Ein lachender Mann und eine lachende Frau
Das Gewinnerteam des MARGA Planspiels hält seine Zertifikate hoch

MARGA Online
Competition

The general management training for young professionals

Mann und Frau sitzen lachend zusammen an einem Tisch

The program

Business games are used in personnel development as a further training measure to deepen management knowledge.

In the MARGA Online Competition, the participants actively manage a fictitious company as part of a team. They develop competitive strategies and implement them operationally in all areas of the company. Under realistic conditions and in direct competition with other teams, they position their products on the market and manage operational processes. Participants make their own entrepreneurial decisions and experience their consequences directly.

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  • Global competition

    In the MARGA Online Competition, participants compete against teams from all over the world over a period of six months

  • Web-based &
    self-directed

    The teams can participate virtually in the competition and thus work together across locations

  • Grand online final

    The four best teams move on to the final round and experience an exciting online final with a festive award ceremony

You are interested in the MARGA Online Competition?

We offer free information webinars. Program Director Janine Webb will give you an overview of the program and answer all your questions. Book a suitable date now.

Woman sitting at table in front of laptop
Photo of Janine Webb

A selection of our customers

The Online Competition at a glance

Especially Trainees, Young Professionals, Future Managers – each team consists of up to six persons.

  • Implementation: Online & independent of location
  • Time required: Approx. two working hours per week
  • Duration: Six months
  • Languages: German & English

DAte: The MARGA Online Competition starts each year in November. Next date November 2024 – May 2025

Price: 3,890 € per team; Every fifth team of one company participates free of charge. We also allow a 50 percent discount to universities in terms of the initial professional education.

MARGA offers a full-service package with complete implementation and communication. The program includes kick-off events, live webinars, debriefing sessions, learning videos, Q&A sessions, unlimited tutoring and the online course “Financial Basics”.

Zwei Männer schauen konzentriert auf Laptop

Learning by Doing

Participants gain insights into the interaction between the various areas of a company and learn management skills and apply them practically in a business game.

From goal setting and corporate strategy to sustainable success, participants manage the entire entrepreneurial process. They are supported by knowledgeable MARGA experts who assist the participants with individual tutoring, Q&A sessions and specialist webinars, among other things.

This ensures a successful transfer of knowledge towards entrepreneurial thinking and action.

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The competition in 2 minutes

Gruppe von jungen Menschen arbeiten gemeinsam am Laptop

Ranking MARGA Online Competition 2023/2024

TOP 4 after the third main round

TOP 10

  • 1. Rank

    SCHOTT AG
    Team 14

    1.
    Logo von SCHOTT
  • 2. Rank

    Brose Group
    Team 19

    3.
    Logo von Brose
  • 3. Rank

    Dürr Group
    Team 11

    2.
    Logo von Dürr
  • 4. Rank

    ENNI
    Team 5

    4.
    The logo of ENNI

Learning contents

  • Marketing: Product, Price, Place and Promotion
  • Competitive strategies: Cost Leadership, Differentiation, Focus (Niche)
  • Portfolio Management: Cash cows, Dogs, Question marks, Stars
  • Production planning and  capacity management
  • Investment planning
  • HR management
  • Procurement and logistics
  • Make-or-buy decisions
  • Internal and external financing, equity and debt financing
  • Management of receiveables and accounts payable
  • Value-based Management
  • Financial reports: Balance sheet, Income statement, Cashflow statement, Segment reporting
  • Cost accounting: Full costing, Direct costing
  • KPIs – Profitability, Liquidity, Financing, Asset structure
  • Foreign currency/Hedging
  • Organisation und Interaction in a team
  • Team ability
  • Self-organisation
  • Communication
  • Virtual Teamwork
  • Project management

What our customers say

MARGA has been an established partner for many customers since 1971. Young professionals have been taking part in the online business game competition for many years with great success across all sectors and around the world.
Portraitfoto einer MARGA Kundin

The MARGA Online Competition is an integral part of our Junior Manager Program – our trainee program for executive talents. MARGA makes entrepreneurial thinking tangible without real risks. The high dedication of our trainees has paid off once more: they are in the live final today.

Ruth Ziegler Senior Executives and Talent Management, Robert Bosch GmbH
Portraitfoto von einer MARGA Kundin

In addition to professional training, the MARGA Online Competition gives us the opportunity to promote virtual teamwork between our international locations in a targeted manner. Through high self-motivation and efficient teamwork, this year our two teams have reached the finals – we are thrilled!

Claudia Funke Team lead Human Resources Develey Senf & Feinkost
Portraitfoto eines MARGA Kunden

Where else can high potentials and young professionals practice to act as real entrepreneurs? We play MARGA with mixed teams in which we combine current with former trainees. Like this we achieve interdisciplinary and self organized groups. It’s amazing how much our teams learned about strategy, business management and market development in such a short time. They will certainly benefit from this experience during their day-to-day business. Above all, they both learned and laughed a lot – what a great combination.

Florian Conradi Former program manager trainees, EnBW
Portraitfoto von einem MARGA Kunden

Business studies are a substantial supplement for the overall skills of our young professionals. The conveyance of know how by means of a gaming environment is particularly attractive. Our experience shows us that both studies and a competitive environment are a good combination. After the fourth year of participating at the MARGA Online Competition, this year one of our Vinnolit teams came in first – what a great performance!

Dr. Thomas Karcher, Operations Director, Vinnolit GmbH & Co.KG
Portraitfoto von einem MARGA Teilnehmer

20 Years ago I, myself participated in the MARGA Competition and today I understand why our team was not able to qualify for the next round – that is what I call sustainable learning. Today our OBI trainees participate in the MARGA Online Competition.

Holger Jöhnk Head of HR Headquarters, OBI Group Holding
Portraitfoto einer braunhaarigen Frau

It was a professional pleasure having participated in MARGA! Not only because of the managerial knowledge I have refreshed and put into practice, but also because of the colleagues I had the opportunity to team up with. Apart from that, recognition must be given to the MARGA support team’s members, who were always happy to help out each and every team in the competition. If I had the chance to participate again, I wouldn’t hesitate to say yes!

Participant Priscila Pedrón Luzón Deutsche Bahn
Foto von Teilnehmer bei MARGA Finale

MARGA offers the rare possibility to learn from expensive mistakes at a convenient price.

Finalist Axel Delker REWE Zentral AG
Portraitfoto einer ehemaligen MARGA Teilnehmerin

One team, six people on four different continents and one decision to make – it is just great which possibilities we have today.

Finalistin Anna-Lena Schulz Volkswagen AG
Die MARGA Auszeichnungen

Awards

The MARGA Online Competition is a very special learning experience for all participants. The unique combination of in-depth management knowledge with practical implementation in the business game, teamwork and individual support creates an exceptionally sustainable learning environment. This is confirmed by the Brandon Hall Award and the Comenius Award.

Impressions of the competition

Winning team of the MARGA Online Competition
A laughing man and a laughing woman
Man and woman show on screen
Man and woman look at notes
Man and woman get something explained
Woman writes something on flipchart
Cheering team
One man strikes a winning pose and the other laughs.
Woman and man look at notes
Man writes something into the laptop
Two men look intently at the laptop
Man looks intently at notes
Man and woman sitting happily together
Logo von Handelsblatt und ESMT

Strong partners

The MARGA Online Competition is a joint initiative with ESMT Berlin and the Handelsblatt Media Group and is very popular both nationally and internationally. Our partnership with the Handelsblatt ensures that the business topics are up-to-date. We maintain a high scientific level through our cooperation with ESMT Berlin.

Learn more

Downloads

Mann tipp etwas auf seinem Laptop

The ideal way for personnel development:

✔ Enhancing of entrepreneurial spirit

✔ Overall perspective

✔ International teams

✔ Learning by doing

✔ Ambition due to competition

✔ Team spirit and team ability

✔ Individual tutoring

✔ High fun factor

Ein Werkzeugkasten steht auf dem Boden

MARGA Tool Box

Extend the Online Competition with customized in-class events

The MARGA Toolbox is a flexible modular system that offers the participants of the simulation game additional knowledge and support in various forms that can be integrated into your program according to your wishes and further deepen the underlying content.

Learn more

More about the competition

  • The MARGA Awards are lined up on a table

    Published on May 26, 2023Online Competition

    The winners of the MARGA Online Competition 2022/2023 have been determined!

    After an exciting and eventful two-day live final, the winning team of this year's MARGA online business game competition has been announced!…

  • Logo of Brandon Hall Award

    Published on December 19, 2022Online Competition

    The MARGA Online Competition is awarded with the Brandon Hall Gold Award

    At this year's Excellence in Technology Awards of the Brandon Hall Group, the MARGA Online Business Game Competition was honored with the Gold Award in the category "Learning & Development: Best Advance in Gaming or Simulation Technology".

  • Dices forming the word FAQ

    Published on July 26, 2022Online Competition

    FAQs of HR managers about the MARGA Online Competition

    Here you will find the most frequently asked questions from recruiters about the MARGA online management game competition and our answers.

Registration MARGA Online
Competition:

Conditions:

  • The participation fee per team is 3,890 euros plus VAT.
  • Every fifth team of a company participates free of charge.
  • Each team consists of up to six people.
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