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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (March 27, 2000)
Business students compete, taste the real world ■ Nine student groups present their ideas for new companies during a business school competition Angela Leidig for the Emerald University students from the Charles H. Lundquist College of Business competed March 10 in the EMU Ballroom for cash prizes during the Quest for AdVenture business plan competition. Nine groups of graduating mas ter of business administration stu dents gave 15-minute presenta tions of pre-designed business plans before 12 business represen tatives who judged the competi tion, followed by 20-minute ques tion and answer sessions. “Students learn the real world application of entrepreneurship by getting in front of people to present their ideas and communi cate them in front of investors,” said Barry Weisband, director of the Lundquist Center for Entrepre neurship. First place winner was Sun burst IPM, which created a tech nological device that kills un wanted roadside vegetation. The four students in the group re ceived $1,000 in cash prizes and will represent the University in the Lundquist Center’s national business venture challenge, the New Venture Competition, on April 27-29 in Portland. “There is a lot of excitement about on-line companies,” Sun burst IPM team member Craig Mortensen said. “We thought that perhaps we would not be as attrac tive because we are not an on-line company.” The five students from Spon sorship Strategies Inc., a sports marketing consulting firm that as sists hi-tech corporations with sports sponsorship investments, won second place, receiving $500. They will compete in the Moot Corp. business plan competition at the University of Texas in Austin. “One benefit of the com petition was being able to use all of the tools the MBA classes have taught us,” said Sponsorship Strategies, Inc. team member Sadie Dressekie. Four students from Wet Dawg, an on-line magazine and informa tion center for water sports, won third place and received $250. About 120 students and other community members attended the event, which included the competition, a luncheon and a re ception announcing the winners. “We wanted to make the com petition more of a community event,” Lundquist office manager Lola Bozovich said. Judges based their scores ac cording to market attraction, pres entation, strength of managemen t and economic value, among other categories. The Quest for AdVenture busi ness plan competition, spon sored by Acacia Teleservices In ternational and the Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship, has been held at the University for nine years. “It shows a solid partnership that the Lundquist College has es tablished with the community,” Weisband said. The competitors had complet ed nearly a year of business cours es in marketing and entrepreneur ship, ultimately leading to a business developing course in C { Students come out of this having rolled up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty. Alan Meyer business professor preparation for a final business plan used at the competition, Weisband said. “Students come out of this hav ing rolled up their sleeves and get ting their hands dirty,” said Alan Meyer, Lundquist professor of en trepreneur management said. “Writing a plan for a start-up is like building a scale model of a company. Students can tweak it, change its assumptions and see how it grows.” Students are also encouraged to apply for the Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship Student Busi ness Incubator, a program for stu dents who want to execute their business plan. “The incubator has the poten tial of connecting students with investors,” Weisband said. “It’s a continuum of program services of fered to students.” The incubator program, offered to all students, requires students to have a business plan that they are interested in producing with a written idea of what needs to be accomplished, Bozovich said. “The competition is a part of the continuum of traditional class room learning to outside-class room learning, the incubator pro gram and internships that provide complements to in-class learn ing,” Weisband said. ist mm lliU \flI IN THE DARK BOWLING! Thnrs. topm-tam Only $125 per gamer Fri.&Sat.9pm-2ain 1170HWV99 at the Gilbert Center 688-8900 Get Ready for Summer! Plan Your Classes Now The UO Summer Session Catalog with Schedule of Classes is now available on campus. The Catalog contains important information about courses and special programs offered this summer, registration, | housing, and fees. 2000 and Telephone and DuckWeb registration starts May 1. i Up Your Free Copy Today Pick up your copy today in the bummer bession office, 333 Oregon Hall, or at the UO Bookstore Telephone (541) 346-3475 http: // uosummer.uoregon.edu /
