A McDonald
Anna McDonald...
Article on attending 2009 Globle
Challenge.
Day one
We left Invercargill June 20, arrived in Auckland and met ‘Auntie
Robyn’, a SGHS old girl and the woman in charge of us, and then
took a shuttle to Massey University where the event was based.
There we met our teams and mentors. I was part of team DRAFTFCB, an
advertising and marketing agency who are also corporate sponsors of
IEIA. We had time to ‘mingle’ before individually meeting John Key.
As soon as I mentioned Invercargill he started talking about his
visit to the Bluff Oyster Festival, something I have never been
to.
Next we all went into the lecture theatre for speeches and the
official opening of the event. Little did we know that was the last
carefree moment we would have without the intensity and focus that
the next two days would bring.
Day two
Started very early, Auckland traffic is not the same as
Invercargill, 6.30am wake up call, in the car and off to work. The
creator of Red Bull gave us an inspirational speech and Auntie
Robyn, Auntie Sue and Uncle Ewan talked us through the timetable
then we went off to our rooms at Massey. The challenge, for this
day, was the International FedEx Trade Challenge where we had to
create a product to export, a two page business plan and a three
minute oral presentation including a power point, all in about six
hours. Not as easy as it sounds. I was the marketing manager in our
team of eight, the same role as I have in our school Y.E.S.
company. We researched, brainstormed, researched, brainstormed, and
then due to the clock ticking away made a quick decision to move on
and use the best of all the ideas. We came up a product using
fortified milk to meet the vitamin and mineral deficiencies of
young and unborn children in Rural China. This was as a response to
the UNICEF United Call to Action.
By now the pressure was on, only two hours left to meet the
deadline. The business plan was on about four different computers,
which proved to be difficult with 3 minutes to go when it had to be
compiled into one document, put onto one pen drive, taken to be
printed, then sprinted across the courtyard to be handed in.
Somehow we did it and then realised we had 30 minutes to sort out
the presentation. There were three speakers and I was one of them
so I had to write a one minute speech and try to learn it very
quickly which was incredibly intense, just a taste of what the next
day would be like. Each team presented their ideas and the judges
gave us feedback then we were issued the Global Enterprise
Challenge from Scotland.
This was to create an innovative product or service in your country
that would reduce food waste and to help alleviate starvation in
one of the world’s poorest countries.
We headed back to our rooms and we decided we needed to restructure
and evaluate the day. I was appointed Managing Director for this
challenge and we continued to brainstorm the DRAFTFCB way. At
10.30pm it was time to go home and rest for the next day.
Day three.
At DRAFTFCB headquarters, we quickly settled into the amazing
boardroom with incredible focus and knew exactly what we needed to
do differently. We set deadlines, delegated jobs and had regular
updates and before we knew it we were creating bio degradable bags,
fertilizer, plastics from potatoes or a product to sell and use the
money for alleviating starvation. We learned that water is the most
influential resource when trying to alleviate starvation because we
were able to talk to the Chief Executive of UNICEF as he is also
the CEO of DRAFTFCB, a real bonus. By lunchtime we decided to use
the idea of selling worm farms to reduce food waste and then use
the money to help UNICEF alleviate starvation by putting water
systems in places like Tanzania to help grow food. Once again we
were limited for time and ended up writing the presentation in the
car on the way back to Massey during a 45min drive that we only had
30mins to get back for the deadline. Somehow we did it again with
an incredible pack of nerves. After this presentation, we took over
the staff lounge for some tea and a wee relax where we actually
talked about things other than enterprise for the first time. Team
Bartercard were announced Team NZ, a fantastic idea from them,
which we did think of, but so did every other group as there is
only so much you can do with household waste. At 11.30pm it was
time for the very long day to end.
Day four
The last day. We all met at Massey
for the farewell breakfast where Managing Directors each said a
small speech, Massey University $1000 scholarships were given to
each participator, more speeches and the FedEx International Trade
Challenge semi-finalists were announced. This was based on votes
from team members and the mentors and judges.
I was very excited to be selected in this group of ten semi
finalists that eventually became twelve. I am going to Auckland on
Friday 17 July to participate in an intense training weekend where
the New Zealand team of six people will be selected to go to
Singapore and compete in the International competition in early
August.
We were quickly sent on our way to be photographed and then off to
catch the shuttle back to the airport where I thought I would have
to wait for hours but Auntie Robyn pulled through and a few of us
went with her shopping for an hour while the others sat at the
airport or went back to school. On the plane home I was absolutely
exhausted, but knew I had actually survived the weekend.
Thanks so much to the Chamber of Commerce for the
opportunity to compete in the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise
Scheme. Being able to participate in this challenge, the overall
experience, the stress, nerves, excitement, ideas and amazing
people, has all been so fantastic and life changing for me.
I can’t wait to represent Southland as a New Zealand semi-finalist
in the FedEx Trade Challenge starting on July 17 for two days, to
learn so much more, and to participate in another amazing event,
and hopefully be selected to represent New Zealand in Singapore in
August.
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