360 Degrees Consulting Challenge

All about 360 Degrees Challenge

The initiative was organised by the Associates Consulting Club and the Investment Management Club with the support of the Aleksander Foundation. The aim of the event was to introduce a real business case to university students, and in less than 48 hours they had to come up with proposals. This year's challenge was to develop a new product for a Bulgarian fashion brand - Lazarini - and consider the marketing, operational and financial steps required for launching.

The event took place at the American University in Bulgaria from 21. to 23. April 2023. More than 30 participants in 9 teams proposed their new product idea in front of an experienced jury of consultants. Each team had 10 minutes to present their business idea. The jury included Martin Iliev, Managing Director at the Aleksander Foundation, ex-McKinsey consultant, and previous president of the Investment Management Club, Elena Radeva - Business Administration professor, ex-KPMG consultant, and a chaperone of the London Trip organised by the foundation, Nikolay Lazarinov - Manager of Lazarini, and the co-founders of the Associates Consulting Club - Geni Trayanoff (consultant at EY), and Desislava Arnaudova (Marketing Specialist).

The team of Emilia Shirinyan, Elena Zaharieva, and Desislava Ivanova won the challenge after proposing a stylish leather bag as a final product. The runner-up team included Reneta Georgieva, Ani Kovacheva, and Brigita Andonova, who proposed a sweatshirt with a removable hoodie. The team of Yulvie Izet, Niko Kohalidze, and Vahtangi Kutubitze on positioned in third place suggested a reversible coat.

All participants had the chance to experience business first-hand, interact with an experienced jury, and gain a deeper knowledge of the consumer & fashion industries.