M West Challenge

West Michigan's Student Entrepreneurship Competition

Welcome to the 2023 MWest Challenge, a student venture competition designed to create cross collaboration between students that span across several universities from West Michigan. Through MWest, entrepreneurially minded students are able to develop and grow new ventures based on their own ideas. MWest involves eight West Michigan colleges and universities, representing 75,000 students from: Grand Valley State University, Kendall College of Art and Design, Davenport University, Aquinas College, Calvin College, Cornerstone University, Grand Rapids Community College, Kuyper College, and Hope College.

Innovation Showcase Guidelines:

Showcase Pitch Guidelines

  • 3-minute pitch time limit (not including Q&A)

  • Use your poster as a visual aid

  • One speaker is recommended, but more can pitch if you practice

  • A walking jury will visit your space for your pitch

Pitch Content Suggestion

  1. Problem – what is the story and how big is the problem?

  2. Solution – what is your idea? (narrative, visual, etc.)

  3. Competitive Advantage + Value Proposition – how are you unique and superior to the competition?

  4. Target Audience + Market Size – who are you selling to, how big is the market, and what is the growth opportunity? (use numbers to demonstrate)

  5. Revenue Model – what are you specifically selling, how will you make money and what is the price point? (define your product/service definition well)

  6. Sales + Marketing Strategy – how will you promote your business, sell your product/service, and build relationships with customers? (channels)

  7. Team – who will do the work and why are you the right team?

3 Minutes goes by fast. Be sure to practice!

Showcase Table and Poster Guidelines

  • Each team will be provided a 5-foot table to decorate as they desire (table skirt, hanging banner, etc.)

  • The recommended poster size is 3 feet in height by 4 feet wide (36” x 48”)

  • Posters should be placed on top of a table for visibility (easels will NOT be provided)

  • Teams may use any props they like (laptop display, handouts, prototypes, etc.)

  • Teams may use the area behind or in front of the table as long as they do not impede foot traffic or disturb the tables next to them (be mindful)

  • Teams may not hang anything from the ceiling or exceed 8 feet in height

Poster Design Tips

  • Use white spaces to separate different poster sections and group related information by color or in the same box

  • A large font title should be placed at the very top of the poster

  • Use figures and pictures to tell your story

  • Minimize the amount of text and use a large enough font for viewers to read your poster from 6 feet away. Ideally, you should use less than 800 words and avoid large blocks of text

  • Organize material in a logical progression

  • Practice your presentation as you work through your revisions to ensure that you have included all of the necessary information

  • Reference Colin Purrington's website on poster design if you need help (including templates): http://colinpurrington.com/tips/academic/posterdesign

Printing Tips

  • You can print the poster in individual sections, and paste them under the appropriate title.

  • Each team is responsible for printing their poster. Please contact your school to see if they offer assistance and help with the printing process.

  • You should print a test page using the “Scale to fit” option to make sure your poster prints without any issues. If you are satisfied with this printing then proceed with your print.