ACG Cup Details VIRTUAL

Career Conversations
 

UPLOADING YOUR VIDEO

WHEN:
December 1, 2021 --
March 02, 2022 

WHERE:
Virtual platforms
  

IMPORTANT DATES: All times are Eastern Standard Time (EST)
The 2022 ACG Cup Competition timeline is here! Every effort will be made to keep dates as they are; times may change slightly. Please keep ALL dates involving competition rounds open on your calendar! 

• Wednesday, December 1, 2021 - 9:00 AM EST - Team Registration OPEN
• Thurday, January 20, 2022 - 11:59 PM EST- Team Registration Deadline -- Registration will CLOSE at midnight. 
• Friday, January 28, 2022 - 9:00 AM EST -- Competition Case Released
• Friday, January 28, 2022 1:00 - 4:00 PM EST- Valuation Seminar VIRTUAL event
• Thursday, February 10, 2022 - 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, February 25, 2022 - 1:00 - 5:00 PM EDT - Round One & Round Two Judges' Feedback and our popular Career Conversations event all on the Gatherly virtual platform (more info to come) All teams will learn who is advancing to the Final Round at this event; attendance highly encouraged
• Wednesday, March 02, 2022 - Time TBD -  Final Round team presentation to judges live via virtual platform; judges' Q&A, deliberation and winner 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 pivot to a virtual competition enabled us to welcome in teams from across the United States, from Texas to New York! In 2022, the Western Michigan Chapter will once again hold the ACG Cup competition via virtual platforms, 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 January 20, 2022.
 

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.

WHY ACG CUP? STUDENT PARTICIPANT INFO

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 Thursday, January 20, 2022; and 
b) Entries (recorded presentations and supplemental materials) due to ACG Staff by 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, February 10, 2022. Every effort is being made to avoid winter breaks at participating institutions.
c) **If you were a student competitor in our 2021 virtual ACG Cup, you will still have a profile in our online system. Forgot your password? Don't worry! You can receive a link to reset it when you log in online.**

*Teams planning to participate in the 2022 ACG Cup competition should mark their calendars with all relevant dates, including the Round One & Round Two judges' feedback and Career Conversations on Friday, February 25, 2022, and reserve time for possible inclusion in the Final Round presentations on Wednesday, March 2, 2022.*

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 2021-2022 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 January 20, 2022. See "The Rules" and "How to Register" sections for more detailed information on competition parameters.

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.

INTERNATIONAL TEAMS: As we anticipate garnering more interest from international 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 January 20, 2022.

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

 
PARTICIPANT BENEFITS:

• Cash prizes!**
  • The winning team for each division respectively, will receive a $5,000 cash prize 
• Exposure to the mergers and acquisitions industry across Michigan and beyond
• Participation in Career Conversations with leading companies
• Understanding of Michigan's diverse industries
• Opportunity to network with competition judges and representatives from the business community
• 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. NEW for 2022: No institution shall register more than five teams per division.
3. Teams shall register for the competition no later than 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, January 20, 2022. In order for teams to submit competition materials, teams must be pre-registered.
4. Graduate and Undergraduate students may NOT participate on the same team.
5. Participating students must be officially registered at least half-time at participating schools during the 2021-2022 academic year.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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, January 28, 2022 to better understand the intricacies of the case. (Register for the seminar HERE.) 
10. 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.
11. Teams advancing to Round Two  will have their original case presentation passed on to the appropriate judges by ACG Staff.
12. Teams advancing to the Final Round will use prior feedback and present their case live via a virtual platform to Final Round judges on March 02, 2022.
    
    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 (January 28, 2022), 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 EST on Thursday, February 10, 2022 (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 2022 video (Team Name)" and
    b. PDF: "ACG Cup 2022 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.) 

REGISTRATION

REGISTRATION WILL OPEN ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2021 at 9:00 AM EST.
Registration deadline is Thursday, January 20, 2022 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) can act as the main contact and register the entire team. A team captain must be identified when registering. (NEW for 2022: Professors cannot act as team members, team captains, or register teams, but they can act as Main Contacts for a team, to receive team fee invoices, etc.) 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. **If you competed in our 2021 virtual ACG Cup competition, you still have a profile in our online system. Forgot your password? Don't worry -- you can request a password reset link from the system at any point.
5) If your team information requires any editing after the registration has been finalized, please email ACG Staff at acgcup@acgwmich.org for help.

Questions? Contact ACG Western Michigan at acgcup@acgwmich.org or call (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 the 2022 competition is $125 per team. This fee is due prior to the competition entry deadline of February 10, or the team will be excluded from competition. ACG Staff has the ability to bundle team registration fees and invoice your department or liaison directly.

• Only student competitors may register teams, as professors/instructors cannot act as the registrant or applicant within the software system. Professors/instructors may be identified as the person financially responsible for the team's registration fee and act as the team's Main Contact.

• 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 (to take place on Friday, January 28, 2022).

• Encourage and remind teams to register no later than Thursday, January 20, 2022.

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 One.  Any teams advancing beyond Round One will have their entry submission materials automatically passed onto the judges for Round Two.

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 2022 Cup liaison leads HERE and ask how they can help you communicate the excitement and importance of the ACG Cup competition. 

 FINANCE FEUD
REGISTER HERE

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Finance Feud is a fundraising event to support ACG Cup. Held in the 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 Victorious Hulk trophy and bragging rights. ACG Cup participants and universities are welcome to compete and enjoy the fun.

Our Finance Feud to support ACG Cup 2022 is BACK!!  Join us for trivia and cameraderie at the University Club in downtown Grand Rapids on Thursday, October 28, 2021. Event information and how to register a team can be found HERE.

 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.

In 2022, our Valuation Seminar will be held virtually on Friday, January 28, 2022, from 1- 3:30 PM Eastern Time. The Valuation Seminar will be an interactive program to help our competitors understand how to approach this year's case. In that vein, this year we are offering a hybrid model of on-demand video clips and live presentations to encourage participation and questions.

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. 

• 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 2022 ACG Cup competition.
• Non-competitors may attend the Valuation Seminar for a fee.

 CAREER CONVERSATIONS

**In 2022, Career Conversations will be held in conjuction with Round One & Round Two Judges' Feedback via a 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 1:00 - 5:00 PM EST on Friday, February 25, 2022. (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 committed to meeting our competitors you in 2021; this list will be updated as our 2022 competiton draws near. 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 seat at the table by clicking on the link for our Career Conversations commitment form below. [New form coming soon!]

Matt Fegan, Plante Moran