Deadline Approaching to Apply for Dec. 5 Elevator Pitch Contest

Nov. 19, 2012 — Those interested in participating in the Rhode Island Elevator Pitch Contest have until Nov. 30 to apply,

The contest, hosted by the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition, will be held 5:30 – 7:30 pm on Wed., Dec. 5, at Harborside Academic Center on the Johnson & Wales Harborside Campus in Providence.

Participants will present their business ideas in 90 seconds to a panel of judges and receive immediate feedback – and get a chance to win $1,000 in cash prizes.

The event is free and open to the public.

Competition Co-chair Peggy Farrell, partner in the law of firm of Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP, said, “Knowing how to make your case to investors is a critical skill for successful entrepreneurs. There’s no substitute for a live audience and, in this case, a friendly one that’s rooting for everyone.”

Serving as judges are Jim Grace, president of InsureMyTrip.com; Gil Lantini, publisher of the Rhode Island Small Business Journal; Pamela O’Hara, president of Batch Blue; and Christine Smith, director of innovation programs at the Rhode Island Economic Development Corp.

Registrations to make a pitch are being accepted online at www.ri-bizplan.com. People who want to watch, but not present, are invited and may pre-register at the same website.

About the Competition

Established in 2000, the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition recently was named one of the top 40 business plan competitions in the country. To date, it has awarded more than $1.2 million in prizes to competitors developing companies across many industries.

In addition to awarding prizes, the competition hosts educational events in the months leading up to the application deadline in early April. They include business development, financial planning, and presentation skills workshops. In addition, the competition hosts the annual Rhode Island Elevator Pitch Complete competition information, including rules, application procedures, guidelines, and business plan resources, is available at www.ri-bizplan.com.

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