Official Global Activities
We know entrepreneurship can take any form imaginable. That’s why we want to shine the light on a few key areas during the week. Below are some activities that you can hold at your event during Global Entrepreurship Week.
Clean Tech Open
The Clean Tech Open is the world’s largest clean technology business competi¬tion. In 2009, the first ever Clean Tech Open Ideas Competition took place as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week. The Competitionseeks out the best clean technology ideas from around the world – anything from revolutionary ways to generate clean energy, to better ways to filter water, to ideas about how governmental policies around climate change can foster new businesses. For entrepreneurs with a great green idea, this is a chance to share it with the world!
It is a great way to promote your organisation as a force for change and economic development. You can contribute to solving some of the most critical environmental and economic issues of our day.
How does it work?
To enter the competition, all contestants need to do is enter their idea. If selected, contestants will then present a five-minute pitch to a panel of judges in their home country. The individual or team with the top clean tech idea in each country will be flown to San Francisco, California, in November, where all finalists will attend a VIP reception and present their pitch to a live audience of 2,500 clean technology experts, investors and enthusiasts, as well as press from around the world. There, a global winner will be selected and awarded at least $100,000US worth of startup services from seasoned clean tech experts.
To find out more, click here
Your Big Year
Travel the world and change lives. Ever dreamt of seeing the world - expenses paid? Well here’s your chance.
Your Big Year is a free competition to encourage global citizenship and social responsibility through enterprise. As an official event of Global Entrepreneurship Week we hope to raise funds for 24 charities from around the world. It is open to applicants worldwide until October 2010.
The prize for two winners will be a 12 month global trek, all expenses paid, starting in January 2011.
Winners will be given the opportunity to meet world leaders, celebrities and inspirational entrepreneurs. They will live in different communities, learn leadership skills and join volunteer projects – from teaching children in South America to conservation work in Asia. They will be given the tools and support to share their experiences via the global media.
24 finalists will arrive in Liverpool, England to take part in the final stage of the competition as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week.
Chris Arnold, of Your Big Year, said: “This is truly a prize that money can’t buy, and we anticipate huge interest from across the globe. Our two winners will experience the trip of a lifetime, get the opportunity to fulfil their potential, develop their enterprise skills and stimulate their entrepreneurial spirit.”
For more details – and to register your interest – visit www.yourbigyear.com
Regus Speednetwork the Globe
As one of the official activities of Global Entrepreneurship Week, join countries across the world and run a speednetwork to unleash energy, share ideas and make connections – fast.
This year we have partnered with Regus to offer free venue space to events which have a speednetworking element to them.
How does it work?
Speednetworking is a very simple format but always results in a really buzzing atmosphere – it’s great as an icebreaker or energizer or as a whole event in itself. The best Speednetworking events are those that bring together different groups of people, e.g. creatives and business people, aspiring entrepreneurs and business angels, recruiters and graduates.
Speednetworking is a very simple format – anyone can run it and it costs nothing. All you need is a room, a whistle and at least 20 people.
When you blow the whistle, everyone has to find someone to talk to. Blow the whistle every 5 minutes and everyone has to talk to someone new. Keep it simple or take advantage of today’s technology by speednetworking online with people in different parts of the world via webcams and Skype.
Start by reading out the Three Golden Rules:
Rule 1) You must speednetwork with people you don’t know well or have never met before. No sticking with the person you arrived with or your best buddy!
Rule 2) Speednetworking is all about sharing ideas and meeting new people. You don’t have to just talk about work. Ask each other ‘what are your hobbies? ‘Your passions’? ‘Your wildest dreams?’ Talk about anything you like, but the best ones give the speednetwork a theme or a purpose, e.g. social enterprise, global, come up with ideas to solve climate change!
Rule 3) No Double Dating. When the whistle blows, you MUST change partners. No clinging to the person you’re talking to - keep on moving…..
The benefits of Speednetworking
If you’re hosting an event during Global Entrepreneurship Week and want to get people talking, Speednetworking is the perfect ten minute ice breaker.
- If you’re looking to expand your network’s size
- If you’re seeking global connections
- If you’re looking for the solution to a problem and want lots of people to brainstorm ideas
- If you know lots of people who don’t know each other and want to get them connected
- If you would like to raise your profile – if you run a really special Speednetwork the Globe event there is a potential for great media coverage
- If you’re looking for a good way to meet mentors and gain or share quick advice
- If you’re looking to take advantage of today’s technology by expanding your network globally, using webcams and services like Skype
