Schedule ( Friday 23rd June)

CS1.04

11:00 – Welcome and Introductions
11:20 – Student pitches
12:30 – Pizza and Beer, Networking
13:00 – Winners and runners up to be announced and awarded a certificate
13:20 – Networking
14:00 – End

FAQs

Who are the judges this year?

• Professor Andy Pardoe (Executive Chair of the Deep Tech Innovation Centre)
• Dr Henry Crosby (Warwick Alumnus and CEO and Co-Founder of Martello)
• A judge from IBM
• A judge from Warwick Enterprise

How long should the pitch be?

• The pitch be 3 minutes long. Please keep it short and sweet.

Will there be questions?

• Yes, the judges may ask a question, but please keep your answers short as we only have a few minutes for questions.

How will it be judged?

• The judges will be choosing the most impressive business/social enterprise idea – there is no mark scheme.

What format to use?

• Please send either a PowerPoint or PDF of your slides the day before the event (more info to follow).

Do we all need to speak (when presenting a group project)?

• For group projects, you don’t all need to speak. It would probably be a bit chaotic if you did! Having one speaker is fine.

Can I have some help with my pitch?

• You are strongly encouraged to attend the workshop event where you can get hands on support from industry experts and develop your pitching skills.

What makes a good pitch?

Here are some things you may want to consider (by no means exhaustive nor prescriptive):

• Engagement. Get our attention, engage and entertain the audience.
• Motivation. Why? Perhaps tell a ‘personal story’. Make us care. We want to feel invested in the outcome.
• Audience. Speak to us. Minimise text. Don’t read slides. Use body language and perhaps even involve the audience.
• Originality. Impress the judges with your innovative idea. Show us why it is unique.
• Positivity. Be enthusiastic. Convince us of the opportunity.
• Credibility. Be honest; don’t try to over-sell it: credible entrepreneurs balance opportunities with risks.
• Viability. No need to get too technical but maybe share some results from your project that will help to convince us.
• Accessibility. Speak to a general audience. No need for excessive detail, get straight to the point.