ACG Cup Details VIRTUAL

Career Conversations
(follow link for access to 
our company commitment
form)

UPLOADING YOUR VIDEO

WHEN:
December 16, 2020 -- April 2021 

WHERE:
Virtual platforms
  

IMPORTANT DATES: All times are Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Be sure to whitelist the email address "acgcup@acgwmich.org" so you don't miss important communications about the competition!

• Friday, February 5, 2021 - 11:59 PM EST- Team Registration Deadline REGISTRATION IS CLOSED
• Friday, February 5, 2021 1-4 PM EST- Valuation Seminar VIRTUAL event via Zoom 
• Friday, February 12, 2021 - 9 AM EST- Competition Case Released 
• Friday, March 5, 2021 - 11:59 PM EST - MBA and Undergrad competition entries due (pre-recorded entry submission and supplemental materials due to ACG Staff via web upload)
• Friday, March 19, 2021 - 2:30 - 4:30 PM EST - Round One Judges' Feedback and our popular Career Conversations event all on the Gatherly virtual platform (more info to come)
• TBD: Finalist announcements

ABOUT ACG CUP

ACG Cup is an intercollegiate competition among business school students from colleges and universities across the nation. Retaining and recruiting talent in West Michigan is a major objective of the ACG Western Michigan Cup competition. Student participants will gain invaluable experience in a real-world context, receive feedback from leaders in the local business community, create networks, and compete for a cash prize. During the competition, students analyze complex business cases and present strategies involving merger and acquisition alternatives, valuation, capital markets, finance options, and corporate strategy.

ACG Western Michigan is known for bringing together a robust and diverse group of students representing teams from around our state. In 2021, the Western Michigan Chapter will hold the ACG Cup competition on a virtual platform, and we anticipate even greater interest and participation further afield.

INTERNATIONAL TEAMS: As we garner more interest from teams, we are allowing a cap of ten (10) international teams on a first-come, first-served basis, through the end of our registration period on February 5, 2021.
 

In this transition to a virtual competition, there are some elements that will necessarily need to shift as we develop the 2021 competition. ACG Western Michigan is working to provide the very best possible event for our competitors, professors, volunteer judges, and staff. Please revisit our page and bookmarks often to look for important updates.

Because of the Governor's request that colleges and univerisites delay the start of the Spring 2021 semester, ACG Western Michigan is updating the deadlines for our competition to create a robust environment of competition. Please refer to the updated timeline and competition deadlines throughout our page.
 

WHY ACG CUP? STUDENT PARTICIPANT INFO
*REGISTRATION IS CLOSED*

Typically held between the beginning of winter semester and spring break, this year our virtual event will have only two deadlines: 
a) Team registration by 11:59 PM EST on Friday, February 5, 2021; and 
b) Entries (recorded presentations and supplemental materials) due to ACG Staff by 11:59 PM EST on Friday, March 5, 2021. Every effort is being made to avoid winter breaks at participating institutions.

Because of the Governor's request that colleges and univerisites delay the start of the Spring 2021 semester, ACG Western Michigan is updating the deadlines for our competition to create a robust environment of competition. Please refer to the updated timeline and competition deadlines throughout our page.

The case study will simulate a real-world business situation offering students a learning perspective that diverges from textbook examples. Faculty advisors are encouraged to provide guidance to students prior to the case being released to students, but after the case is released, professors are prohibited from offering advice, critiques, or detailed solutions after the case materials are distributed.

ACG Cup is divided into two divisions: MBA and Undergraduate; ACG Western Michigan is one of the only chapters in the country offering a competition for both Undergraduate and MBA students. Participants must be officially registered at least half-time at participating schools during the 2020-2021 academic year. Undergraduate participants are generally finance, accounting, marketing, international business, and management majors, and Undergraduate teams may be comprised a mix of junior and senior level students.  

Graduate and Undergraduate students may not participate on the same team.  Each team, in either division, must consist of at least three members. To be considered for the competition, teams must finalize team registration by 11:59 PM EST on February 5, 2021. See "The Rules" and "How to Register" sections for more detailed information on competition parameters.

INTERNATIONAL TEAMS: As we garner more interest from teams, we are allowing a cap of ten (10) international teams on a first-come, first-served basis, through the end of our registration period on February 5, 2021.

 
PARTICIPANT BENEFITS:

• Cash prizes!**
  • The winning team for each division respectively, will receive a $4,500 cash prize 
  • Each member of the winning teams will receive a free, one-year ACG Western Michigan Membership 
• Exposure to the mergers and acquisitions industry across Michigan 
• Participation in Career Conversations with leading Michigan companies
• Understanding of Michigan's diverse industries
• Opportunity to network with competition judges and representatives from local businesses
• Opportunity to share a resume via our website
• Opportunity to gain valuable, real-life skills in mergers and acquisitions: This kind of exposure and training in M&A is not found anywhere else!

**Participation in the competition, including eligibility and payment of any cash prize, is subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations of all relevant jurisdictions.

THE RULES

1. Teams shall be made up of three to five members from the same institution who will present the case study in all rounds of competition for which they are eligible; schools are encouraged to register at least two teams in the competition. Each team must appoint a Team Captain who will receive communication from ACG staff about submitting competition entries after the case has been released.
2. Teams shall register for the competition no later than 11:59 PM EST on Friday, February 5, 2021. In order for teams to submit competition materials, teams must be pre-registered.
3. Graduate and Undergraduate students may NOT participate on the same team.
4. Participating students must be officially registered at least half-time at participating schools during the 2020-2021 academic year.
5. Teams must have team names; names may NOT reference the students' school/university in any way, formal or informal. Teams not adhering to this requirement will be excluded from competition and no refunds will be issued. ACG Staff will alert teams that choose the same name as soon as possible to avoid duplication.
6. Teams may NOT use outside resources to prepare the case study for the competition. They may only use the materials made available to them with the case study. Any deviation from this will result in disqualification.
7. Teams will be placed into judging groups randomly. Depending on the size of the competition and the number of teams from each institution, teams from the same college/university might compete with one another.
8. Students may seek general finance understanding, presentation training, and mentoring from faculty, ACG members, ACG Cup Committee members, and outside resources before the case is distributed. They may also use preparation materials located in their course pack. Teams are encouraged to attend the Valuation Seminar on Friday, February 5 to better understand the intricacies of the case. (Register for the seminar HERE.) 
9. Once the case has been distributed, teams may not enlist help from outside the team, including from professors, for any aspects specific to the competition case.
10. Teams advancing to Round 2 or beyond will have their original case presentation passed on to the appropriate judges by ACG Staff.
    
    Because of the Governor's request that colleges and univerisites delay the start of the Spring 2021 semester, ACG Western Michigan is updating the deadlines for our competition to create a robust environment of competition. Please refer to the updated timeline and competition deadlines throughout our page.
    
    Attention Teams: Be sure to whitelist the email address "acgcup@acgwmich.org" so you don't miss important communications about our competition!

ENTRY SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

After the competition case has been released (February 12, 2021), Team Captains will be notified about how to enter the required competition materials.

Teams must prepare the following:

1.  A pre-recorded video entry submission of the case presentation, between 5-10 minutes in length, submitted electronically through the online platform. Entry submissions may be recorded via Zoom or other platform; teams members do not have to be together to record portions of the video entry submission, but the finished entry submission should appear seamless and is due by 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, March 5, 2021 (see HERE for a virtual case presentation sample recording. Note: This YouTube video of the Global Business Case Competition is from the University of Washington's Foster School of Business. It is provided here solely as an illustrative example for recording your team's presentation.)
2. PDF handouts, submitted to the competition planners, to back up the team's video entry submission data and to which the team can refer in the video case presentation (i.e., to call judges' attention to a number set, solution, etc.) Handouts will ONLY be accepted in PDF format. No other type of document will be accepted.
3. Teams shall adhere to the naming convention for submissions. Teams will be uploading materials to our site with more details to come.
    a. Video:  "ACG Cup 2021 video (Team Name)" and
    b. PDF: "ACG Cup 2021 supplemental materials (Team Name)"
4. All recorded entries and supplemental materials must be submitted in the English language.
5. All team members must take part in the video presentation, though team members do not need to be together in a physical environment when creating the video.
6. All team members shall be identified at some point on screen by a name block consisting of given name (first) and surname (last). No nicknames or college/university designator shall be part of the name block.
7. Teams must have team names; names may NOT reference the students' school/university in any way, formal or informal. Teams not adhering to this requirement will be excluded from competition and no refunds will be issued. ACG Staff will alert teams that choose the same name as soon as possible to avoid duplication.
8. Teams must appoint a Team Captain or Primary Contact for ease of communication. The Team Captain will receive communication regarding entry submission of competition materials.
9. Team attire shall consist of business wear, and shall NOT showcase any particular college/university affiliation (e.g., necktie, scarf, lapel pin, etc.) 

Helpful information about submitting your video entries:
Team Captains received the link to submit video entries on March 1, 2021. If you are unsure about what you should see when you login to submit your video entry, see these screenshots for more clarity.

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REGISTRATION

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
Registration deadline is Friday, February 5, 2021 at 11:59 PM EST.

Important steps and details for registration follow. Please be sure to read them and fill out the registration form in its entirety.

  A. How to register
1) Complete registration must include all team members' names and emails in the appropriate section(s) of the registration form.
2) Registration information must include a team name that does not reference the team's college/university affiliation.
3) A single individual (team member or professor) can act as the main contact and register the entire team. A team captain must be identified when registering. (Professors cannot act as team members or team captains.) Team Captains will receive communications regarding how to submit their entry (case presentation materials) after the case is released.
4) *IMPORTANT* Once a team has been successfully registered, each team member will receive an email notification of registration success and a link through which to upload a resume, headshot, and LinkedIn profile. Each member must then create a login for her/himself to have access to upload personal materials.
5) If your team information requires any editing after the registraiton has been finalized, please email ACG Staff at acgcup@acgwmich.org for help.
 

 B. ACG communication with teams
1) Upon ACG staff review of registration, all team members will be notified via email. The email will contain a link to upload headshots and resumes that will allow judges and company leads to find resumes in the Resume Gallery. 
2) Only Team Captains will receive communications regarding how to enter materials after the case has been released (see above).
3) ACG staff will communicate any important updates or changes to the Team Captain, and if necessary, to the Main Contact listed on that team's registration.
4) *IMPORTANT* Once a team has been successfully registered, each team member will receive an email notification of registration success and a link through which to upload a resume, headshot, and LinkedIn profile. Each member must then create a login for her/himself to have access to upload personal materials.
5) If your team information requires any editing after the registraiton has been finalized, please email ACG Staff at acgcup@acgwmich.org for help.

Questions? Contact ACG Western Michigan at acgcup@acgwmich.org or (616) 732-7149.

Attention Teams: Be sure to whitelist the email address "acgcup@acgwmich.org" so you don't miss important communications about our competition!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PROFESSORS:

• The cost to participate in this competition is $100 per team. This fee is due prior to the competition entry deadline of March 5, or the team will be excluded from competition.

• Professors/instructors may register a team/teams, but may not identify as a team member or team captain.

• Each College/University is encouraged to assign a faculty member to work with the ACG Cup liaison and the appropriate student organizations within their institution. A student representative may also act a Cup competition contact and assist in disseminating information. 

  • E-mail ACG Staff at acgcup@acgwmich.org to share your contact information and to receive any information regarding ACG Cup liaisons to your institution.

• Promote the competition to encourage student participation. ACG Staff will share promotional language for email and social media as it becomes available.

• Provide or facilitate training and mentoring for the student teams.

• Distribute information on forming teams and working the case study.

• Encourage teams to register for the Valuation Seminar.

• Register teams no later than Friday, February 5, 2021.

Advisors should assist the student teams in adhering to the timeline. Each team should consist of at least three members who will present the case study via a pre-recorded case evaluation, ready for dissemination at the beginning of Round 1. Any teams advancing beyond Round 1 will have their entry submission materials passed onto the judges for the next round. 

Colleges/Universities are encouraged to make information from prior competitions available for students to better understand the level of detail expected. Online videos of previous competitions are available for institution liaisons. Please contact the ACG Western Michigan office at acgcup@acgwmich.org for online access to this information. 

 ACG CUP SUPPORT: LIAISONS

ACG Western Michigan has developed a system of liaisons to assist you and your students in awareness and promotion of the Cup competition. Our team of liaisons is headed by an energetic duo that is ready to help answer your questions, deliver important information for your teams, and guide you through the process. Learn more about our 2021 Cup liaison chairs HERE and ask how they can help you communicate the excitement and importance of the ACG Cup competition. 

 FINANCE FEUD

Finance Feud is usually a fundraising event to support ACG Cup. Held in the late autumn preceding the Cup Competition, Finance Feud presents a fun way for teams in business and related industries to try to one-up each other in a friendly trivia competition. This fun, high-energy trivia night pits teams from accounting and law firms as well as corporations and universities against one other. The winning team takes the Iron Man trophy and bragging rights. ACG Cup participants and universities are welcome to compete and enjoy the fun.

As ACG Cup is moving to an all-virtual platform for 2021, current Finance Feud plans are on hiatus.

 VALUATION SEMINAR

 REGISTER HERE

The Valuation Seminar is an introduction to M&A from different perspectives including, a Private Equity Group that uses the Leverage Buy-Out (LBO) methodology to acquire companies, and the Strategic Buyer that could use all cash or stock to acquire companies. The seminar focuses on theoretical and technical approaches to valuation, as well as qualitative factors that influence the value of a company. Valuation Seminar proves instrumental in understanding the ins and outs of M&A from different perspectives, and it also provides participants the opportunity to network with other students and ACG members. 

Our Valuation Seminar leads can answer FAQs for you. Reach out to them HERE to learn more.

This winter, our Valuation Seminar will be held virtually on Friday, Febrary 5, 2021, from 1- 4 PM EST. Individuals from Cup teams are encouraged to attend and must register; there is no charge for Cup competitors or professors. Non-competitors who wish to attend Valuation Seminar to enhance their understanding and/or practice may register for a fee. 

Valuation Seminar virtual event will be held on Friday, February 5, 2021 from 1- 4 PM EST.

• Teams must be registered separately for the Valuation Seminar. The seminar is separate from the Cup competition, and is complementary for teams who register for the 2021 ACG Cup competition.
• Non-competitors may attend the Valuation Seminar for a fee.

 CAREER CONVERSATIONS

**In 2021, Career Conversations will be held in conjuction with Round One Judges' Feedback on the Gatherly virtual platform. All teams and professors will receive a link to the event when it's developed.

COMPETITORS
Cup competitors have the opportunity to connect and network with representatives from Michigan companies, as well as competition judges, who represent many prestigious local and regional firms. ACG Western Michigan members are actively looking for Graduate and Undergraduate students with a finesse for finance who possess the skills and qualities that enable them to become experts in corporate finance, investment banking, financial advisory and private equity. Career Conversations connects participants with employees in the greater West Michigan region. Every year, student competitors are hired as a direct result of participating in this competition.

The structure of Career Conversations is more casual than a traditional job fair, affording participants the chance to hear more about Michigan companies: what they do, who they hire, and what kind of employee(s) they are looking for. This year, Career Conversations will be held on a virtual platform that allows networking between competitors and Career Conversations companies and firms! The event will be held via a virtual plaform from 2:30 - 4:30 PM EST on Friday, March 19, 2021. (More details to come as this event is planned.) Student competitors will be able to choose which company tables they'd like to visit and meet one-on-one with company leads in a virtual setting that is as close to in-person meeting as you can get in a virtual environment. Below is our list of companies who have committed to meeting you in 2021. You can select a company or firm below to learn more about them and plan which representatives you'd like to meet on March 19. We will add to this list as more commitments come in.

Meet our Career Conversations lead HERE. 
More information on  Career Conversations to come

COMPANIES
Career Conversations presents an opportunity for both ACG members and sponsors to create awareness about the deal making community and to expose students to potential career openings in this field. Career Conversations represents a chance for participants to GET CONNECTED with high-profile local firms. Make sure your company representatives get a set at the table by clicking on the link for our Career Conversations commitment form below.

Matt Fegan, Plante Moran