The Sobey School of Business was buzzing as students from across Atlantic Canada gathered for the inaugural Atlantic Sustainable Marketing Case Competition (ASMCC).
Twelve undergraduate teams from Saint Mary’s University, Dalhousie University, the University of New Brunswick and the University of Prince Edward Island tackled real-world marketing challenges through a sustainability lens, with more than 80 students, faculty, judges, sponsors and volunteers participating.
From idea to reality
Katie and Chris welcome participants to the case competition
ASMCC started as a bold idea from student co-chairs Katie Murray and Chris Nemeskeri, aiming to give students hands-on experience solving real-world business challenges.
"I’m super proud of what Chris and I have built together from scratch," says Katie Murray. "Starting all of it was a learning curve, but it gave me so much experience for my future endeavours."
"Our goal was to create a platform for students to tackle real-world challenges through a sustainable and innovative lens," says Chris Nemeskeri.
With support from advisor Dr. Hao Lu and Dean of the Sobey School Dr. Michel Delorme, the team managed everything—from branding and sponsorships to logistics—turning a student-led idea into a full-scale competition
The challenge
This year’s case partner, Sprout Dwellings, challenged teams to rethink their marketing strategy as the company transitioned from business-to-consumer to business-to-business marketing while expanding into larger developments.
Students had just three days to analyze the case, submit slide decks and present their solutions to a panel of judges. The case, designed by Jocelyn Grabke and Yanting Wu, has been submitted to the Sustainability Case Writing Awards through Ivey Publishing.
After preliminary rounds, six teams advanced to the finals, showcasing creativity, strategy and professionalism.
Top honours went to:
1st Place – Saint Mary’s University: Vaishali Sachdeva, Trang Truong, Hazza Sujeer, Chloe Pobjoy-Ridolfo
2nd Place – Dalhousie University: Ryan Ski, Jaime Mason, Naomi Johnston
3rd Place – University of New Brunswick: Rahma Khanes, Domenica Vasco, Natalie Liscuna, Matthew Heans
Judges praised the level of preparation and insight. "The level of preparation and creative thinking was inspiring," said one judge.
Expanding sustainability in the Sobey School of Business
ASMCC highlights Saint Mary’s growing focus on sustainability and experiential learning. Building on the competition’s success, the Sobey School of Business will launch a new sustainability-focused major in Fall 2026.
The Sustainability Management Program will prepare students to integrate responsible practices throughout a business. Students will tackle real-world challenges, develop sustainable solutions and gain the skills to lead organizations with social and environmental impact in mind. Learn more here.