Vic Baldinger, co-owner and president of Energy Concepts & Solutions will be the keynote speaker during Illinois State University’s Entrepreneurship Day events on Friday, Nov. 12, from 8 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. in the Bone Student Center Old Main Room. Baldinger will speak on the importance of entrepreneurship in today’s business world during the day’s lunch session, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Entrepreneurship Day will also include a Business Plan and Creative Ideas Competition open to Illinois State students. The day’s events are presented by Illinois State’s Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies and CEO Club. Registration information and guidelines for the competition are available at www.cob.ilstu.edu/ies. For more information contact Mark Hoelscher at mlhoels@ilstu.edu or Terry Noel at tnoel@ilstu.edu
At 3 p.m. that afternoon, the formal dedication of the George R. and Martha Means Center for Entrepreneurial Studies will be held in the Caterpillar Auditorium (room 139) in the University’s College of Business Building. The dedication event is free and open to the public. George R. Means, a 1929 Illinois State alumnus in geography education, was a professional cartographer and navy commander during World War II, a fellow of the American Geographical Society, and served 19 years as general secretary for Rotary International.
The Business Plan and Creative Ideas Competition offers students the opportunity to submit and present a business plan to a panel of local entrepreneurs, business owners and financial representatives from the Bloomington-Normal area. The competition highlights entrepreneurship education as a springboard for new ventures. Student presentations in both competitions will take place between 9:30 a.m. and 12:20 p.m.
Student business and creative idea plans will be judged on attractiveness, competitive advantage, strength of management, implementation planning and economic value. Winners in the Business Plan and Creative Ideas Competition are awarded cash prizes and the first place winner in the Business Plan Competition will also advance to compete in an upcoming competition at Ball State University.
