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What is the
John Ruffatto Business Plan Competition?
The John
Ruffatto Business Plan Competition was founded
in 1990 and has become one of the premier
entrepreneurial events in the state. Each
May, the event attracts approximately 30 teams
from college programs across the state vying
for an invitation to compete in the day long
event. Fifteen teams are invited to compete
and the field is narrowed down during the day.
The top 4 teams presenting their plans in the
evening to an audience of more than 250
distinguished Montana business leaders,
academicians, and students. These teams are
competing for over $25,000 in prize money.
The competition’s distinguished judges and the
audience submit their votes following the
evening presentations and awards are given to
all teams invited to the competition.
More than 600 students from
Montana’s universities and colleges have participated in the
event since its inception and approximately 50 of the
student business plans have been implemented.
These businesses include: Air Montana, Big Sky Brewing Company,
Custom Rides and Racing, Genre & Mode, Guarana Energia, Kinetic
Sports Interactive, Mazdog Archery, Rocky Mountain Truss
Company, Wood Fusion Studio, and many more. Several competitors
leverage the experience gained from the
competition to develop and launch other
ventures.
Where do
sponsor contributions go?
The Montana
Business Plan Competition is partially
supported by an endowment formed in 1990 and
also relies on corporate and individual
sponsorships. The endowment and sponsorships
provide funding for: prize money, food and
beverages served during the event, sponsor
advertisements, and event brochures. In
addition, the money covers the costs of rooms
and meals for all competitors from outside of
Missoula, thus making participation affordable
for students from across the state.
What
sponsorship opportunities are available?
Dean
Gianchetta and Dr. Jeff Shay have worked closely
with members of the Montana Academy of
Distinguished Entrepreneurs to upgrade the
competition and to develop a new sponsorship
program. The sponsorship program has four
distinct levels:
|
Sponsorship Level |
Amount |
|
Platinum |
$2,500 and
up |
|
Gold |
$1,000 to
$2,499 |
|
Silver |
$500 to
$999 |
|
Bronze |
$250 to
$499 |
What do
sponsors receive in return for their
contributions?
Each
sponsorship level comes with a set of benefits
that will reflect the contribution made to
this important program. These benefits have
been carefully designed to maximize your
organization's exposure for assisting us. Here
are the benefits associated with each level of
sponsorship:
Platinum Level Sponsors
-
Large sign at the event
featuring your company’s logo
-
Company's logo
projected on big screen at competition
-
Mentioned in all
press-releases for the event
-
Recognized as a Platinum
sponsor at the event by the Emcee
-
Listed as a sponsor, along
with logo, on the competition’s website
until next year
-
Listed as a sponsor in the
event’s brochure
-
Listed as a sponsor in the
School of Business Administration’s
Newsletter
-
Recognized in the University
of Montana foundation literature
-
Membership in the University
of Montana’s President’s Club, which brings
with it a variety of privileges and
recognition at The University of Montana.
-
VIP invitation
to the Pioneer in Industry Award Banquet held each fall
-
New sponsor
benefits under development
Gold Level Sponsors
-
Large sign at the event
featuring your company’s logo in second tier location
-
Recognized as a Gold sponsor
at the event by the Emcee
-
Listed as a sponsor, along
with logo, on the competition’s website
until next year
-
Listed as a sponsor in the
event’s brochure
-
Listed as a sponsor in the
School of Business Administration’s
Newsletter
-
Recognized in the University
of Montana foundation literature
-
Membership in the University
of Montana’s President’s Club, which brings
with it a variety of privileges and
recognition at The University of Montana.
Silver Level Sponsors
-
Poster at the
event featuring your company's logo
-
Listed as a sponsor (text
only) on the competition’s website until
next year
-
Listed as a sponsor in the
event’s brochure
-
Recognized in the University
of Montana foundation literature
Bronze Level Sponsors
-
Poster at the event featuring
your company’s logo
-
Listed as a sponsor in the
event’s brochure
-
Recognized in the University
of Montana foundation literature
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