2024 Port Saint John Case Study Competition

The Port Saint John Case Study Competition is an opportunity for students from postsecondary education in New Brunswick to help tackle complex problems at the Port. In 2023, Student teams pitched an exciting array of ideas on decarbonizing the Port. The competition led to exciting innovations at the Port. We are thrilled to partner with the Port for a second year to host the competition. The selected teams will present at Port Days in Spring 2024 and the winning team will win $1000 per person and will be a guest on the newly launched Port Podcast.

The brief

Port Saint John is committed to delivering an exceptional experience for visiting cruise guests. Cruise passengers explore our city through our trusted excursion operators or on their own (independent cruise ship passengers). Half of the disembarking cruise passengers opt for guided tours, while the other 50% choose to explore the city on their own – these independent cruise ship passengers are the focus of this year’s case study competition.

We have data on the types of excursions and experiences of passengers who opt for guided tours through our trusted excursion operators and customer surveys. We currently do not have any similar data for independent cruise ship passengers. We are seeking to understand the types of places they visit, where they are spending, their motivations, and preferences. This data will inform the port and their destination partners in making informed decisions to improve the experience of independent cruise ship passengers.

The 2024 challenge question is: How might digitization and data analytics help Port Saint John and their destination partners better understand the motivation of independent cruise ship passengers?

 

To help frame your solution, please consider the following:

Identify and analyze examples of ports worldwide that have successfully utilized digitization and data analytics for understanding independent cruise passengers’ motivations, including:

  • How did they collect and utilize data related to independent cruise ship passengers?
  • What frameworks proved effective in understanding passenger motivations? Explore their use of technology, analytics platforms, and data sources
  • What worked and what didn’t work?
  • What industry standards or best practices did they follow?
To help frame your solution, the question is not:
  • How can shore excursion providers convince independent travellers to opt for guided tours?
  • How can we analyze the motivations and behaviors of cruise passengers choosing guided tours?
  • How can we improve the onboard experience of cruise passengers while on the ship?
  • What services can we provide to enhance the experience of visiting cruise passengers (this may be presented as part of the solution; however, the focus is on understanding the CURRENT behaviour and motivations of independent cruise ship passengers)

Application process

Applications are now closed for the competition. Learn more about the student’s presentations and the winning team in this blog post.