What must I do to enter the TOP DAWG Idea Pitch competition?

·         Attend the FYI: Finding Your Idea Workshop sponsored by the Louisiana Tech Technology Business Development Center. This event is from 6 pm to 8 pm Oct 8, 2009 at the Louisiana Tech Enterprise Center. The program is designed to help competitors generate and/or evaluate ideas. We strongly encourage competitors to attend the FYI program, but attendance is not mandatory. To sign up, call 257-3537 or email tbdc@latech.edu 

·         Notice of Intent form and the five question narrative is due Oct 12, 2009: The Notice of Intent gives us team contact info.  The team’s narrative will give answers to the five questions their idea pitch must cover. (Download form and five questions at www.abese.org or pick up at 207 College of Business)   Bring  your completed form and narrative to the FYI Workshop or submit to Debbie Inman, College of Business, Room 207 by Oct 12, 2009.

·         Perfect your pitch week is Oct 12, 2009 to Oct 15, 2009. Competitors must practice their pitch with assigned mentors at some point during these four days. Practice produces a better pitch! If you do not have the signature of your mentor indicating that he/she has seen your pitch and given you feedback, you will not pitch.

·         TOP DAWG Pitch is Oct 26. Each competitor will have five minutes to pitch their idea during the event to professional judges and the student body. Pitches will also be filmed and posted on the web.  Students will vote either by text messaging or internet.

·        The TOP 10 winning ideas will be announced Oct 30, 2009

·       Questions? Email abese@latech.edu or Debbie Inman:  debinman@latech.edu

  General Requirements:

       Team:

• One to six members form a team. Multi-disciplinary teams are encouraged. (If you pitch by yourself and are selected as a TOP 10 Idea Pitch team, you must recruit at least one team member to compete in the TOP DAWG Business Plan Competition.)

• Undergraduate, graduate students and recent alumni (within one year of graduation) may participate.

• Faculty members are not eligible to participate on a team.

        Ideas:

• Ideas must be your original concept.

2.      Prizes

·         The TOP 10 Idea Pitch teams win the privilege of competing in the TOP DAWG      Business Plan Competition.

·       The TOP 10 Idea Pitch Teams that enter the TOP DAWG Business Plan Competition:

o   Win $200 per idea (The TOP 10 teams will receive this prize during the TOP DAWG Business Plan Competition Award Ceremony on February 10, 2010.) The TOP 10 teams will be recognized at a press conference during Global Entrepreneurship Week.

o   Have access to workspace in the Louisiana Tech Enterprise Center.

o   Are assigned a business planning mentor who will coach them through the business plan process.

o   Have access to professional business planning seminars.

3.     Competition

·        Teams must submit the Notice of Intent and the (up to) three page narrative describing the business opportunity by TUESDAY, Oct 12, 2009. Bring your forms to the FYI Workshop or submit them to Debbie Inman, College of Business, Room 207.

            Five question narrative format:

·         Up to 3 pages in length                 

·         12 point font

·         Double spaced

1. What is the name of your product or idea? Give a clear description of your product or service. (What does it do? How does it look? How does it work?  What problem or need is your product or service solving?)
2. Is your product or service innovative and superior to existing solutions to the problem?  (How does it solve the problem better than the existing alternatives? How does it differ from the existing alternatives?)
3. Who will give you money for your product or service? (How many people will potentially buy your product or service? What are the characteristics of these people?)
4. How do you plan to make money? Will this money be enough to cover your costs and allow your business to grow?
5. What will it take to move this product or service forward? How likely is it that this product or service will become a reality?

·        Teams are strongly encouraged to attend/participate in the FYI: Find Your Idea Workshop offered by the Louisiana Tech Technology Business Development Center on Oct 8, 2009 at 6 pm in the Louisiana Tech Enterprise Center. This informative program will help refine your answers to those five narrative questions!

·       Perfect your pitch appointment (Teams must practice their pitch with an assigned mentor to receive feedback.) Pitch mentors will be assigned during the Idea Generation workshop or when you turn in the Notice of Intent and Narrative.

·        Five minute pitch during the TOP DAWG Pitch Event: Oct 26, 2009

o   Pitch presentation guidelines

• Five minutes in duration (Strict time allotment…..You will be stopped at the five minute mark!)

• No more than two team members speaking during the pitch. (You may have other members on stage to hold prototype, etc.)

• Your pitch should include the answers you turned in for the five questions on the Intent to Compete form.

• A power point presentation is allowed, but not mandatory.

• Judges have 5 minutes to ask each team questions and will use the same scoring form that teams can download at www.abese.org

• Judges will also evaluate the team’s delivery ability (eye contact, confidence).

Download the Narrative Format and the Notice of Intent.

Download the TOP DAWG Idea Pitch Score Sheet