Judging/Evaluations

• Besides giving verbal feedback throughout the event, you can find the online judging evaluation sheets here

Where Can I Find The Startup One-Sheeters?

• The investor profile reports for the twelve Finalists can be found in our Dropbox folder here.

What’s The Schedule?

Aug 7 (Tues)

• 8:00a-8:30p - Registration @ LaunchPad City
• 8:30a-1:30p - Pitches #1-6 @ LaunchPad City; Lunch will be provided
• 3:30p-4:30p - Finalist Pitch Day Demo (judges get time to test/demo products of Top 12) @ Toyota Stadium/FC Dallas
• 4:00-4:30p - Spring 2018 Global Demo Day Registration @ Toyota Stadium/FC Dallas
• 4:30p-7:30p - Spring 2018 Global Demo Day—FocusMotion, GamerzArena, IdealSeat, Spalk—and VIP Social (networking w/Fall 2018 Top 12, Spring 2018 cohort & VIPs) @ Toyota Stadium/FC Dallas

Aug 8 (Wed)

• 8:00-8:30a - Registration @ LaunchPad City
• 8:30a-1:30p - Pitches #7-12 with Final Evaluations @ LaunchPad City; Lunch will be provided

Where Is It?

• Finalist Pitch Day will be held in the mornings of August 7th and 8th at LaunchPad City (6170 Research Rd, Frisco, TX 75033). Registration will be in the lobby when you arrive.
• Global Demo Day will be held in the evening of August 7th at FC Dallas (9200 World Cup Way, Frisco, TX 75033). Guests are to enter through the West Gate entrance directly into the Winners Club where registration will be located.

Where Do I Park?

• If needed, free parking for Finalist Pitch Day is available at LaunchPad City.
• If needed, free parking for Global Demo Day is available at Toyota Stadium on Main Street & World Cup Way in the Platinum Lot located next to the West Gate.

How Do The Pitches Work?

• During the pitches, the finalists will have up to 7 minutes to pitch their business, and the Judging Panel will have up to 10 minutes for Q&A. A copy of the Finalist Pitch Day Agenda can be found at the end.

What Should I Do Prior?

• Review the investor profile reports for the twelve Finalists, which can be found in our Dropbox folder here.
• Please familiarize yourself with these businesses and be prepared to have your most pertinent questions queued up; coming to the Finalist Pitch Day event having reviewed this information is important to getting the right questions answered.
• Please note that all evaluations will be done online, so be sure to bring a laptop or tablet.

Can I Bring My Laptop Or Tablet?

• Please bring a laptop or tablet that can access WiFi as this will be used for the electronic evaluations. And please don’t forget your power cord!

Where Can I Access The Judging Forms?

• These will be provided on the days of the event on this page.

Do I Need To Bring Anything Else?

• At your seat, you will have an event program along with a pen and pad of paper for additional notes.

What Do I Wear?

• Dress code is relaxed business professional. We will all be wearing jeans and sport coats.

What Is Stadia Looking For From These Pitches?

• Established startups in the sports business space that have existing/innovative products, services, or technologies; and currently have traction, revenue and employ scalable business models with potential for national or international impact.
• We are looking for the best companies that are “investible,” have founders that are “mentor-able,” and give Stadia Ventures the best opportunity to accelerate them.
• We are not looking for the best investment…we are looking for the best companies we can accelerate, which will turn into the best investment.

Is There Anything Else I Should Know As I Evaluate These Companies?

• This is not a “best pitch” competition, nor is it a “best business plan” competition. When qualitatively evaluating a finalist, please keep in mind the services Stadia Ventures may be able to facilitate to strengthen an area of weakness within the business.
• We are looking to attract the best entrepreneurial talent to the area. As such, the character, abilities, and value-additive nature of the team matters to us.

What Other Rock Stars Besides Myself Are Attending?

• You can find the Judge Bio Booklet here.

Will I Have Time To Network?

• Yes…TONS! During the pitches, you will be sitting with 3-5 different individuals each day, and we’ve embedded in deliberation time. Additionally, between the Pitch Demos, Global Demo Day and the Global Demo Day VIP Social, you’ll come close to knowing just about everyone in the room.

Who Will I Sit Next To?

• Each table will have 4-6 judges which we have arranged ahead of time. For those who requested specific table mates, we have done our best to accommodate. For those who didn’t, we have specifically chosen your table mates for a reason. We assure you the conversations will be good!

What Can I Share On Social Media?

• Feel free to post about the event on social media! You can use the company’s and finalists’ names, but please do not share any of the information presented to you.

What Are The “Rules of Engagement”?

We know that there will likely be some startups that you see pitch at the event that you’re really intrigued by and might want to acquire/consult/invest/partner with afterwards. That’s part of the reason we created and structured the event the way we do. While we want to see relationships like that flourish, we do ask all judges and guests to follow a few simple rules when it comes to engaging with startups post-Finalist Pitch Day:

1. Keep all information shared by either the startups or judges during the course of the event in complete confidence given its sensitive nature.

2. Do not strike outside deals (business or investing) before Stadia completes negotiations with the startups. Stadia will notify you when the cohort has been finalized, which is a green light for you to continue your discussions.

3. Before entering any deal after the cohort has been finalized, please leverage Stadia and its additional due diligence materials to ensure you have all available information when making an acquisition/consulting/investment/partnership decision. Stadia has saved many a bad decision (and friendship).

If I Get In Early, Is There Anything For Me To Do?

• Our friends at the Frisco Roughriders will be hosting our judges arriving early for an Evening Before Happy Hour on Monday night from 5:30p-7:30p at their home, the Dr. Pepper Ballpark. Please plan to join us if your schedule allows. Register and find more info here.

What Should I Know About Transportation?

• If you are still booking your flights, it does not matter if you fly into DFW or Love Field as both are roughly a half hour from Frisco.
• We will be unable to provide transportation during the event; however, the hotel, LaunchPad City and FC Dallas are all within a 15-minute ride from each other, and Uber and taxi services will be available.
• If you’d like to try to coordinate Ubers or taxis with other judges, please check out this document.

Where Should I Stay?

• If you are still in need of a hotel, please consider the Drury Inn & Suites Dallas Frisco (2880 Dallas Pkwy, Frisco, TX 75034).
• We have a reduced rate of $119/night available; it is a 12-minute drive from both LaunchPad City and FC Dallas.
• To book, please call 1-800-325-0720 and reference Group Number 2346865.

What Is The Weather Going To Be Like?

• Mon, Aug 6: Sunny, H: 97, L: 77
• Tue, Aug 7: Sunny, H: 99, L: 77
• Wed, Aug 8: Sunny, H: 100, L: 77

Who Do I Contact If I Need Something?

• Byron Abrigg will be managing most of the logistics for the Finalist Pitch Day. His mobile number is (330) 651-4244 or his email address is [email protected].
• Tim Hayden can also be reached if needed at (314) 323-8842 or [email protected].
• If, for whatever reason, you’ll be arriving late to the pitches, please let Byron know as soon as possible.