Here is the Official Schedule for the 2008 TPBC:

TEA Orientation:
There will be an orientation for championship teams Thursday April 17th from 4-6pm. Tulane Entrepreneurs Association (TEA) officers and volunteers will be in Goldring/Woldenberg Hall II of Tulane’s Uptown Campus (building 40 on this map), rooms 3110 and 3111, to answer questions and help teams familiarize themselves with the setup.

TEA Kick-off Party:
There will be a TBPC Welcoming Ceremony and Kick-off Party sponsored by The Idea Village and Harrah’s Foundation at the
Harrah’s Hotel downtown on Thursday, April 17, from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. 

Competition Day Checklist:

On the day of the competition, Friday, April 18, each team needs to bring:

• One completed W-9 for out of town teams receiving a travel stipend
• 7 printed copies of the business plan (Due to TEA officer by 8:45 am)
• Presentation on a USB drive or disk (Due to TEA officer by 8:45 am)
• Ethernet cord to access the internet
• 7 copies of any handouts for judges

The presentation order will be announced the morning of the competition. We need to ensure everyone is at registration the morning of the competition. Please see the schedule below.

Times Picayune and New Orleans CityBusiness Inquiries:
We have had interest from media outlets that would like to speak with contestants! If you do not want your contact information shared, please email Linaa@tulane.edu

Send email to tea@tulane.edu for specific questions.

Schedule of Events:

Thursday April 17, 2008

4 – 6 pm
Team Orientation
Goldring/Woldenberg Hall II, Rooms 3110 and 3111
During this time TEA officers and volunteers will provide competition packets and be available to answer questions. Competition rooms will be available for teams to come and familiarize themselves with the rooms and technology available before their presentations.

7 – 9 pm
TBPC Welcoming Ceremony and Kick-off Party
Sponsored by The Idea Village and Harrah’s Foundation
Harrah’s Hotel
Finalists, TEA members, all judges and sponsors are invited to meet and welcome everyone to New Orleans and the competition.

Friday April 18, 2008

8 – 9am
Registration and Breakfast
2nd floor Goldring/Woldenberg Hall II (GWII)
Participants, judges and spectators are invited to a continental breakfast. Finalists are required to turn in the final version of their presentation to the TEA registration table by 8:45. This is the version that will be loaded and used for the competition.

9 – 9:15am
Opening Remarks
Business Track in 2110 and Social in 3110 GWII

9:15 – 11:35am
First three teams in each track present
Business Track in 2110 and Social in 3110 GWII

11:30 – 12:30pm
Lunch
Executive Dining Room GWII

12:35 – 2:05 p.m.
Fourth and fifth teams present
Business Track in 2110 and Social in 3110 GWII

2:05 p.m.
Closing remarks
Business Track in 2110 and Social in 3110 GWII

6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Tulane Council of Entrepreneurs Gala and Awards Presentation
Whyndam New Orleans Canal Place
Winners Announced
Entrepreneurship Awards presented

Q: I wanted to check on the schedule for the Business Plan Competition, which I believe is held Friday, April 18th.  Will it extend into the evening? 

A: We are still playing with whether the two tracks will run simultaneously (then everything will be done around 3) or consecutively and then things wrap up around 6. Most likely – we will run the social and business simultaneously. It’s more human for our judges and us. After the competition the annual LRI gala is at the Wyndham at Canal Place from 6 – 9. All final round competitors are invited to attend and well worth the time.

Q: What is the max length of the business plan?

A: Plans are to be limited to 25 pages (typed, double spaced) of text.  This includes the executive summary and financial information.  Appendices can follow the text and are limited to 15 pages.  Therefore, the total length should not exceed 40 pages.  Violating these rules will detract from an entrant’s score.