Pitchfest -- Where the Ideas Meet the Money

Pitchfest is a pitching competition for entrepreneurs to pitch their business idea to a judging panel and an audience of investors. Held in Sydney's Powerhouse Museum on 15 September 07 and hosted by Australian Small Scale Offerings Board and the Department of State and Regional Development.

Sydney, NSW (PRWEB) August 12, 2007 -- Applications are now called for NSW Pitchfest '07, an event designed to connect innovative business ventures with development capital. NSW Pitchfest '07 is a pitching competition but it is also designed to provide an opportunity for businesses and projects to "pitch" their business opportunities to a panel of industry experts and investors.

Staged at the NSW Powerhouse Museum on Saturday, 15th September from 1 - 5 p.m., NSW Pitchfest '07 is a signature event of NSW Government's Small Business September. The event is hosted by the Australian Small Scale Offerings Board Limited (ASSOB) and the Department of State and Regional Development (DSRD). The MC will be ABC TV's Peter Berner (Einstein Factor and Backberner).

I encourage entrepreneurs and small businesses to apply to NSW Pitchfest '07. The process will give you valuable resources, networks and relationships through ASSOB and DSRD as well as rare exposure to the investing community

The Minister for Small Business, the Hon. Joseph Tripodi, has urged innovative businesses in NSW to seek recognition for their business idea through NSW Pitchfest '07. "In keeping with the NSW Innovation Statement, NSW Pitchfest supports the government's aim to see innovative NSW-based businesses attract early-stage capital for their business development and expansion," says Minister Tripodi.

NSW Pitchfest will showcase quality projects and business propositions that need investment capital to achieve their full potential. "These high-growth businesses often find it difficult to raise development capital because they are too 'early-stage' or don't fulfill the usual funding criteria for professional and institutional investors," says ASSOB's Managing Director Brookes McTavish.

"I encourage entrepreneurs and small businesses to apply to NSW Pitchfest '07. The process will give you valuable resources, networks and relationships through ASSOB and DSRD as well as rare exposure to the investing community," McTavish says.

DSRD will provide the winning business with $10,000 to list on the Australian Small Scale Offerings Board and a $10,000 subsidy for business consulting. The 10 short-listed businesses will receive business mentoring through ASSOB as well as presentation, pitch training and audio-visual resources.

Applicants can apply online at http://www.nswpitchfest.com.au. The deadline is 5 p.m. Monday, 20 August, 2007. Registrations to attend the event are available at the same address. All media enquiries and interviews contact:

Philippa Giles, Red Agency on (02) 9963 7727 or 0402 828 434
Antoni Lee, Red Agency on (02) 9963 7702 or 0415 014 435

Kate Ingham, Pitchfest Manager, 0414321641.

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