The 3rd CMAU National Market Research and Business Planning Competition for College Students Final (hereafter “the Competition”), sponsored by CMAU, co-sponsored by Credamo, hosted by LUSM and supported by Lanzhou Zhuangyuan Pasture Co., Ltd., Gansu Mogao Industrial Development Co., Ltd. and Gansu Yasheng Industrial (Group) Co., Ltd., was successfully held in LZU on May 26th.

The opening ceremony was held at 8:30 a.m. Wang Tao, Chairman of CMAU, Shu Chengli, Director of CMAU Western Region, Yao Kai, Founder of Credamo, He Wensheng, Dean of LUSM and Dean of the School of Economics, Wang Lei, Deputy Director of Academic Affairs Office of LZU, and Lei Liang, Director of the Department of Marketing Management of LUSM attended the opening ceremony. It was presided over by Zhao Yanhai.

Wang Lei, Deputy Director of the Academic Affairs Office of LZU, said in his speech that LZU, as the organizer, has always been committed to school construction and talent cultivation, and the Competition provides a platform for students to show themselves, and the hosting of the Competition reflects LZU’s concept of talent cultivation and scientific and technological innovation.

He Wensheng delivered a speech on behalf of LUSM, highlighting that LUSM adheres to its mission and four strategies, and has achieved great results in the process of development. Marketing, as an important part of the business administration discipline, needs to create value with innovative thinking, and the Competition reflects the scientific and leading nature of the marketing discipline.

Wang Tao, Chairman of CMAU, stated in his speech that the Competition adheres to the proposition format utilized by previous enterprises and is dedicated to transforming genuine business challenges into inspiring and practically significant competition topics. This will provide students with a platform for conducting market research and devising business plans. By delving deep into understanding market demand and consumer needs, students will enhance their skills in market analysis, business planning, and project management, thereby establishing a solid foundation for their future careers.

Lei Liang, Director of the Department of Marketing Management, read out the defense process and rules, introduced the content requirements and evaluation criteria of the report, as well as the competition notes.

After the opening ceremony, the defense session was held. A total of 52 teams were shortlisted for the final round of the Competition, and the defense teams were divided into two groups, with a total defense time of 15 minutes for each team, of which 10 minutes were used for the presentation and elaboration of the works and 5 minutes for answering the questions of the judges, who would give comprehensive scores based on the works and performance of the teams.

The closing ceremony of the Competition was held at 17:40 p.m. Four judges of the Competition made wonderful comments on the performance of the participating teams, such as Niu Yongge, Director of Marketing Department of Business School of Sichuan University, Li Chunqing, Director of Enterprise Development and Management Department of Northwestern University, Yang Yi, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Lanzhou Zhuangyuan Pasture Co., Ltd., and Du Guangzhen, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Gansu Mogao Industrial Development Co., Ltd.

The experts highlighted the strong professional capabilities of the participating team, showcasing the students’ comprehensive skills and positive attitude in marketing management-related fields. Simultaneously, they conducted a thorough analysis from various perspectives to identify areas for improvement among the participating teams and provided suggestions for enhancing market research and planning strategies.

Lei Liang, Director of the Marketing Department of LUSM, announced the results of the competition, a total of 29 teams won the first prize and qualified for the national finals.

Shu Chengli, Director of CMAU and Director of the western region of the Competition, delivered a speech at the closing ceremony. On behalf of the organizing committee, he expressed gratitude to the leaders and teachers for their support throughout the Competition. He extended his congratulations to all winning teams and emphasized that this Competition has continued its tradition of enhancing students’ abilities through enterprise propositions, aiming to cultivate more talents with an innovative spirit and practical skills for both enterprises and society.

Yao Kai, the founder of Credamo, stated that the Competition is designed to facilitate teams in effectively solving problems, so the format of the Competition requires teams to provide executable solutions.

Liu Yajun, Secretary of LUSM CPC Committee, stated in his speech that the works in the Competition showcased a remarkable level of professionalism and innovation, which not only reflected the depth and breadth of their market research, but also demonstrated the innovation and practically of business planning. He anticipates continued collaboration between the school and competition organizer in order to contribute to advancing higher education initiatives and fostering scientific research.

Launched in January this year, the Competition is divided into four regions: East, West, South and North, with more than 530 higher institutions participating and 32,418 applicants, covering 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government. In the western region, more than 4,000 students and 1,100 teams participated in the Competition, including Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Lanzhou University, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an University of Technology and other higher institutions.