In October, students at the University of Missouri-Rolla will have 90 seconds, about the duration of an average elevator ride, to communicate a business idea or concept and compete for a chance to participate in a national “Elevator Pitch” event.

UMR’s fall Elevator Pitch competition will be held from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5, in the Room 125 of the Civil Engineering Building on campus. The contest is free and open to all UMR students, who may enter as individuals or in teams of two.

Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three individuals or teams. First place is worth $75 and an opportunity to “pitch” at the national competition in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 27-29.

The campus community and general pubic are invited to attend the UMR event.

“The idea is to practice pitching a concept to a potential investor,” says Dr. Eric Anderson, business development specialist at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach (CEO) at UMR. “In this contest, those who successfully communicate the potential of their idea to judges will do well.”

The entry deadline is Friday, Sept. 30. Students may enter at http://web.mst.edu/~ties/.

The Elevator Pitch competition is sponsored by the CEO at UMR, the Technical Innovators and Entrepreneurs Society (TIES) at UMR and the UMR School of Management and Information Systems.

For more information, contact Anderson at ericwa.mst.edu or at (573