ABOUT THE COMPETITION

Creative Shock is a global social business case competition for students which first took place in 2011. Participants every year are gathered to solve finance, marketing, PR and strategy problems for social businesses. By organizing this competition, we seek to introduce students to real-life global social business models and to communicate how all traditional business strategies can be applied to social enterprises and organizations, improve students’ strategic thinking by challenging them with real marketing and management problems, promote social business all around the world.

Participants have to solve two social business cases in the preliminary rounds. The best 10 teams gather in Vilnius, Lithuania to solve the two final cases.

If you are experiencing any difficulties contact us directly at info@creativeshock.lt for more information.

Official rules
OFFICIAL RULES OF CREATIVE SHOCK

1. Eligibility Requirements:

1.1. All participants must be Bachelor’s, Master’s, or MBA students from any discipline who will still be studying at University by the end of the competition on November 26, 2023.

1.2. Participants may apply either individually or in teams of 3-4 members. Those who register as individuals will be assigned to groups of 3-4 members by the Creative Shock organizing team.

1.3. Each team must appoint a team captain who will be responsible for communication between the team and the Creative Shock organizers.

1.4. There is no limit of teams that are able to participate from the same University/Institution.

1.5. A participant is not allowed to be a member of more than one team.

1.6. Team members are allowed to be from different universities and countries.

1.7. Organizers of previous years’ Creative Shock are not able to participate.

1.8. By applying to Creative Shock every applicant agrees to receive newsletters from the organization.

2. Preliminary rounds:

2.1. Each registered team is given two preliminary social business case studies to solve which are later

evaluated by a team of experts. The weights of the first and second preliminary cases are 60%

and 40% respectively.

2.2. All material that is related to the competition will be provided in English.

2.3. All assignments of any competition round have to be solved and submitted in English.

2.4. The teams which send the solutions after the given deadline will be disqualified.

2.5. All the material provided for the participants must not be used for any commercial purposes

without permission from Creative Shock organizers.

3. Final Weekend:

3.1. Top 10 teams will have an opportunity to participate in the final weekend activities.

3.2. During the Final Weekend 5 finalists’ teams will be selected out of the TOP 10 by solving a social business pitch.

3.3. 5 finalists’ teams will have to solve the final business case and present them to the honorable jury.

4. Key dates:

4.1. Registration September 1, 2023 – September 24, 2023

4.2. First preliminary round September 25, 2023 – October 1, 2023

4.3. Second preliminary round October 2, 2023 – October 8, 2023

4.4. Final weekend November 23, 2023 – November 26, 2023

FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Have you not heard about Creative Shock yet? Here is some information about the innovative and probably the most outstanding social competition!
Every year there are extraordinary social businesses; the untouched aspects of business also have to be analyzed and understood.
Therefore, the global social business competition, or in other words Creative Shock, provides unique opportunities to solve real-world business, marketing, and public relations problems for social enterprises and organizations. The teams are then evaluated by professionals according to their solved cases and creativity.
By organizing this competition, our team seeks to:
1. To promote social business in Baltic states and all around the world.
2. To introduce students to real-life global social business models and communicate how all traditional business strategies can be applied to social enterprises and organizations.
3. To improve students” strategic thinking by challenging them with real marketing and management problems.

What is social business?

A social business is a non-dividend company that is created to address and solve a communal issue.

What are the prizes?

The Third place team members will divide 500 EUR, the Second place team 1000 EUR, and the Team of Winners will divide 3000 EUR.

REGISTRATION:

What is the registration price?

  1. Registration is free.
  2. The Top 10 teams invited to the Final Weekend in Vilnius will have to pay a 40 EUR/per person participation fee.

How does the registration process look like?

Registration opens on September 1. We will accept registrations until September 24, 20:00 (UTC+03:00, Eastern European Summer Time Zone). You can register as a team of 3-4 students or individually.
Individually registered participants are randomly assigned to teams consisting of 3-4 people after the end of registration, or you can find your teammates in a dedicated Facebook group.

Who can register for the competition?

Bachelor’s, Master’s, and MBA students who will still be studying at University by the end of the competition, November 26, 2023.

How many people can register? Can I register as an individual?

Participants may apply either individually or in teams of 3-4. If one registers individually, the participants will be divided into teams of 3-4 before the first round and will manage their work by themselves using any means of communication available to the members.

Can we register as a team of 2?

No, the team must have 3 or 4 members. If there are only two of you, you can either find a third member or register individually to be assigned random team members from all over the world.

Did you get my registration?

After you register, you will receive a confirmation letter from us. If you don’t receive the email within 1 hour of your registration, please refer to info@creativeshock.lt

COMPETITION:

How does the competition look like?

Each registered team is given two preliminary social business case studies to solve, which are later evaluated by a team of experts. The weights of the first and second preliminary cases are 60% and 40%, respectively. Online cases are solved in our partner platform “Cubimo”. The Top 10 teams are invited to the Final Weekend in Vil-nius, Lithuania, where they will be competing for the Grand Prize and attending a conference about social business.

How many stages does the competition have?

There are four main stages: Registration, 1st preliminary case study, 2nd preliminary case study, and the Final Weekend.

Key dates of the competition:

Registration: September 1, 2023 – September 24, 2023

First preliminary round: September 25, 2023 – October 1, 2023

Second preliminary round: October 2, 2023 – October 8, 2023

Final weekend: November 23, 2023 – November 26, 2023

How many teams will participate in the finals?

The Top 10 best performing teams will be invited to compete in the Final Weekend, which will be held here in Vilnius, Lithuania.

We sent the wrong answers before. Can we send the right solutions now (after the deadline)?

We are sorry to say that you are not allowed to send the edited solutions now as it would be considered unfair to other participants.
Only the answers which we received first will be taken into account.

Who are the judges of the competition (the 1st and the 2nd stages)?

The first preliminary case is evaluated by the jury composed of Creative Shock Intelectual partner representatives and organising team. For the sake of being objective, it should be noted that the submitted results are graded with the help of a standardized evaluation system. The results of the second preliminary case are assessed by the Lithuanian Marketing Association (LiMA). Our intellectual partners will judge the final cases.

How will you use our case solutions?

Solutions that were provided for the real-life cases will be shared with the businesses or organizations to help them cope with the issue, get inspired, or use the ideas to expand.

How many cases will teams have to solve during the Final Weekend?

There will be two cases – one case will be for the Top 10 teams, which they will have 4 hours to solve. Another one will be for the Top 5 teams. They will have 8 hours to solve the given case.

FINAL WEEKEND:

Where is the final event going to be held?

The final event will be held at ISM University of Management and Economics in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Do I need a visa? How to get it?

You can check if you need a visa here: http://www.doyouneedvisa.com/. It will also tell you what documents are required to get it.

Will you be able to help me with the visa?

Absolutely! We are at your service and ready to help. You can contact us anytime with any questions you might have using our info@creativeshock.It email. If the questions are regarding the visa process, please mention that in the subject line, e.g., “(Team name) visa application.

Who is paying for the trip?

You have to cover the travel expenses yourself. Many universities are willing to cover such expenses as this is a possibility for their students to learn, improve and adapt the skills learned at the university practically. That is why we strongly advise you to contact your home university and get details about a possible refund.

Who is paying for the accomodation?

Creative Shock will provide both food and accommodation for your stay during the competition (November 23 – November 26). If the finalists decide to stay in Vilnius for a longer period, they will have to cover the extra expenses themselves.

How much does the participation in the Final Weekend cost?

The Top 10 teams invited to the Final Weekend in Vilnius will have to pay a 40 EUR/per person participation fee.

MISCELLANEOUS:

Who are the event organizers?

It is the Students’ Association of ISM University of Management and Economics with the help of the project’s partners.

Can I get the certificate of participation?

Yes! At the end of the competition, every participant will be able to get a certificate of participation in digital form. Please send us an email at info@creativeshock.It to request it (please include the name of your team). Keep in mind that we will need some time to prepare it for you.

Who sponsors the competition?

All sorts of companies sponsor creative Shock. You can find all our sponsors on our website in the Partners section

How many people participate in the competition?

The number of participants is varying every year – from 500 to 1800.

Follow us:

Webpage: creativeshock.lt

FB: @creativeshock.org

Instagram: @creativeshock

LinkedIn: @creative-shock

Youtube: Creative Shock

Twitter: @Creative_Shock

VILNIUS

One of the opportunities for Creative Shock finalists will be to visit the capital of Lithuania. There are a lot of places to visit not only in Vilnius city but also in Vilnius countryside. For further information please check page: https://www.whereisvilnius.com/

Why should you visit VILNIUS?

The “high universal significance” of Vilnius Old Town led to its inclusion on the UNESCO list. Beautiful examples of the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical architectural styles all coexist in a medieval plan that is beautifully green and vibrant, preserving most of its original architecture. Vilnius offers something for every eye, whether it’s a panoramic view from the top of the 326-meter TV Tower or a close-up of one of the 200 magnificent works of art on Literat Street. You’re in for a surprise at nearly any random corner, starting with the more than forty churches that tinkle the sky with their bell towers and continuing as you see street art by well-known artists like Millo, Os Gemeos, and Tank Petrol, among others. We think that might be enough to consider choosing Creative Shock as your final destination for final case competition! Vilnius awaits!

PRELIMINARY ROUNDS

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FIRST ROUND

In the first round teams of 3-4 students solve a social business case. Those who register as individuals will be divided into teams or will have an opportunity to join the Facebook group and find their teammates there. The first-round solution counts for 60% of the final score of two preliminary rounds.

The first preliminary round takes place online on September 25th – October 1st.

SECOND ROUND

In the second round, participants have to create a low-cost, unconventional advertising idea for social business. The aim is to promote the given initiative and publicize a social problem. The second round task is presented in short presentation videos and evaluated by representatives of the Lithuanian Marketing Association. The second round solution counts for 40% of the final score of two preliminary rounds.

The second preliminary round takes place online on October 2nd – October 8th.

THE FINALS

DAY 1

The first day begins with an opening ceremony of the final weekend and welcoming words for TOP 10 teams. After that, the participants are involved in activities meant to get them acquainted with each other. In the evening, the teams improve their creativity and communication skills in a creative workshop. Afterwards, they attend a live music event.

DAY 2

The second day is dedicated to deepen participants’ knowledge about the concept of social business through workshops and discussions. At the end of the day all teams participate in the Cultural Evening, where they present their countries and have a chance to find out about other cultures’ traditions.

DAY 3

The third day begins with the Social Business Conference. Open lectures are held for the finalists and the public. International and local speakers share their ideas and thoughts on global business trends and social entrepreneurship. During the second part of the day, the teams are introduced to the Final Case study. The teams have only one night to provide their solutions and present them the next day to the jury of social entrepreneurs and business experts.

DAY 4

During the final day of the competition teams present their solutions of the Final Case study. After announcing and awarding the winners, the Networking event is held where the teams, jury, partners and social organizations share their impressions about the final weekend.

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