How to Run a Successful Pitch Competition

An article we liked from Thought Leader Lucas J. Pols of Sparkxyz:

Setting up a Pitch Competition

Successful Pitch Competition

Running a successful pitch competition stems from executing early preparation well.

We will walk you through setting up and managing to have the most successful competition possible.

It is best to pair a pitch competition with a panel to help broaden the audience and increase attendance. A panel of high-profile investors (well-known angels, Venture Capitalists, or funders in general) will help your marketing efforts for applications and a broad audience.

Through this process, you’ll see that you’ll focus on startup applications for the first half, and then you’ll switch to concentrating on attendees.

Six Weeks

Week 1

Secure personal: Judges & Panels

The judges and panel will be an essential part of your marketing efforts and are critical to the competition’s success. If you have well-known panelists and funders, it will incentivize applications and attendees. Founder’s number one driver is raising capital. Put them in a position to network with investors, and you’ll have a well-attended event.

  • To save time in the subsequent steps, grab the judges/ panelists: Bio, Photo, and Company Logo.

Secure a venue.

You do not need to spend money here. Many people in the early-stage ecosystem (lawyers, accountants, cowering spaces) will have access to event space they will trade for sponsoring and marketing their brand.

Sponsors

Start tapping people in your network in the ecosystem. Service providers that benefit from the exposure and want access to early-stage startups (such as Lawyers, Accountants, PEO Services, etc.) are generally great people to turn to for helping put events on like this.

Through out this process make sure that you are taking care of your sponsors. The exposure is great, but they need a ROI from the event.

Create marketing material templates

Lightning Round Spark xyz
Spark xyz application deadline
Spark xyz Lightning Round TCA
Spark xyz Lightning Round

Create a template for highlighting a judge/ panelist

Create the template and wording for social posts for your judges and power connectors to share. The easier you make this on them, the more likely they are to...

Read the rest of this article at medium.com...

Thanks for this article excerpt and its graphics to Lucas J. Pols, Chairman of the Board at Sparkxyz.

Photo by fauxels

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