by including significantly less text and instead explaining with pictures in such a way that the audience didn’t have to think and read to understand our message. Instead, they would instantly get the concept by the visuals. Not simple pictures but carefully crafted visual logic to get through the messages.
– he added.
During the competition, teams were given two case studies to solve. The first case focused on Augmented Info Systems, a start-up participating in the university’s incubator programme. The teams had 9 hours to select a complex mental illness that could be treated with XR software and then develop a business model for it.
Although the team eventually came third in its division, the jury highlighted the clarity and simplicity of the concept presented, as well as the dynamics of the presentation, which helped to make the solution understandable.
Our solution demonstrated the logical selection process exceptionally well, with a step-by-step visuals.
– emphasised Bánk Kozma.
The second case study, which the team had twenty-eight hour to solve, was provided by Intermex, a prominent financial intermediary in the region, with an ambitious target: the competing teams were asked to double their digital user share in one year.
It was a complex case, but I think our team managed to find a logical and feasible solution. Even though we were under a lot of pressure, I think we managed to stay calm and there was a good atmosphere during the solution. The American snacks and drinks provided by the organizers definitely helped us to stay energetic, and when we needed it, we were even able to get some fresh air by the rooftop pool.
– said Luca Németh about the case.
During the solution, the team was keen to propose a solution that would be convenient for users and available with as few changes as possible to the current system based on the physical agent system; however, this made scheduling the solution during the case solving a difficult task.
Our solution was built on mobile wallets, with the option to top up the digital wallet with cash as an additional service through the intermediary system. The company representative emphasized that she particularly liked the wallet solution and the way we integrated the intermediaries into the system.
– emphasised Emma Petrovicz.
The jury highlighted that we were the best presenting team in the division by far. Clear, easy to understand, very logical chain of thought.
– added Bánk Kozma.