Big big smile here…because announced just last week, the second annual 2012 Lion’s Lair contest top ten finalists were announced – and Snappay is in!
That smile of course, is just the start of how we feel about same and by that I mean we do realize that it’s going to be dang hard to “finish in the money” of this $100,000 dollar contest, but we’re up for the challenge, eh!
Let me explain here…by providing some backstory links and info for you to see what’s behind the Lion’s Lair contest and what’s ahead of us too! Last year, the inaugural Lion’s Lair opened up with this fanfare…sponsored by both the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and the Innovation Factory the event was announced here –
“LiON’S LAIR is providing 10 Hamilton companies with the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of top Hamilton business experts in an attempt to solicit up to $100,000 in cash and resources. Besides cash provided by BMO, Carego,City of Hamilton and Cogeco, the available resources include accounting services from KPMG, legal services from Gowlings, marketing services from kitestring creative branding studio, and business services from Trivaris…”
As you can see, the event was a big deal here locally – and as I attended it was chock full of #HamOnt local entrepreneurs, businesses, politicians and technology nerds, wall to wall! I reported too on this event here and then again on the winners after that wonderful Awards Gala up at Carmen’s too.
But little did I know that one scant year later, that I’d have a top ten finalist and be one of the competitors for the $100,000 worth of prizes and cash! Not a clue, really…but here I am and Snappay is the best one of the bunch – well, bias there does show up, eh…but what else would any of us say?
For this year, the 2012 Lion’s Lair contest, the official press release is here -
”LiON?S LAIR is providing 10 Hamilton companies with the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of top Hamilton business experts in an attempt to solicit up to $100,000 in cash and resources (including accounting services from KPMG, legal services from Gowlings, branding services from kitestring creative branding studio, and more).
Among the finalists are Dinnerlicious, Dunlea Farms Pet Hay – Tidy Feeder, Enthuzr, Hamilton Medical Marijuana Centre, New Attitude, Ontario Bamboo, Project Synapse by Orbital, REfficient, Snappay, and Weongozi. Before facing the expert panel, these finalists will undergo two months of training sessions, sponsored by Hamilton Economic Development.
The expert panel – known as the “Lions” – that will ultimately decide which companies receive investments comprises Sophia Aggelonitis (former Liberal MPP, founder of Sauces by Sophia), Nick Bontis (McMaster University, Bontis on Business), PJ Mercanti (Carmen?s Inc., Rat Pack Records), Mike Morreale (Hamilton Ti-Cats, CFL Players Association), and Rami Reda (CanGlobal Traders Inc.). The ten companies will have 30 minutes to pitch the Lions on their company?s needs and commercial viability.
The 30-minute sessions, which include a pitch segment and a question period, will be filmed in cooperation with Cable 14, Cogeco, and Tweedle Productions in advance of the event, with portions to be shown to the audience at a gala event hosted at Carmen?s on October 4, 2012. In addition to getting a first glimpse of the pitches and being able to mingle with the finalists to find out more about their products, guests will see the Lions? investment decisions revealed live on stage. Throughout the night, Connie Smith will serve as the Master of Ceremonies…”
As you can see, the event again this year stacks up with the best of the best – both for us top ten finalists but more, for the Lions themselves…what a great group of top-notch #HamOnt supporters (Lions, note the flattery please!!!).
More information can be found on this upcoming event all over the media but here’s a few links fyi….
Seriously, this is an event that you should NOT MISS…and the link to get tickets for same is right here….and if you buy now you’ll get the early-bird pricing too!
So…the Lion’s Lair 2012 contest is up and running…now to hone the Snappay pitch by practice is my next job…but I will also blog here on the various training sessions that we top ten finalists go through and while I do hope to win, it’s really the journey that is more important in life and not the destination, eh!
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