Get Started Sponsors 2011 Idea Pitch for Student Entrepreneurs
By Marty Drill, in Web Strategy, Web Marketing
We recently had the pleasure of sponsoring The 2011 Idea Pitch (www.ideapitch.org.au) where student entrepreneurs were able to present their elevator pitch about their big idea. Over two months, entrants underwent an intensive program to formulate, plan and communicate their business/project idea. Entrants could work together in groups of up to four people.
At the culmination of the training and workshops, entrants were given the opportunity to pitch their idea in 60 seconds. To pay homage to the origins of the Elevator Pitch concept, students actually pitched their idea in an elevator to a CEO!
Get Started were the major sponsors of the event. The reason we got involved was that we were inspired about encouraging students to put forward their start-up business ideas and testing and improving their pitching abilities.
Adam and I were selected as judges on the panel. Adam went to Sydney for the 2011 Australian Web Awards (www.webawards.com.au - and yes we won!) so was not able to take part. Andrew Bitto stepped up to the plate to be a judge at the last minute. We joined Andrew Ford (IBM), Peter Christo (melbournecoffeereview.com) and Dr. Kenneth J Preiss (Chairman and damn smart guy) as judges on the panel.
The judging criteria were split into five categories:
- Pitch Delivery (30%)
- Feasibility of Venture (20%)
- Competitive & Operational Strength (20%)
- Originality and Innovation of Concept (20%)
- Socio-economic Value (10%)
The Ideas
The finalists’ ideas were amazing - from a multilingual real estate site to an idea to empower people to record IT training videos to assist their parents with their computers, to an environmental construction site office.
Choosing a winner was extremely difficult. The environmental design for construction sites best met the judging criteria provided. If they commercialise the idea, I suggest that they could make a lot of money and have a positive environmental impact on construction sites.
Get Started were very proud to be major sponsors of an event that encourages and promotes Australia's budding entrepreneurs and we look forward to being involved again next year.
We would like to acknowledge the organisers for running a truly professional and inspiring event.