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DATE: April 18, 2008
 10 Years of History…and Frequent Flyer Miles
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, this case competition is the premier event for global business, immersing 64 students, from Copenhagen to Bangkok, in real-world strategy sessions. During its decade-long history, the Global Business Center at the Foster School of Business has hosted undergraduate teams from 87 business schools in 45 countries and 18 U.S. states. Teams have traveled more than 1.4 million miles to arrive in Seattle and the competition has spawned friendships, online social networks and even a couple of romances.
The Challenge
Each year the business school works with a globally focused company to generate a "live" case—meaning a bona fide, timely challenge—that student teams tackle with just 48 hours to create a presentation. This year’s case, written by faculty members Debra Glassman and Helen Adams, asked participating teams to help Starbucks’ Entertainment & Music division increase its international market.
From Sweet Sixteen to Final Four
After a preliminary round where all sixteen teams presented their analysis about Starbuck’s Entertainment division, four teams were selected for the final round: Foster School of Business (UW), National University of Singapore, University of South Carolina, and Seoul National University. These four teams presented to a new group of corporate judges, among them a Starbucks representative.
250 people crowded in to catch the final round, while many others watched live on the first ever Global Business Case Competition (GBCC) Final Round webcast. The National University of Singapore emerged as this year’s champion, using an approach that leveraged detailed country research to refresh the concept of "think globally, act locally." The University of Washington team went home with the People’s Choice Award voted by the other teams, audience members, and the webcast audience.
"Going back to core competency with a focus on coffee" was how junior Jenny DeWhitt summarized her team’s strategy in Saturday’s 10th annual GBCC, hosted by the UW’s Michael G. Foster School of Business. "We felt that any attempt by Starbucks to market music should focus on and enhance the overall experience of what Starbucks is really about: coffee." (Excerpt from "It’s business time," The Daily, Casey Smith, April 17, 2008)
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