Case Competition Planning Guide Pitch Perfect: A Student’s Guide to Case Competitions

Define the Purpose and Format

Ask yourself:

• Why are you hosting this? (Recruitment, branding, education, innovation?)
• Who is your audience? (Undergraduate or master’s students)
• What format will it take? (In-person, hybrid, virtual)
• How many rounds will there be?
• What is the theme or industry focus? (Finance, tech, engineering, etc.)

Example: “An undergraduate sustainability case competition for cross-disciplinary teams.”

Find a Sponsor or Create a Case Concept

Option A: Corporate/Industry Partnership

• Partner with a firm to provide a real business challenge.
• Benefit: Participants gain authentic experience.

Option B: Create a Fictional but realistic case

• Design a realistic scenario with background data and a clear problem statement.
• Include ambiguity — good cases rarely have one solution.
• Tip: Have subject matter experts review the case for realism and rigor. This can be staff, faculty, or industry experts.

CBC Impact: The CBC supported over 15 case competitions at Daniels and across Purdue between 2024–2025.

Set the Timeline

Typical Timeline:

• Launch & Promotion: 3–4 weeks
• Registration Deadline: This can vary
• Case Release: 5-6 days before submission
• Submissions Deadline: 1-2 days before the final round
• Final Presentations: 1 day (in-person or online)

Promote the Competition

• Use social media, student groups, mailing lists, and career centers
• Create clear, eye-catching graphics
• Include eligibility, prizes, dates, and registration links
• Promote on Pitch
• For Daniels School of Business competitions, the Marketing & Communications team can assist with promotion

Registration Process

Pitch

Teams register and submit the following on Pitch:

• Team Name
• Team Members
• Optional: CV/Resume for networking or recruiting

Explore Pitch

Developed by the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Pitch is a competition management platform that enables students to gain practical experience by participating in competitions, especially case competitions, where students analyze and propose solutions to real-world problems. Pitch supports the organization, communication, and submission processes throughout these events.

Judges & Mentor Panel

Judges should be:

• Industry professionals
• Professors or researchers
• Entrepreneurs or Purdue alumni

Mentors (optional but valuable):

• Offer coaching before submission or finals
• Help teams refine ideas without giving answers

Scoring Criteria

Make scoring criteria clear to participants beforehand. Common criteria include:

• Problem understanding
• Innovation and feasibility
• Data usage & analysis
• Presentation quality
• Q&A responses

Use a scoring rubric to keep things objective. The Center for Business communication is happy to share examples.

Recommendation: Work with your industry partners to develop scoring criteria.

Event Day Logistics

The Center for Business Communication supports case competitions throughout the entire process, including event-day setup, materials and technical coordination.

Virtual Events: CBC can help you coordinate the use of Zoom, breakout rooms, and shared folders (Google Drive, Teams, etc.).

In-Person Events: CBC can assist with room reservations, tech setup, catering, and signage.

Prepare:

• Moderator script
• Judges folders
• Timers and student support, provided by the CBC team
• Backup plan for technical issues, with support from the CBC team

The Center for Business Communication will provide presentation clickers for each room and assist with uploading presentations from Pitch to the room computers.

Prizes and Recognition

• Cash prizes
• Internship or fast-track interviews with sponsors
• Trophies, certificates, or swag

Also consider LinkedIn shout-outs or publication of winning solutions

Post-Competition Follow-Up

• Send thank-you notes to judges, mentors, sponsors, and teams
• Collect feedback via surveys (QR codes work well for real-time responses)
• Share photos, winners, and insights online
• Archive materials for future competitions

Your Toolbox

• Communication tools: Slack, Email, Pitch, Teams
• Submission platform and project management: Pitch
• Presentations: Zoom, MS Teams, or in-person for multi-round competitions
• Design: Purdue Marq - The CBC can also help with design.

Purdue Business Partners

Alumni Relations

If you need judges for your event, Alumni Relations is your primary resource for securing them. They have an extensive network of alumni available to assist you. Contact Stacey Sharp at slsharp4@purdue.edu for more information.

Below are some questions that need to be answered for gathering judges:

• Name of the case competition
• Time frame and specific dates
• Volunteer time commitment
• Whether the event is virtual or in-person
• A brief description of what volunteers will be asked to do
• Any criteria for volunteers
• Whether hotel rooms, meals, or other accommodations will be provided

Additionally, Alumni Relations will require an inquiry form to be filled out by judges for your case competition. Please share the following information for each judge:

• First and last name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Current company
• Job title
• Areas of expertise
• LinkedIn profile (optional)
• Dietary restrictions or ADA requirements

Industry Support

Contact Lindsey Howard McGuinness at howard63@purdue.edu in the Daniels School's Office of Business Partnerships for sponsorships or industry support.