From Classroom to Boardroom: How QUT Business Students Are Driving Innovation for the Australian Grand Prix

In Semester 2, 2024 QUT Business School students had the ultimate opportunity to tackle a real-world problem for the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC). Responsible for delivering two of Australia’s most iconic motorsport events—the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP)—the AGPC asked over 600 final-year business students to think big and devise innovative strategies to attract more international visitors to these sell-out spectacles.

The best part? The top three performing teams were flown down to Melbourne to pitch their solutions directly to AGPC’s C-Suite and stakeholders from Tourism Victoria.

The Challenge: Fuelling Tourism Through Innovation

As part of the final year Bachelor of Business capstone unit, Real World Ready, students work in multidisciplinary teams to solve pressing business challenges with real industry partners. AGPC’s Senior Manager of Innovation, Chris Rootkin, visited QUT to brief the students personally.

Bachelor of Business (Marketing) student Naomi Nott agreed, “we had to think outside of the box, be creative and think globally. It was exciting trying to figure out how to connect AGPC with an international audience.”

Presenting to the AGPC C-Suite in Melbourne

Over the semester, the students worked closely with AGPC to research and design their solutions, under the guidance of Real World Ready unit coordinator, Dr Mazlan Maskor. “The students amazed me with their ability to think outside the box. They were fearless in challenging industry norms and conventions to come up with solutions,” he said.

Out of hundreds of amazing ideas, Dr Maskor had to narrow it down to three top teams. They were then flown down to Melbourne by AGPC to present to their C-Suite, including Chris Rootkin, as well as CEO of AGPC ,Travis Auld, and key Tourism Victoria representatives.

For Marianna and Naomi, this opportunity was the cherry on top of their final year.

“When we got the email that we were selected to go to Melbourne we were all screaming, we were so excited,” Marianna shared. “Pitching our ideas in Melbourne, in the AGPC office, surrounded by F1 cars was surreal and a testament to our team's hard work.”

Naomi had a similar experience, “I remember when we found out we were selected, the group immediately got on a call, and we were all just thrilled. We were being given the chance to not just act like consultants, but be consultants.”

The AGPC team were thoroughly impressed with the solutions, particularly their grasp of the business challenge and the complexities of the industry.

“Their ideas were innovative, practical and realistic. Some are ready to implement immediately, while others offer long-term potential. The students should be confident that they’ll see some of their ideas play out in the future,” Travis shared.

The impact of real-world learning

The Real World Ready unit exemplifies QUT’s commitment to bridging the gap between academic theory and professional practice. “Our graduates are equipped to solve complex business problems and deliver real impact,” said Dr Maskor.

For students like Marianna, the experience has been transformative. “Working on this project has been amazing for my professional growth,” Marianna shared, “It’s been exciting to dive into the consulting world and I can’t wait to apply everything I've learned to the real world in my upcoming internship.”

For Naomi, this marked the transition from student to business professional, “To go to Melbourne and be treated as a professional has been exhilarating,” she told us, “I’ve grown a lot working on this project.”

The partnership also provided invaluable insights for AGPC. “Collaborating with QUT has been incredibly rewarding,” said Chris. “The fresh perspectives and innovative ideas these students brought to the table have been really valuable for us.”