Challenge
A global consumer products company was preparing its annual leadership meeting for
over 350 emerging leaders—a critical event focused on business alignment, collaboration, and growth.
In previous years, the meeting had followed a traditional format of presentations and breakout discussions. While informative, feedback consistently revealed that participants left feeling inspired but not equipped to apply what they learned. Engagement was high during the sessions, but retention and real-world impact were limited.
The Learning & Development team recognized a major opportunity: rather than another meeting filled with slides and speeches, they needed an experience that would transform learning into action, something that would energize participants, build business acumen, and create lasting behavioral change.
Solution
The company partnered with Advantexe to transform the meeting into a high-energy, simulation-based learning experience centered on Advantexe award winning Aries Business Simulation.
The Aries Simulation is an immersive, team-based business challenge where participants step into the role of an executive team running a virtual company. Teams make interconnected decisions across functions—pricing, marketing, operations, and talent management—while managing resources to maximize both short-term performance and long-term growth.
Beyond strategy and collaboration, the simulation placed a strong emphasis on financial literacy. Participants experienced how their decisions impacted key financial statements in real time:
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The income statement shows how pricing, cost, and sales decisions influenced revenue and profit.
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The balance sheet reveals how investments and asset utilization affect overall company health.
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The cash flow statement illustrates how day-to-day operational decisions influence liquidity and long-term sustainability.
This hands-on experience allowed learners to see the ripple effect of every decision across the organization, bridging the gap between functional expertise and enterprise-level thinking.
To amplify engagement, Advantexe introduced a real-time leaderboard that displayed team rankings after each round, fueling friendly competition and encouraging participants to think critically about financial outcomes and strategic alignment.
By combining competition, collaboration, and real-world financial insight, the simulation turned a traditional meeting into a powerful learning experience—one that left participants not only more engaged but also more financially savvy.
Results
The simulation transformed what had once been a passive meeting into a dynamic, experiential learning event. Participants walked away not just entertained, but empowered with tangible new insights into how their decisions drive business success.
Key outcomes included:
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94% of participants rated the session as the most engaging part of the meeting.
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Financial Literacy Improvement - Significant improvement in financial literacy, as participants demonstrated a stronger understanding of key concepts like profit margin, return on investment, and cash flow.
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Enhanced collaboration and alignment, as teams discussed how business decisions affect all functions, not just their own.
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The event generated such enthusiasm that several business units requested to integrate the Aries Simulation into their ongoing development programs.
One participant shared:
“This was the first company meeting where I actually felt like I was part of the business strategy, not just hearing about it. Competing against other teams made the learning fun and real.”
By replacing "slides" with simulation and competition, the company turned its annual meeting into a learning laboratory for leadership, one that continues to inspire better thinking, better decisions, and better results.
