AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS WEEK
STUDENT REVIEWS
ANDREA DANG
Throughout the ABW experience, I got the opportunity to experience what it would actually be like to run and promote a business. As Zen Hotel, we created our own product, the Zen Frames, while also developing a range of other materials to make our business feel like a real hotel. This included writing an annual report, creating a brochure, designing gift bags for our investors, developing an app, creating discount codes, name tags and business cards, and even producing our own branded pen. We also had to design and set up a trade display to showcase our business and products.
ABW involved much more than just creating a business idea. We also completed a hotel simulation, where we had to make decisions and respond to different situations that could happen in a real hotel. Different teams worked on projects such as media release, real-life hotel case studies and TV advertisement. All these activities gave us a better understanding of the different areas involved in running a business, including marketing, finance, communication, teamwork and decision-making. Although there were challenges along the way, ABW was a valuable experience because it allowed us to put what we had learned in class into practice and experience what it is like to work as part of a real business.
ELLEN HEEPS
The ABW program was a fun and enjoyable experience that taught me how to work as a team. I was part of The Blue Horizon Resort team. I helped create marketing materials such as posters, business cards, and employees name tags. I contributed my share of the company report and participated in the TV advertising. Throughout the week I learned communication skills and strategies within the business to try and attract customers.
One of my favorite parts of the program was creating our hotel The Blue Horizon Resort and coming up with ideas to make our product stand out from other companies such as our Ocean Mist Fragrance. Overall, ABW gave me a better understand of how a business is operated and it was a great learning experience as well as having a fun time with friends.
ADDISON HOBBS
Two weeks ago my school and many other schools took part in Australian Business Week, a week-long program in which students work in teams to experience the reality of running a business, during the week we took on different roles such as CEO, finance, marketing and operations making business decisions like running a computer simulation that mimics real market conditions and business quarters whilst also competing against other teams, we had to market our hotel and create a new product from scratch to go along with our hotel we had to create trade displays, advertisements stationary to promote our hotel and product that is analysised and judged at the end of the week.
Our team created and marketed our own product, Zen Frames, as a part of our Zen Hotel. The Zen Frames were sustainable smart glasses that could be used for different hotel experiences, including turning into 3D glasses in the cinema and providing meditation features in the spa. We also developed marketing materials such as brochures and posters to promote our hotel and product. Throughout the week we had to work as team to make decisions about marketing finance, staffing, public relations and our product. ABW helped us understand how businesses operate while improving our teamwork, communication, problem solving and decision making skills, a week we won’t forget!
COOPER MILTON
Australian Business Week was a week filled with knowledge and commitment. During my time in the program, I was able to group up with a bunch of different people I didn’t know very well and form a close bond with them, helping and assisting every team member where possible.
Over the course of the week I learned new skills, how to work as a team, and how to share my own advice. This experience is highly recommended to any and all Year 11 students doing VCE VM and VCE legal studies, accounting, economics, and business management.
TYLER MONTEBELLO
The ABW Program gave students the chance to experience what it is like to run a business. During the week, teams had to make decisions about money, marketing, public relations, customer service and business plans. We also had to deal with different case studies about legal, environmental and ethical issues. These activities showed us that running a business is not just about making money, but also about making good and responsible decisions.
Teamwork and communication were a big part of ABW. We had to share ideas, listen to others and make decisions as a team. Sometimes we had different opinions, so we had to work together to find the best solution. ABW also helped us understand how marketing can attract customers and build a good reputation. Overall, ABW was a useful experience because it taught us about business while improving our teamwork, communication and decision-making skills.
LYLA OVENDEN
The ABW Game Simulation is a fun way to learn what it is like to run a real business! You work in a team learning how to make decisions and see how they affect your business. It’s fun because you get to make your own choices and compete with other teams or your classmates while learning about things like marketing, money, laws, customer satisfaction and how to really run a business and how it works.
An example from one group this year is a hotel called The Zen, which was an eco-friendly hotel designed to help people feel calm and relaxed. We mainly targeted businesspeople and people looking for a relaxing trip. We also had eco-friendly glasses as a product that was designed to make customers feel calm. One student told us after the game was over that, 'The simulation was a great experience because [they] got to see how our decisions could help our hotel become more successful.'
We definitely recommend getting involved in ABW because it’s a fun and best way to learn about running a business.
