HSBC/HKU Business Case Competition 2026 Asia Pacific

Competition Format:

The Competition will take place over 3 qualifying rounds and the Final round.

One of the qualifying rounds will be executed in the new format and is called Boardroom Challenge.

Preparation Rules

PR2-1. Any electronic devices must be switched off in both the preparation rooms and the presentation rooms. This includes tablets, notebooks, iPads, smart watches, PDAs, and all other electronic memory and communication devices.

PR2-2. Reference material (other than material provided by the Asia Case Research Centre) is not allowed.

PR2-3. No personal stationery items are allowed. Each team will be provided with the following:

• markers: red x 2, blue x 2, black x 2
• whiteboard markers: red x 1, blue x 1, black x 1
• basic calculator
• ruler x 2
• ball pens x 4 (blue)
• pencils x 2
• highlighters x 4
• A4 Paper x 40
• Clipboards

PR2-4. During the preparation, the team will be supervised by a Student Ambassador appointed by the organizer. The Student Ambassador will then lead the team from the preparation room in the hotel to the presentation room at HKU.

Presentation Rules

R-1. Laser pointers and similar presentation devices are not allowed.

Other Rules

OR-1. Participants in the competition must not be in contact with any party other than fellow team members (including coaches or other participants) and their student ambassador, through any means, from the start of each round's preparation session to the end of each round's presentation session.

OR-2. Participants should, at all times, follow the instructions of the organizers.

OR-3. Participants should arrive at all venues in a timely manner as per the schedule.

OR-4. Participants who wish to shake hands with the judges must do so immediately upon entering the venue. No additional time will be provided if teams are late for their presentation. If teams have not started the presentation by 10 minutes after the scheduled time, the team will automatically be disqualified from the competition.

OR-5. All team members are required to participate at least once in their respective presentations.

OR-6. Team members who have not participated in at least one presentation are ineligible for any prize or certificate of participation.

OR-7. If one team member is sick or otherwise unable to participate, the team can continue as a team of three. A team that has fewer than three members must forfeit.

OR-8. All teams must attend all rounds of competition, either as participants or observers.

OR-9. All teams must attend all the non-competition events marked on the schedule, including team-building events, company visits, and dinners.

OR-10. Teams who have finished their presentation can watch the presentation of remaining teams in their division. Due to limitations on room size, coaches and students can only watch the presentations in their team's presentation venue.

OR-11. Each team must have a coach accompanying it to Hong Kong and the competition unless the Asia Case Research Centre has granted prior written approval.

OR-12. All participants travelling from outside Hong Kong must obtain travel insurance for the full duration of their trip and share key policy details with their teammates.

OR-13. In the event of any medical needs during the trip, coaches are expected to accompany their students to medical facilities.

OR-14. Teams or team members who fail to comply with the competition rules will be disqualified.

OR-15. If disputes occur, the decision of the Asia Case Research Centre shall be final.

OR-16. The preparation and presentation times for teams may be amended at any time by the Asia Case Research Centre.

OR-17. If in doubt about any of the rules, participants should consult a member of the Asia Case Research Centre.

Boardroom Challenge

Each team has a total of 20 minutes to use across three tasks:

1. Presentation (at least 10 minutes required)
2. Challenge (formerly "Questions")
3. Rebuttal

There is only ONE Challenge and Rebuttal stage per team. So bring clipboards to take notes!

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Preparation

• Each team receives the written case and has 3 hours to prepare in a locked room.
• No external materials, internet, or electronic devices are allowed.
• Teams may only use printed materials provided by the organizers and any handwritten notes they create during this preparation period.

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Debate Sequence

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Timekeeping

• Two official clocks clearly visible to both teams track each team's usage.

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Match Points

• In each head-to-head match, the winning team is awarded 2 points, and the losing team is awarded 0 points.

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Ranking (for 4 Teams)

• After all matches, teams are ranked by total match points.
• The teams receive 3 (1st place), 2 (2nd place), 1 (3rd place), or 0 (4th place).
• Any ties or special circumstances are resolved at the judges' or organizers' discretion.

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Specific Rules

• During the Challenge phase you have to ask QUESTIONS, not make statements.
• You cannot talk to your teammates during the Presentation, Challenge and Rebuttal stages. All communication will have to be in writing.

HSBC/HKU Business Case Challenge 2026 Scoring System

The competition employs a scoring system for all rounds preceding the final round. Bonus points are also rewarded at the opening dinner. The four teams advancing to the final round are selected based on their cumulative total score from the previous rounds and the opening dinner.

Case Rounds

Points are awarded based on the team's placement within their division:

• Division winner: 7 points
• Division 2nd place: 3 points
• Division 3rd place: 1 point
• Division 4th place: 0 points

Boardroom Challenge Round

In the Boardroom Challenge, teams face off one-on-one. The winning team of each face-off earns 2 points. Additionally, judges rank all four teams in the division, awarding points as follows:

• Face-off winner (two teams): 2 points
• Division winner: 3 points
• Division 2nd place: 2 points
• Division 3rd place: 1 point
• Division 4th place: 0 points

Performance and Best Dressed Team

Additional points can be earned at the opening dinner of the competition. The three best performing teams, chosen by VIP guests, will each receive 1 point. The VIP guests will also select the best dressed team, which will be awarded 1 point.

• Best dressed team: 1 point
• Best performance (up to 3 teams): 1 point each

Tie Breaker Rules

In the event that multiple top-ranking teams have an equal number of cumulative points when determining which four teams will advance to the final round, the following tie breaker rules will be applied:

Criterion 1: If the 4th ranked team has the same number of points as the teams ranked 5th or lower, the finalist spot will be awarded to the team that earned the most points in the case rounds and the boardroom challenge rounds combined.

Criterion 2: If Criterion 1 does not resolve the tie, the finalist spot will be awarded to the team that earned the most points in the case rounds.

Criterion 3: If Criterion 2 does not resolve the tie, the finalist spot will be awarded to the team that won when the tied teams faced off in a case round in the same division.

Criterion 4: If Criterion 3 does not resolve the tie, we will calculate the cumulative number of points of the teams that lost against the 4th and 5th ranked teams in the case rounds. The team whose opponents had the higher cumulative score will advance to the final, indicating they beat stronger teams.

Criterion 5: If Criterion 4 does not resolve the tie, the team that scored the most points in the last case round will win the tie breaker.

Criterion 6: If Criterion 5 does not resolve the tie, we will apply Criterion 4 to the last round only to decide the winner.

Criterion 7: If Criterion 6 does not resolve the tie, the winner will be decided by a random draw.