Riata Pitch & Poster competition offering $2,000 in cash prizes

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

The first Riata Pitch & Poster Competition, presented by Oklahoma State University’s Riata Center for Entrepreneurship, will award $2,000 in prize money to this year’s winning teams.

First-place winners will receive $1,000, second-place winners will get $600 and third-place winners will win $400. The three winners will also automatically earn a spot as a semifinalist for the Spring Business Plan Competition, vying for more than $42,000 in cash prizes.

The 2013 Pitch & Poster Competition is a spinoff of the Elevator Pitch Competition from earlier years.

“We thought about adding a different dimension to the competition because the elevator pitch in itself was very tough and students had a hard time being successful. However, with the new poster element added, students will have a first chance to introduce their idea and talk about it with the judges in a less intimidating setting, allowing them a better chance to succeed in their 90-second pitch,” said Craig Watters, interim director for the Riata Center.

The competition is sponsored by ISN, Interworks and RCB Bank. Executives from the  sponsoring companies will serve as judges to decide the top three winners.

“We are pleased to continue our support of the Riata Center for Entrepreneurship,” said Joseph Eastin, president of ISN. “The growth of the center and programs created, along with exceptional students involved, makes us proud to be involved in this competition.”

What’s your big idea? Register online or at the Riata Center (101 Business Building) by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8. The competition is free to enter and is open to OSU students of all majors and classifications. No business experience is necessary.

For further assistance, go to http://entrepreneurship.okstate.edu/riata/ppcompetition/, or call 405-744-7552.