Budding entrepreneurs across the North-east are being given a platform to pitch their new business idea in front of almost 1,000 conference delegates.
Elevator, which works across Grampian and Tayside to help facilitate the start-up and growth of new and existing businesses, is running ‘Pitch It’, a video pitching competition, offering the chance to pitch live at the sold-out ‘Making it Happen’ conference on Tuesday, November 15, with the opportunity to also win £250 to progress the business idea.
Anyone with a new start-up business or a business idea can submit a 60-second video pitch, which will go before a panel of judges. Five will then be chosen to present at the conference, with one being crowned the overall winner.
Applications close on Friday (October 28) at 5pm and can be submitted via Elevator’s website at: http://www.elevatoruk.com/pitchit
The sixth annual Making it Happen conference sold out in record time, with almost 1,000 aspiring entrepreneurs, business owners, future leaders and students and school pupils registering for a space in just a matter of days.
The largest event in Elevator’s social calendar, the conference will be held at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre with the theme of If not you, who? If not now, when? – which aims to encourage delegates to make it happen for themselves.
Inspirational Scottish mountaineer and quadruple amputee Jamie Andrew OBE will be the main speaker at the conference. Another eight speakers, all of whom have either launched their own enterprises or overcome significant obstacles, will include host Dee Bleakley. There will also be presentations by Mark Dallas of Insane Championship Wrestling, Nicola James of Vanilla Blush and Cameron Graham of Storii alongside local entrepreneurs Craig Buchan of QPal, Tom and Alice McAra of Rebel PT and Lucy Tuck of Definition Clinic.
The conference – sponsored by Clydesdale Bank, FSB, Business Gateway and Bridge to Business – will also include a second morning event for North East Scotland College (NESCOL) students in Fraserburgh.
Elevator chief executive Gary McEwan said: “The Pitch It competition is an amazing opportunity to get your idea heard by hundreds of people, including many who have been in your shoes and have already started on the road to running their own business. We would encourage aspiring entrepreneurs to enter their 60-second video presentation before the deadline.
“In my experience, there is a moment in time, even for 'born entrepreneurs’, when they decide ’this is my moment’ a flash of inspiration or opportunity, which they seize and nurture. The pieces are falling into place and they just require that final shot of inspiration to bring the plan to life and make it happen.
“This often comes from the inspiration we draw from the experiences of others, no different from us but who have created something wonderful from virtually nothing. Attending our Elevator conference puts attendees in a place where they will hear breath-taking stories from ordinary people who have created extraordinary businesses and have achieved extraordinary things. It is fantastic to see the event ‘sell out’ quicker than ever before, a sign of an appetite for inspiration in the local region.”