For security reasons, only select people were allowed inside the grand ballroom of a Florida hotel last July.
Yet all they'd see behind the plush doors was Xavier Diebold, 19, and nine others sitting behind a computer, typing into a spreadsheet.
Xavier, who lives just north of Chicago, was representing his country at the Office Specialist World Championships.
"I was familiar with basic spreadsheet tools, but this was a completely different world, and I was amazed by its capabilities," Xavier says. "Over time, I became obsessed with learning every little bit of the application until I felt fluent in it."
"My time at the Championship was incredible, a trip I'll never forget. I was lucky enough to bring my girlfriend along."
What the contest actually involves
The Championships, in its 24th year, sees students aged 13 to 22 flex their word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and design skills. It's split into software-specific competitions, called tracks, with tasks that involve designing something for a non-profit within 100 minutes.
This could be a brief to create a slideshow using specific effects, or a web of spreadsheets that include mind-bending formulas and data validation.
This year's competition sees 190 competitors from 46 countries flying in for it.
In 2025, Xavier showed that he, well, excels at spreadsheets ("I haven't heard that one before," he says) by creating documents for an organisation that makes 3D-printed bionic arms.
"What really stuck with me was seeing kids from around the world proudly representing their countries," Xavier says, "which in turn made me more competitive and prouder to represent mine."
Xavier won silver and a $4,000 prize, along with the glory of being one of the world's best spreadsheeters. First prize is a novelty-sized cheque for $8,000.
Yes, Xavier really did win that much for tapping on a spreadsheet.
More than office boredom
Most people think of spreadsheets, which cram words and numbers into tiny white squares, as the manifestation of office boredom, or as how their weirdly organised friends stay on top of life. According to Xavier, it's a bit more than that.
"A lot of it comes down to being able to find a function you've never used before," Xavier says. "It matters less whether you already know something and more if you can figure out how to find it on the fly."
Organisers say that being skilled with this kind of software is more than just something to list on a CV. "These competitors are proving they can apply those skills under pressure," says one of the event's organisers.
The others in the room
Take Eleni Karakasidou, 19, from Greece. Out of 10 keyboard-mashers with a knack for presentations, she took home gold, and she did a little more than add whoosh transition effects.
Eleni first tried presentation software in primary school and made slideshows in her free time, such as one about her family tree. "I was absolutely fascinated by how you could bring seemingly cold, static words and images to life," she says. "To a child, there was a real touch of magic to it."
She had never heard of the Championships until a teacher suggested she apply.
Hallie Mitchell, 22, similarly hadn't heard of the competition before applying. A graphic designer at an agency in Bristol, she taught herself image-editing software at college. Within a few years, she won silver in the design round.
"I decided to compete just as a bit of fun, never imagining that I would end up as the second-place champion," she says. "Being able to travel abroad for the first time was an amazing experience, so the medal was the cherry on top."