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Thursday Afternoon:
Team Registration, Tech Checks, and Feedback Rounds
12:00 pm to 5:30 pm

Teams should arrive on the Rice University campus Thursday afternoon, April 15th, between Noon and 1:00 pm to register, obtain team packets, and perform tech checks prior to presenting in the Feedback Round (2:00 pm).  Lunch will be provided.  Each team will also be given an opportunity (1:00 - 2:00 pm) to perform equipment checks in a presentation room and make last minute changes.

All teams will participate in a “Feedback Round” beginning at 2:00 pm on Thursday.  Teams will present their plan to a small panel of judges and receive feedback prior to the start of Semi-Final Round on Friday. The Feedback Round on Thursday will not be scored and will NOT count toward the overall competition. This is an opportunity for teams to practice and fine tune their presentation before competing on Friday.

Thursday Night:
Team Showcase, Opening Reception, Elevator Pitch Competition, and BBQ Dinner
5:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Thursday night a Team Showcase and Reception will be held at 5:30pm.  All teams will have a portion of a table to display their company information and given the opportunity to meet the judges and other competitors.  Teams’ printed materials are limited to 4 pages (2 pages front-and-back, or 4 pages front only).  Trade show booths or similar full-sized displays will not be allowed due to space restrictions.

Following the Showcase and Reception, all teams will compete in an Elevator Pitch Competition highlighting their companies to all the attendees and officially kicking off the Competition.

The evening will conclude with a Texas Bar-B-Q for teams, judges, and guests.

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Friday:
Semi-Final Round, Feedback Session, and Finalists’ Reception
7:30 am to 5:00 pm

A continental breakfast will be served from 7:30 to 8:30 am at the Rice Campus.  The Semi-Final Round instructions will commence at 8:30 am Friday morning; all teams will orally present their business plans to the judges during the Semi-Final Round.  The winner from each of the six flights (six teams each) will advance to the finals.  The second place teams from each of the six flights will advance to the Wildcard Round with the winner advancing to the Finals.  

The Finalists' Reception will be held from 2:20 to 5:00 pm in the dinning room.  The winners of the Semi-Final Round and participants in the Wildcard Round will be announced during around 4:30 during the Finalist' Reception.

Teams will not have any required activities Friday evening (from 5:00 pm on).  However, the Jones School Entrepreneurship Club may invite all students to join them at a nearby restaurant/bar.   

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Saturday:
Wildcard, Challenge, and Final Rounds, and Awards Banquet
8:00 am to 4:00 pm

A continental breakfast will be served from 8:00 to 9:00 am at the Rice Campus.  The six teams in the Wildcard Round will begin competing at 9:00 am.  The winner of the Wildcard Round will advance to the Finals on Saturday afternoon and present last.

Teams that don’t advance to either the Wildcard Round or to the Final Round will advance to the Challenge Round on Saturday morning.  The 24 teams in the Challenge Round will be divided into six new flights of four teams each.  All teams that compete in the Challenge Round flights will receive a cash prize.

The seven finalist teams will present their business plans in the Final Round on Saturday afternoon staring at 12:00 pm.