The winning team at the MBA Tournament in Paris: Oxford Saïd’s Bartek Ogonowski (from left), Taimur Tanoli, and Guadalupe Oliver. Courtesy photos
For the first time since the pandemic, HEC Paris held the three-day MBA Tournament in-person, from May 5-7.
The three-day event attracted more than 1,500 MBA students from top business schools around Europe, including Esade Ramon Llull University, London Business School, Imperial Business School, and this year’s tournament winner, University of Oxford Saïd Business School.
As the largest MBA gathering of its kind in Europe, the MBAT includes sporting and cultural activities, networking opportunities, and celebrations to foster inclusiveness, inspiration, and innovation — all alongside a healthy dose of competition. This year, it was the 31st edition of the tournament, and the first post-covid, in-person event since 2019.
“There was definitely an appetite from our students to get back to the HEC Paris campus and take part in a flagship event amongst European schools,” says Matthew Conisbee, Saïd Business School’s MBA director.
“Coming out of two years of reduced events and social activities, it was so nice to see so many people in the same place again, cheering each other on,” adds Saïd MBA student Guadalupe Oliver.
CREATING AN INCLUSIVE, DIVERSE SPACE
Guadalupe Oliver: “nice to see so many people in the same place again, cheering each other on”
Conisbee describes the MBAT as a unique annual opportunity to network with other students. He says that the return to an in-person MBAT after two years of virtual events was incredibly well-received. “We were keen to support the students in attending the MBAT once we knew the Omicron wave had passed its peak,” he says. “This was the first time we had over 200 students travel together since the pandemic.”
The competition works like this: For each event, there are first, second, and third places. First place receives 30 points, second place 20 points, third place 15 points, and all participating teams get two points each. “The idea of this tournament is to create an inclusive, diverse space to bring people together and try to win as a team,” says Taimur Tanoli, an Oxford Saïd MBA student.
Out of the 30 competitions, Oxford Saïd placed first in 15 of them. “Our goal was to have as much fun as possible while still taking it seriously and competitively,” says Tanoli.
CREATING CAMARADERIE
For Tanoli, the tournament allowed him the opportunity to speak with people in his cohort he’d never had the chance to speak to before. “It was a great way to socialize in a non-drinking manner and do something athletic to create bonds,” he says. “This competition is something that business school cohorts can look forward to, and helps to create a sense of camaraderie.”