MONTREAL, Jan. 3 /CNW Telbec/ - Over 150 of the best and brightest MBA students from 36 universities across four continents are coming to Montreal to compete in the John Molson MBA International Case Competition from January 8 to 13, 2007. This is the world's oldest and most prestigious academic business competition. The event is open to the public, and takes place at the Hilton Bonaventure Hotel in Montreal (900 de la Gauchetière West).

In a round-robin format tournament, each participating business school sends four of its top students to battle live in finding the best solutions to real-life challenges faced by major companies (business cases). For this 26th edition, teams are coming from Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Nigeria, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Their solutions are presented to the 250 volunteer judges participating in the event - all senior business executives from corporations across different industries.

In recent years, students were asked to analyse major challenges and provide strategic recommendations to Bombardier, Cirque du Soleil, Exxon Mobil, SNC-Lavalin and Wal-Mart, to name a few. As directed by the competition's official rules, business cases are brand new, have never been published, and are kept in total secrecy until they are simultaneously released to all participants.

Since the very first competition in 1982, the annual event has been organized by MBA students from Concordia University's John Molson School of Business.

Media wishing to attend the competition or interview the participants, should contact Hugues Mousseau at 514 823-9812 or hs_mouss@jmsb.concordia.ca.