From the first brief to the final pitch: a timeline, the deliverables to ask for, and how to keep it fair.
01Start with the dates, backwards
Pick the final pitch date first, then work backwards. Judging needs a few days, finalists need time to rework their deck, and the preliminary round needs at least a week for teams who are also studying.
A common shape is two weeks of registration, a case release, about a week for the preliminary round, a few days of judging and a week for finals.
02Find your case and your judges early
The case partner and the judges set the quality ceiling. Confirm them before you open registration, so the event page can name the brief's industry and the panel.
03Ask for less, more precisely
Every extra deliverable is something teams can get wrong and judges have to read. A solution deck with a slide limit and a one-page executive summary is usually enough for round one.
Write the limits into the requirement itself - file type, size and page count - so they're checked on upload instead of argued about later.
04Decide your lateness rules before anyone is late
Will you accept late work? Marked late, or not at all? Who can grant an extension, and for what reasons? Publish the answer in your rules.
When you make an exception, record the reason. It protects you as much as the team.
05Run finals as their own round
Create a finals round open only to the selected teams. Their earlier work stays on record, and nobody else can submit to finals by mistake.