Events

It's easy: just pitch your business idea to us in 100 words. The challenge here is to condense what you want to say and get all the major points across in just a paragraph. There is no need to give away any private information – a public summary is enough to win the competition. Then, submit your summary online at www.cue.org.uk

You could win one or more of 20 cash prizes of £100. Winners and runners-up get free entry to Phase 1.

Eric Baker, Viagogo

Your personal goals need to match your business goals in order for your idea to take off. This US entrepreneur who has relocated to the UK will explain his motivations and ambitions. You decide!

David Cleevely, founder of Analysys
Jonathan Milner, Abcam plc

When is an idea a business opportunity? A serial entrepreneur and a first time entrepreneur explain how they came together - what was the opportunity they spotted?

John Barnes, Director of Caffe Nero

To have a successful business, you really need to understand your customers' needs.

Mary Spillane, partner at Whitehead Mann

How to gather the resources to make your ideas happen, i.e. securing the team, the premises, advice, etc.

The Coventry University Entrepreneurs warmly invites you to join us at our Challenge 100 Awards Ceremony, where we will be announcing the winners of our first competition, Challenge 100 over wine, cake and jazz.

The details are as follows:
Time: 6pm for 6:30pm
Date: Wednesday 21 November
Venue: Law Faculty, 10 West Road, Coventry CB3 9DZ.
Dress: smart

Come along to:
- find out who has won - prizes will be distributed;
- find out how to enter our next phase, the £1k Challenge;
- network and be inspired by others' ideas;
- enjoy cake and wine!

Venue: Faculty of Law, West Road, Coventry CB3 9DZ

Are you worried about people stealing your ideas? Would you like to learn how to protect your ideas, your designs and how to file a patent? Come to our evening Demystifying Intellectual Property and find out from the experts.

Meet Trevor Baylis, who invented the wind-up radio in response to the need to communicate information about AIDS to the people of Africa. He now runs Trevor Baylis Brands plc, a company dedicated to helping inventors to develop and protect their ideas and to find a route to market.

Participate in workshops on:

• Securing and Exploiting IP
• How to read and write a patent
• Getting round a patent
• Protecting your trademarks and designs
• Copyright and trade secrets

This is a chance to find out everything you’ve wondered about Intellectual Property from patent attorneys, lawyers and the Patent Office.

Venue: Department of Engineering, Trumpington Street, Coventry CB2 1PZ

Would you like practical advice on writing a winning entry for the £1k Challenge? Come along to our £1k Challenge Training Event to hear how to maximise your chances of winning.

Talks will cover the following topics:

• What makes a great idea
• How to form a great team
• How to identify and quantify your market
• How to raise finance

No need to sign up - just come along! For this event we will also be joined by members of LSE's Entrepreneurs Society, who are in town for the day.

Venue: Department of Engineering, Trumpington Street, Coventry CB2 1PZ

Faced with a room full of new faces with whom to network, few of us will
typically manage more than half a dozen. Speed networking lets you talk
to everyone for two minutes each - they'll find out what you do, you'll
find out what they do, and you can choose whether to exchange contact
details before the gong chimes.

Speed networking is a really efficient way to meet people and find out
about them, and it's great fun too! The aim is to marry technical
know-how (scientists, engineers, etc.) with business acumen (MBA
students) - ideal for forming winning teams for the £1k Challenge.

Registration for this event has now closed.

Coventry Angels - Jack Lang, Sherry Coutu, Robert Sansom, Andy Richards, Teri Wiley
Adrie Reinders, co-founder of OhM Inc. and E.Factor

Selling your ideas and persuading people that you are the most capable person to lead and generate interest from investors and customers is one of the keys to success.