ModelOFF is a, annual, two-hour, online contest in which thousands of people from over hundred countries compete. As you might have guessed it, the contest aims to square off Excel and Finance geeks in a bid to find the best, or the smartest, financial modeler. In the video below Johann describes some very interesting aspects of the ModelOFF contest.
Let’s see what he has in the bag for us!
1 – From Online to Real World
Since the very nature of ModelOFF encourages development of a wide and engaged community, it is natural to try to translate that into a real world social experience. Hence, Johann with ModelOFF co-founder John and other staff members convened 16 ModelOFF meet ups in different major finance cities around the world. The events were successful in attracting a lot of professionals, from those who are passionate about Excel to financial modeling experts or high-end investment bankers.
2 – ModelOFF’s Growing Popularity
ModelOFF does for financial modeling experts what international science and mathematics contests do for students. It gives them an opportunity to test their skills against their peers without regards to geographical boundaries. It is not surprising that some ex-hedge fund managers have been part of this contest.
ModelOFF has fostered a vibrant, online community where people can easily get answers for their Excel or financial modeling queries from like-minded people.
3 – ModelOFF Global Training Camp
This two-day camp is targeted at some of the best young financial analysts. Delivered under a partnership with some of the best trainers, educators and experienced professionals out there, it covers streams from advanced Excel to investment banking.
4 – Biggest Challenges
Some of the biggest challenges ModelOFF faced in trying to get off from being just an idea to a reality included convincing people that it was not just an Excel competition like all the others. This meant establishing the credibility of the competition was extremely important. Hence, flying the 16 finalists of the first ModelOFF to Microsoft’s New York office made all the sense in the world.
Establishing this credibility was the biggest struggle. Gaining support from Microsoft, Bloomberg and S&P Capital IQ in the first year helped the competition immensely. From the second iteration, things took off much more smoothly.
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If you are passionate about Finance or would like to know more about ModelOFF, then now is the perfect time to get started.
Do not forget to share this with other Finance geeks you know of.
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