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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 $35,000 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 500
students from Montana’s universities and
colleges have participated in the event since
its inception and approximately 30 of the
student business plans have been implemented.
Recent success stories include Big Sky Brewing
Company (now one of the top 20 microbreweries
in the country) and Kinetic Sports
Interactive, an interactive media company that
provides personalized training program
supplemental software for health and fitness
related companies. 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. 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 new 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
-
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.
Gold Level Sponsors
-
Large sign at the event
featuring your company’s logo
-
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
-
Sign 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
-
Sign 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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