What’s Happening - Business Excellence Contest 2021/22 2021-11-15

Background

The Business Excellence Contest is a business competition co-organised by Hong Kong Community College (HKCC) and the School of Professional Education and Executive Development (SPEED) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) for secondary and post-secondary students. The theme for the competition this year is "Green Innovation Campaign".

Green innovation refers to all aspects of innovation related to green products and processes, including energy saving, pollution management, waste recycling, product and package design^[1].  In the era of increasing environmental awareness, people are concerned about how corporations develop a strategy to save the environment and facilitate sustainable development of the community. By launching a green innovation campaign, corporations not only can make a strong commitment to protecting the environment, but also may reach numerous objectives such as achieving competitive advantages, meeting the needs of markets, fulfilling stakeholders' expectations, increasing brand reputation, and improving customer satisfaction while facing the current pandemic situation.

Through participating in this competition, students will analyse the business of a real corporation in Hong Kong and make use of their creativity and critical thinking skills to develop a new product (package) / service with the concept of green innovation for this corporation to create a distinctive opportunity to move forward and achieve specific objectives. Moreover, students will develop better appreciation of theories and practices of business as well as generic attributes and abilities such as observation, communication, teamwork, analytical and organisation skills.

[1] Chen, Lai, and Wen, 2006

Awards and Prizes

Eligibility

Secondary Group:
The Secondary Group is open to full-time Secondary 4 to 6 students in Hong Kong. Each student team must consist of 3 to 6 members from the same school. The application must be coordinated by the school principal or a teacher.

Post-secondary Group:
The Post-secondary Group is open to sub-degree and self-financing undergraduate students in Hong Kong. Each student team must consist of 3 to 6 members from the same institution.

Scope of Work

Students have to select a real corporation in Hong Kong, conduct a business and market analysis, establish the objectives of a Green Innovation Campaign, with a new product (package) /service and develop a promotional strategy for the Campaign. 20% weighting will be given for the business and market analysis and 80% weighting will be given for the creativity, theme suitability, attractiveness and feasibility of the Green Innovation Campaign. 

An online guest talk will be arranged for participants on 21 January 2022 (tentative) to enhance their knowledge and skills of conducting a business and market analysis and developing a Green Innovation Campaign.

1. Report Outline
   (a) Introduction
   (b) Main text
   • Business and market analysis
   • The objectives of a Green Innovation Campaign
   • Explanation and justifications of a new product (package) /service, and a promotional strategy for the Green Innovation Campaign

       (c) Conclusion                                    

2. Report Format
   (a) Word Limit

   Secondary Group:
    The report must be written either in English (maximum 1,000 words) or Chinese (maximum 1,300 words), excluding the cover page, table of contents and appendices.
    
   Post-secondary Group:
   The report must be written in English (maximum 1,500 words), excluding the cover page, table of contents and appendices.

   (b) Appendices are optional and should be limited to 10 pages.
   (c) The font size of the content should be Times New Roman 12 point for the English version or PMingLiU (新細明體) 12 point for the Chinese version (except the headings/titles).
   (d) Single-line spacing with at least one-inch margins (top, bottom, left and right).
3. Report Cover 
   (a) Full names of team members
   (b) Name of school / institution
   (c) Name of the business / project
   (d) Date of submission
   (e) Contact details (email address, telephone number, etc.) of the team coordinator

Registration Procedure

1. Online Registration
   Secondary Group:
   You can click here to register online

2. Register by Email, Fax or Post
   Secondary Group:
   You can click here to download an application form
   

Post-secondary Group:
You can click here to download an application form

Please return the completed application form either
(i)   by email to spactivities@speed-polyu.edu.hk (Please mark "Business Excellence Contest 2021/22" in the email subject title.); or
(ii)  by fax at 2363-0540; or
(iii) by post to Room S1201, 12/F, PolyU West Kowloon Campus, 9 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon. Please specify on the envelope "Business Excellence Contest 2021/22".

2. The deadline for registration is 5:30 pm, 17 December 2021 (Friday).

Submission of the Written Report

• either in person or by post to Room N1302, 13/F, PolyU West Kowloon Campus, 9 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Please specify on the envelope "Business Excellence Contest 2021/22"; or
• by email to ccoffice@hkcc-polyu.edu.hk. The report should be converted to a PDF file and the file size should not exceed 15MB. Please type "Business Excellence Contest 2021/22 Written Report" in the email subject title.

• either in person or by post to Room S1201, 12/F, PolyU West Kowloon Campus, 9 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon. Please specify on the envelope "Business Excellence Contest 2021/22", or
• by email to spactivities@speed-polyu.edu.hk. The report should be converted to a PDF file and the file size should not exceed 15MB. Please type "Business Excellence Contest 2021/22 Written Report" in the email subject title.

The deadline for submission of the written report is 5:30 pm, 28 February 2022 (Monday).

Adjudication

1. First Round Adjudication
   Secondary Group:
   

   Twenty most outstanding teams will be selected; and from them the best 5 teams will be shortlisted for the Final Round Adjudication and the 15 other outstanding teams will be offered the Judges Commendation. The First Round Adjudication results will be released on the PolyU HKCC website at www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/business_excellence_contest2021 by 11 March 2022.

2. Judging Criteria for the First Round Adjudication
   • Does the team present the written report clearly and concisely?
   • Does the team identify the new market opportunity for a green product (package) / service under the current pandemic situation?
   • Does the team generate a unique and innovative product (package) /service and a promotional strategy for the Green Innovation Campaign in order to achieve specific objective(s)?
   • Does the team provide a persuasive analysis on realistic objectives and a concise conclusion?
3. Final Round Adjudication
   

Post-secondary Group:
For the Final Round Adjudication, the best 3 teams will be required to submit a PowerPoint file with voice-over with a 15-minute verbal presentation to spactivities@speed-polyu.edu.hk by 1:00 p.m., 26 March 2022 (Saturday). The presentation must be delivered in English. The 5-minute question-and-answer (Q&A) session will be replaced by written answers in English submitted within 48 hours from the release of three questions to each team. The questions will be released to the best 3 teams by email on 28 March 2022 (Monday) (by 12:00 noon). The teams will have to respond within 150 words to each question by replying the email before 30 March 2022 (Wednesday), 12:00 noon.

The winners of the Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards will be selected.  The result of the Final Round Adjudication will be released on 22 April 2022 through the PolyU SPEED's website at www.speed-polyu.edu.hk/business_excellence_contest2021.  The Gold, Silver and Bronze awardees will be informed of the awards collection arrangement accordingly.

4. Judging Criteria for the Final Round Adjudication

Presentation of Awards and Prizes

The Awards Presentation Ceremony will be cancelled. Winners will be informed of the awards collection arrangement accordingly.

Adjudication Results

Please click for the results of First Round and Final Round Adjudication.

Calendar of Events

Enquiries

Secondary Group:
Tel.: 3746-0123
Email: ccoffice@hkcc-polyu.edu.hk
Website: www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/business_excellence_contest2021

Post-secondary Group:
Tel.: 3400-2828
Email: spactivities@speed-polyu.edu.hk
Website: www.speed-polyu.edu.hk/business_excellence_contest2021