It’s time for the First Pitch Competition, and this is not about baseball!

This contest, which is based on the idea commonly known as an “elevator pitch,” requires students to outline an idea for a new product, service, project or solution, and then “pitch” that idea to a group of judges in 90 seconds or less. First prize is $300. Students from the Arts and Sciences, Music, and Business Administration are all encouraged to participate.

Sponsored by the Stetson Entrepreneurial Group, the competition will feature two main categories: Social Entrepreneurship, ideas seeking to solve a societal issue; and Business Entrepreneurship, ideas intending to make a profit.

To enter, a student or a team of two students must submit a 60-90 second video by midnight, Feb. 13, to [email protected]. All videos will be uploaded to the Stetson Entrepreneurial Group Facebook page and subject to a vote from Feb. 14-16. The three most-voted videos in each of the two categories will be featured in the Live Elevator Pitch Round, along with six other contestants from each category chosen by the judges, making a total of 18 final contestants.

The final round of the competition, which is free and open to the public, will be a live pitch to judges on Feb. 20, at 6 p.m. in the Rinker Auditorium. Contestants who are participating in this Live Elevator Pitch Round will have the opportunity to receive coaching prior to the event.

Prizes include $300 for the winner, $200 for second place and $100 for third place. Students attending the Live Elevator Pitch Round will receive cultural credit and all audience members will be eligible to win door prizes.

“I was inspired to bring this kind of competition to Stetson as a way to showcase the entrepreneurial programs offered in the Stetson curriculum, as well as to gain traction for the Stetson Entrepreneurial Group,” said Gary Oliphant, Ph.D, associate professor of management and international business. However, what really appealed to him about the competition was that “it can build bridges between academic programs and really includes the whole campus.”

Oliphant also plans to expand the competition in the future potentially by offering a follow-up contest for business proposals.

For more information about the First Pitch Competition and a full list of the rules please visit the Stetson Entrepreneurial Group on Facebook.

By Allison Cooper