Lecture: Robbie Vitrano lecture at Riga Business School (For those who have start-ups in their hearts and souls)
Date: May 27, 2013, 13:00 - 14:30
Location: Riga Business School, Skolas Street 11, Riga
Admission: Complimentary
RSVP: Until May 25 by email: info@rbs.lv or call 67089800
Hosted by: U.S. Embassy in Latvia, RTU Riga Business School

Business idea competition: The Big IDEA Pitch
Date: May 27, 2013, 15:00 - 17:00
Informal discussions and networking: Albert Hotel, Dzirnavu Street 33, Star Lounge, 11th floor, 17:00-18:00
Location: Riga Business School, Skolas Street 11, Riga
Admission: Complimentary
RSVP: Until May 25 by email: info@rbs.lv or call 67089800
Hosted by: U.S. Embassy in Latvia, RTU Riga Business School

Inspired by The Idea Village's annual business idea competition The Big Idea, the first-ever The Big Idea LV will provide start-up entrepreneurs with the chance to attract crowd-sourced funding through an innovative business pitch format. Each start-up entrepreneur will deliver a five-minute pitch presentation and compete for the grand prize - a company-specific support program from Draugiem.lv, a marketing-related mentoring program from 77Agency, and seed money of at least 1,500 USD.

Contestants will have five minutes to pitch their ideas and five minutes to answer questions from the panel of judges.

Judges: Robbie Vitrano, John Palkavnieks (Draugiem.lv), the U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Caryn McClelland (U.S. Embassy in Latvia).

The grand prize: a company-specific support program from Draugiem.lv (including mentoring, advertising support on draugiem.lv valued at 500 LVL, and networking opportunities), a custom digital marketing-related mentoring program from 77Agency, seed money of at least 1,500 USD, as well as support from the U.S. Embassy in Latvia.

Additional awards: 500 LVL sales consulting from Vācu latviešu biznesa birojs, a 300 LVL subscription to Orion.lv, a 200 LVL consultancy package from the association Zinis, and people's choice awards from Draugiem.lv, Baltic Embedded, and the U.S. Embassy in Latvia.

The event is open to the public. Media representatives will have the opportunity to interview Robbie Vitrano.

Additional information:
U.S. Embassy, Public Affairs Section
Address: Samnera Velsa 1, LV-1510
Phone: 67107291; 67107189
Media contacts: AndzansR@state.gov; MillereI@state.gov
Website: riga.usembassy.gov
Follow us on: facebook.com/usembassyriga and twitter.com/usembassyriga