An unconventional business game was held on February 10 at the Xindazhou Hotel, Futian District, by members of the SCIE business practice club and two academic consultants from Guangzhou Zhixin Middle School. It attracted around 200 candidates from the Pearl River Delta, many of whom were high school students.

    “We run the game which can simulate the real business world in a larger context, and yet still be feasable and entertaining,” said the organizer. In contrast from previous ones, the third business competition focused on the responses and reactions from companies on the fleeting market and economic situation.

    Candidates were required to act as members of the managing group of a company, such as CEO, CFO or CPRO. When each year (4 hours as a year in game) began, the company would receive a package with background information. There were four kinds of packages: A had the general market situation, B included details of the technology development, C included the financial report and D contained the crisis documents. Once the documents had been looked through, the candidates need to act. The foremost decisions were the responses related to producing — every company needed to consider how much they are going to produce and what price they will set. In addition, they need to come up with further ideas.

    The interaction between the candidates and the committees were the most intriguing element in the competition. There were four media in the competition responsible collecting crucial information, such as consumer preferences and sold them to the company. Some even acted as muckrakers, exploring unknown contracts and rumors. There was also a role for a commercial bank in the competition, with a very important job in borrowing and lending stocks.

    To cheer up the participants, a party was held in the middle of the competition at Sheraton Shenzhen in Futian District. “The party is important for business persons to learn networking and exchange information. We want all candidates to benefit from it and know about its importance in the future,” said Sophie, principal of the SCIE business practice club.

    When the competition ended, a member from mobile phone industry expressed her appreciation and said: “I feel great about this competition. I want to be in public relations in the future, and this competition gives me a lot of precious experience.”

    What a fantastic game! It was a transformation from dream to reality for our entire club, creating an almost-real business world for us to experience. I am looking forward to the fourth business competition.