Pitch@IIT Competition Rules and Guidelines

Last edited: February 6th, 2019

Table of Contents

About

Team Guidelines

Competition Stages and Guidelines

Expectations

Prizes

Confidentiality & Intellectual Property

Agenda
 
About

The Pitch@IIT competition is a joint event hosted by Intinium and other student organizations to
encourage student involvement outside the classroom and promote creative thinking on Illinois
Tech’s campus from Feb 17th to April 5th.

 
Team Guidelines
Pitch@IIT is exclusively open to members of the Illinois Tech Student community and is
designed to benefit undergraduate IIT students. The lead presenter(s) and envisioned founder(s)
of each venture must be enrolled in a degree-seeking basis in any undergraduate or graduate
division of the University. The competition is open to graduate and undergraduate students.

While the minimum number of students in a team is 2 and the maximum team size is 4, it should
be noted that it is difficult for a large group of people to deliver an elevator pitch. Teams that
consisted of both graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to participate. However,
each team must consist of members who live within the same residence groupings (MSV & SSV,
Gunsaulus and Carmen Hall plus commuter students, Greek House)

In the case of a group pitch, all of the pitching members must be affiliated with Illinois Tech.
However, the venture itself is not restricted in terms of the resources employed. Pitching teams
may draw upon expertise, advisors or other assistance from any source. For the purposes of the
competition, an individual affiliated with IIT is defined as a current undergraduate student,
current graduate student, faculty, staff, or an alumnus of any IIT academic program.

Each team will be limited to one entry in the competition. Individuals can only be members of
one team. Teams cannot add additional members between competition rounds unless joining a
team that does not reach the 4-person limit. A member cannot join more than one team, at any
point in the competition.

Executive board members of Intinium are not allowed to participate in the competition.
 
Competition Stages and guidelines
First Round
The first round of the competition will include a series of events hosted during the week of
February 17th to 23rd by Intinium and the other participating organizations to encourage creative
thinking and problem solving on campus. This encourages students to venture out of their rooms
to form teams of minimum 3 and at most 4 members, to submit their idea to solve a problem.
The first round culminates with students finishing a form with their idea and submitting before
the deadline on Feb 24th.

Second Round
The second round takes places over the next couple of weeks where multiple workshops are held
to help students with their presentation. This round ends with teams submitting a preliminary
version of their presentation along with their project description write up. The presentations will
be reviewed by student organizers and the qualifying teams proceed to the next round.

Third Round
The third round takes place over the next couple of weeks, where materials will be provided to
students for the next steps of competition. The round ends with students submitting their final
presentation to judges, who will pick out 7 teams for the final round to be held on April 5th.

Final Round
During the final round, teams will prepare a 5 minute presentation about their venture and pitch
it to the judges. Winners will be decided and gifts will be awarded that very night. ​All finalists
are expected to attend the final round in its entirety.

Presentation Format
In the final round, each team will be allotted a maximum of seven (7) minutes with the judges,
five (5) minutes to pitch their idea or concept and two (2) minutes for Q&A with the judges.
Teams will not be able to change their overall concept or idea between rounds. Teams can
modify their presentation and practice to polish their delivery, but the fundamental concept or
idea must remain the same throughout the competition.

Teams will be able to use PowerPoint, visual aids, props, or other items during their pitch; while
visual material may be used, the presentation must stand on its own without a written business
plan.
Deliverables at the end of second and third rounds, will be in the format of a powerpoint
presentation along with a document specifying your explanations for your individual slides.

 
Expectations
In preparing a pitch, teams or individuals should answer the following questions based on
research and data, not opinions:

● What is the product, solution, or service?

● What need does it address?
● Who is the primary market for the venture and what can you say about the size and scope
of that market?
● What are the compelling attributes that differentiate your product or service from others
that address the same need?
● How will your business make money?
● How much startup capital do you need and what are your revenue projections?
● If relevant, what have you achieved already?

 
Prizes
Winning individuals and teams will receive guidance, financial support, and in-kind
contributions in order to move the venture forward.

There will be $2,000 in cash prizes distributed to the top three teams to enable them to move
forward with their concept. The cash prizes listed below are for the entire team, not for
individual team members. Prizes will be allocated as follows:

● First Place: $1,000

● Second Place: $500
● Third Place: $250
● The hall/greek house with the most participation: Food Party for $250
●

 
Confidentiality & Intellectual Property
Confidentiality is not guaranteed in any way. If a team wishes to keep elements of their concept
or idea confidential, the team should not include that information in their pitch. There is no way
for Intinium Group’s or RHA’s organizers to enforce a prohibition of other competitors,
audience members or judges who see or hear a pitch from sharing the concept, idea, and/or
materials with others.

By participating in the Pitch the Summit Competition, competitors agree that Intinium Group and
all related parties assume no liability, and shall have no liability or obligation whatsoever for
disclosures of information provided by a competitor as part of a submission or otherwise during
the course of the competition.

Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) between a competitor and the judges and/or audience
members will not be required or allowed.

 
Agenda
 
Weekly Events Exec Board Participant
Schedule Expectations Expectation

Feb 17 - 23 RHA Events indicating the Advertise heavily Submit the idea form
beginning of competition Help RHA with events Max teams: 100
 Deadline: Feb 24th Midnight
for form

Feb 24 - Mar 2 Expectation/Learning 1. Host the workshop Advised to finish the

Workshop 2 . Continue to contact list of problems and
the teams from round 1 perform the research
with resources and about the product
expectations

Mar 3 - 9 Learning Workshop w. 1. Host the workshop 1. Advised to define the

Opportunity to interview 2. Review the target audience and the
people submissions proposed solution

Deadline 2: Submit the

preliminary slides by Mar 6th

Mar 10 - 16 Midterms 1. Send materials and Work on the

examples for presentation
competitor analysis/
Budget and future
planning/ future
partners

Mar 17 - 23 Spring Break Prepare for next events Work on finishing the
slide during spring
break

Mar 24 - 30 Deadline for final presentation 1. Review the projects Submit the presentation
submission: March 26th with professors and and relax!
judges and pick top 7

Mar 31 - Apr 6 Pitch Presentation 1. Email the finalists Prepare to make a 5

Workshop/Pointers 2. Organize the final minute presentation
event with 2 minutes for
April 5th Finals 3. Declare winners questions