Contact: Erin Donahue or Mary Margaret Colliver

For complete details and instructions on how to enter the Idea Fair, please visit the E-club Web site, and open the “Idea Fair Guidelines” document.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 14, 2005) -- The deadline to submit business concept ideas for the 2005 University of Kentucky Idea Fair is March 20, 2005, the Sunday after Spring Break. The UK Entrepreneurs Club and the UK Gatton College of Business and Economics Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship will host the third annual Idea Fair Business Concept Competition. This competition is designed to encourage, showcase and support UK’s innovative student entrepreneurs.

The 2005 Idea Fair invites any team of UK students, regardless of major, academic rank or GPA, to submit an original business concept and compete for cash awards totaling $3,500 plus professional assistance.

Idea Fair teams must submit a written five- to eight-page business concept by March 20. The business concept should provide a concise, thoughtful initial investigation into a promising new business idea. The idea should be innovative, feasible and compelling, and must represent the original work of members of the team.

All Idea Fair teams will have their concept reviewed by local experts and receive written feedback on March 30. The top 15 concepts submitted will advance to the semi-final round, held on April 15, where each team will deliver a 10-minute presentation and answer questions about their concept to a group of judges composed of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and business professionals.

Representatives from the semi-finalist teams must be present and able to attend the Idea Fair on April 15 from noon to 6 p.m. Not all team members need to be present, although attendance is encouraged.

For complete details and instructions on how to enter the Idea Fair, please visit the E-club Web site, and open the “Idea Fair Guidelines” document.

For additional information, contact Gabriel Wilmoth at the UK Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship at gabriel@uky.edu or 257-1536.