The Christmas holidays came and went, but the Masters in Marketing Management (M3) students had one more big challenge before their winter break: the Industrat business game simulation.

Over the course of four days, the marketing students rolled up their sleeves and put their B2B decision-making skills to the test. The game simulated eight years of operation in a business-to-business company, and gave students insights into the countless different factors that are considered when making real-life business strategies.

“It was a fun business game to give us a glimpse into how B2B decisions are made,” said M3 student Jason Serck. “Sometimes it’s better to learn these concepts outside of the classroom through cases and simulations, rather than through lectures.”

On day one, students were nervous about what to expect. From reading a large manual before beginning to understand the various rules and concepts of the Industrat world, there was quite a bit of preparation and high-level analysis involved in the process.

However, once students made their way through the first few simulations, it was apparent that not only were they learning more and more about B2B decision-making, but they were also having some fun with it, too.

The four-day simulation was tiring, certainly, but it was a great last push before students had the chance to enjoy winter break. The two weeks leading up to break were exhausting, but still fun and insightful–the typical Vlerick combination. Industrat proved to be a challenge of course, but it was a challenge that students welcomed and tackled head-on.

Words: Ali Colwell, Master in Marketing Management (M3) 2016