Winner of Henkel Innovational Challenge 8 to be revealed tonight

It’s been a fierce competition in the Austrian capital this week and the winner of the Henkel Innovational Challenge, Henkel’s student business game, is about to be revealed. During a long and busy Day 2, students devised a marketing plan in three hours, rapidly responded to budget cuts, and negotiated a budget with their fellow students. The competitors in the challenge had been narrowed down from 23 teams the day before to a final eight teams. The eight remaining teams are Austria, Benelux ‏(Belgium), Croatia, Italy, Latin America ‏(Brazil), Philippines, Poland, and Tunisia.

During the challenge, students had 20 precious minutes to consult with an “agency” of Henkel managers in order to get advice on their marketing plan and negotiations. For most students, negotiating a budget was an entirely new experience, which made it all the more difficult and valuable. While on Day 1, students were given enough time to prepare and tweak their presentations, on Day 2 they had to quickly adapt to a new task and work under time pressure.

The results will be announced during a lavish Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony at Vienna’s Palais Schönburg where the teams can relax and enjoy the festivities after a very intense week. The first, second, and third-place winners will receive 10,000, 4,000, and 2,000-euro travel vouchers, respectively, and will have the opportunity to meet Henkel CEO Kasper Rorsted. Even though there can only be one winner, the students have all gained valuable business experience and networking opportunities throughout the competition.

Experience the challenge for yourself in the pictures below: