Creative strategy
Target-market rationale, market and competitor analysis, ideas and AI strategy
2026 YOUTH CHALLENGEGlobal e-Business Association
2026 Youth e-Business & AI Trade Practical Competition
Experience trade in the AI era.
Build your expertise.
A team challenge for undergraduate and graduate students across Korea.
Use AI to explore overseas markets, find buyers and run marketing projects. Then present your results.
Practical projects and planning or simulation projects are welcome.
Undergraduate & graduate students in Korea · Team entryApply by Oct 20 (Tue), 18:00 KST
01 / MISSION & EVALUATION
Build an AI-powered global market project.
Choose your team's challenge. Show the work you did and the results you achieved.
Choose your challenge
Select a company, product or idea, then define a challenge in overseas markets, buyer discovery or marketing.
Put AI to work
Execute, plan or simulate your chosen task, such as market research, buyer discovery or proposal creation.
Submit your results
Document your process and evidence in a poster, video, summary and supporting materials. Submit by November 20.
What do we evaluate? 100 points total
Judges assess the reasoning behind your market analysis and export strategy, and the evidence of execution and validation—not how much AI you use.
30 pts
Marketing & execution
Buyer discovery, export marketing content and outreach, and campaign execution
Business outcomes & results
Quantitative and qualitative outcomes: sales, replies, consultations, meetings, samples and negotiations
Poster, video & presentation quality
Logic, clarity, completeness, supporting evidence and ethical compliance
Practical projects are assessed on actual execution and outcomes. Planning and simulation projects are assessed on evidence, sound assumptions, validation plans and feasibility. Clearly distinguish actual outcomes from simulated results.
Explore topic ideas & methods
These are examples. Other topics in e-business, e-commerce or AI trade are also welcome.
Overseas markets & export strategy
Analyze overseas markets and competitors, then select promising export markets and target buyers.
Export marketing
Develop e-commerce sales strategies, AI-assisted product introductions and proposals, or global online promotions.
Buyer discovery & export consultations
Build a prospect database, design outreach and campaigns, and work toward replies, consultations, meetings and negotiations.
Global e-business models
Propose new business models and startup ideas using digital trade and AI.
Record your role and the reasoning behind your decisions
| Activity | Evidence to record |
|---|---|
| Market analysis | Which sources you compared and why you chose the market |
| Buyer discovery | How you selected companies and assessed their fit as trading partners |
| Export marketing | How you connected your product's strengths to buyers' needs |
| Execution & validation | What responses or evidence you found, and what you improved as a result |
For planning and simulation projects, document your evidence, assumptions and validation plan, and distinguish simulated results from actual outcomes. You may build on coursework, club activities or GTEP projects. Separate earlier achievements from work done for this competition. The same presentation that has won an award in another competition is not eligible.
02 / YOUR TIMELINE
Key dates, from application to awards
The 2026 competition schedule. All times are Korea Standard Time (KST, UTC+9).
- Oct 20Tue · 18:00 KST
Application deadline
Submit basic details and a short summary, and pay the team participation fee.
- Nov 20Fri
Final submission
Complete your project after applying. Submit the poster, video, summary and supporting evidence.
- Nov 21–Dec 4
Expert judging
Finalists will be notified individually in early December.
- Dec 19Sat · tentative
Finals, presentations & awards
Dongguk University, Seoul · Exact venue and time to be announced.
Final-round times, the exact venue and presentation format will be announced to participating teams. Details may change with event and conference arrangements.
03 / AWARDS & BENEFITS
Benefits for outstanding winning teams,
including the Grand Prize team.
Certificates and commemorative gifts for Grand Prize, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Encouragement Award winners.
Key benefit for outstanding winning teams
Access support for CONNECT AI's AI Trade Intelligence OS
Keep building your projects after the competition with practical AI trade tools.
Approx. KRW 3 millionin platform usage support
The access period and scope of support will be announced under the final operating plan.
Opportunities after the competition
Pathway to instructor or AI trade consultant roles
Interested award recipients may be considered as appointment candidates after a follow-up skills assessment.
Corporate projects, teaching & consulting opportunities
Participants may be connected with company projects, co-teaching or consulting work suited to their skills and experience.
Professional profile & portfolio support
Get support documenting awards, individual roles and deliverables as evidence of practical skills.
Follow-up opportunities require separate selection based on individual skills, any required training, security and ethics standards, and operating conditions. An award does not guarantee an appointment or project placement.
04 / APPLICATION
How to apply
Review the checklist and participation fee, then complete the form below.
Prepare before you apply
- University, team name and presentation title
- Entry category and project type
- Team representative's name, phone number and email
- All team members, including the representative: name, university, department, phone number and role
- Faculty advisor's name, institution, department and phone number (if applicable)
- Summary of up to 300 characters: company or product, target market, activities, and results or validation plan
Participation feeKRW 50,000 per team
KB Kookmin Bank 270901-04-193166
Account holder: 국제이비즈니스학회 (Global e-Business Association)
Oct 20 · Apply Team details + summary of up to 300 characters
Nov 20 · Final submission Poster + video + summary + supporting evidence
Submit your team’s project materials
Registered teams can submit their poster, video, summary and supporting evidence here. Verify the student representative’s email to continue.
Submit or update project materialsView final submission formats
Provide team details and a short summary when applying. Submit the following final materials by November 20.
Final materials Due November 20
Presentation poster
A1 · 594 × 841 mmFor the poster presentation
Presentation video
Up to 10 minutes · YouTube URLUnlisted recommended · 16:9, Full HD or higher recommended
Presentation summary
Up to 3 A4 pagesBackground, purpose, work, results and expected impact
Supporting evidence
Execution & validation recordsMarket analysis, contact records, marketing materials, replies, consultations and sales results
Video title: [2026 Youth e-Business & AI Trade Practical Competition] Team name / University / Presentation title
File name: Application (or Poster, Summary, Evidence)_Representative name_Presentation title
BEFORE YOU APPLY
Frequently asked questions
Can we enter without actual export results?
Yes. Projects using real companies and products are encouraged, but new ideas with creativity and business potential, including planning and simulation projects, are also welcome. Clearly distinguish simulated results from actual outcomes.
Do we submit the poster and video when applying?
No. Apply with your basic details and a summary of up to 300 characters. Then use the project materials page to submit your poster, video, summary and evidence by November 20. Verify the representative’s email to save drafts and make updates.
Are there limits on team size or faculty advisors?
The guide does not specify a team-size limit. List all team members, including the student representative, and include a faculty advisor if applicable. Contact the secretariat for detailed eligibility questions.
Does winning automatically lead to instructor or consultant work?
No. Awards do not guarantee appointments or project placement. Interested recipients are selected separately based on individual skills, any required training, security and ethics standards, and operating conditions.
View all participation rules
- The same presentation that has won an award in another competition is not eligible. For existing projects, distinguish previous achievements from work done for this competition.
- Submit materials that respect copyright, image rights and personal data requirements. Supporting documents may be requested.
- Do not include confidential company information or buyers' personal data in public materials. Redact materials submitted for judging where needed.
- Fabricated or manipulated company, buyer, sales or consultation records may lead to disqualification or withdrawal of an award.
- Winning projects may be featured in the association's publicity and results sharing after the scope of disclosure is confirmed with the team.
- An award category may be left unfilled if no entry meets the competition's aims and judging standards.
ORGANIZED BY
Global e-Business Association
Global e-Business Association
Competition Chair
Prof. Cho Won-gil · Namseoul University
Competition Co-chair · Content inquiries
CEO Song-Yi Yang · +82 10-8221-3232
Administration · Application inquiries
Secretary General Choi Mun-seong · +82 10-3269-3499