How to pitch your business idea: Insight from the Ci2016 innovation scholarship

This November, Creative Innovation 2016 Asia Pacific will be handing the stage over to emerging leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs to pitch their enterprise at the largest innovation event in the Southern Hemisphere.

Upon sharing their idea in a 60 second pitch, entrants have the chance to win one of ten scholarship places and rub shoulders with world-class thinkers, senior leaders and executives.

“As a young entrepreneur it’s a great platform to pitch your ideas, network, and potentially get funding and valuable strategies from the conference,” explains Alrick Pagnon, Creative Development, Innovation & Partnership Manager of Creative Innovation Global.

“We’re looking for entrepreneurs, innovators and freelancers across the board. Whether that’s from a social enterprise, from the service or tech sector, we’re hoping for a diversity of new talent.”

This year’s pitching theme, “The Exponential Shift: Making Transformation happen” reflects the need for businesses to think beyond a linear growth mindset.

“Businesses need to adopt an exponential growth mindset if they want to be in tune with the current landscape and keep up with the rate of innovation,” says Pagnon.

“Change is happening every day – the first commercial drone delivery flight happened only a few weeks ago in the US by an Australian company.

“3D printing continues to have a massive impact on the medical field and other industries. Nanotechnology is changing the way we cure disease and treat patients, not to mention AI, which is essentially critical in everything that we interact with,” he says.

Ci2013 Scholarship Winner and Brand & Culture Transformation Expert, Stephen Scott Johnson, says the scholarship was a fantastic opportunity to connect and learn from world-leading change makers.

“Winning a scholarship in 2013 enabled me to present my brand in front of 700+ CEOs, senior executives, entrepreneurs, policy makers, educators, NFP leaders and the media. I encourage entrepreneurs and innovators to apply for the Ci2016 scholarships program if they are serious about transforming the status quo and taking their venture to new heights,” says Johnson.

It’s one thing to believe you have a great idea, but you have to learn how to express your pitch persuasively. Here are Pagnon’s top three pieces of advice for pitching your innovative idea:

1. Have a great idea: This may seem obvious, but it’s one thing to have an idea and another to present a problem that is worth solving. Focus on meaningful innovation – we don’t need another photo sharing app or another Instagram. Ensure your business, product or service adds value and helps consumers to live a better life.
2. When pitching, get to the point: Be brief, and share your core message and what you’re trying to achieve.
3. Perfect your storytelling: People listening to a pitch want to be taken on a journey, to understand where you’re coming from, why you came up with the idea and the challenges you may be facing. People admire truth, so if you lack some key business skills share that as part of your story.

Written by: Thea Christie

Find out more and apply to the Ci2016 Scholarship program.