The art of the pitch: Assiniboine students showcase ideas on campus

Virtual reality games, pop-up fine dining experiences, and mobile apps to find local entertainment are just a few of the ideas students at Assiniboine Community College will have on display later this month.

“This project showcases gives students a chance to demonstrate what they’ve learned in their respective programs, applying solutions to real-world problems and presenting those to a larger audience,” said Business Administration instructor Richard Little.

Next Friday, April 7, students in the Business Administration, Communications Engineering Technology, Interactive Media Arts and Land & Water Management are inviting the public to come on campus as they present their projects in a trade show environment from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Students exhibitors from Vincent Massey High School and Birtle Collegiate will also be in on the action.

“It’s a chance for them to get feedback from the community, practice their pitch skills and network with professionals in industry,” said Little.

For Business students, the trade show provides a venue to float their ideas to the general public, employers and mentors. Teams will be competing against one another to see whose idea ranks number one. Visitors in attendance will be given ‘Cougar Bucks’ to dish out to those students they think have the best business ideas. The team with the biggest balance in the bank at the end of the event wins.

Business teams will also have 15-minutes to present their ideas to a panel of industry judges including Jim Brannan, retired Vice-President at Cando Rail Services; Bonnie Nay-Draper, Regional Manager at Entrepreneurship Manitoba; and Mike Boutilier, General Sales Manager at Kelleher Ford.

The Cando Rail Services Idea Pitch Competition is also scheduled for the day. With both a college and high school division, individual students will have 60 seconds to pitch their idea to a panel of judges, followed by 90-seconds of rapid fire questions. A total of $900 in cash awards will be given out to the top three pitches in both divisions.

Cando Rail Services was built on entrepreneurship and creating value with creativity, business savvy and courage is still part of the Cando culture today. We are excited to work with local students and help them foster a passion for entrepreneurship as they are the future leaders of our businesses, says Julie Pomehichuk, Marketing and Communications Manager for Cando Rail Services.

All activities run April 7 at the college’s Victoria Avenue East Campus in Brandon. For details, visit assiniboine.net/events.