BINGHAMTON, NY — The City of Binghamton has been selected to host a Startup Weekend, a 54-hour event where participants pitch business startup ideas and form teams to compete for awards and cash prizes. Scheduled for November 9 through 11, the event will be held at the Binghamton Riverwalk Hotel & Conference Center, 225 Water Street, located in downtown Binghamton.

Startup Weekend Binghamton will kickoff at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, with registration and dinner, both of which will offer great networking opportunities for participants to meet other entrepreneurs and startup enthusiasts.  At 7:30 p.m., an open mic session will be held and participants will have a minute to pitch their startup business ideas.  At 9 p.m., each participant will vote for their top 15 pitches.  Once the top ideas are selected, participants will form teams to transform each of these winning concepts into a marketable business model.

The rest of the weekend will be devoted to formulating the most popular ideas – typically web and mobile applications – with the help of mentors and seasoned startup entrepreneurs.  By Sunday, teams will present their ideas to a panel of judges who will then award prizes and services to the most innovative and well thought-out business model.

Startup Weekend Binghamton is generating great interest from numerous area business leaders who recognize the importance of bringing an event of this caliber to the City of Binghamton.



"Visions is extremely pleased to sponsor this Startup Weekend event," said Frank Berrish, president and CEO of Visions Federal Credit Union. "I firmly believe this type of program will provide future entrepreneurs the guidance needed to succeed. I am hopeful we will help develop innovation and commerce in the future, as Thomas Watson and George F. Johnson did in the past, that will restore prosperity to the Greater Binghamton region.”



Visions is also one of the first local businesses to sign on as a premier sponsor of the event. Other supporters of this event include: 
Chobani Yogurt, Binghamton Riverwalk Hotel & Conference Center, Binghamton University, NBT Bank, Broome Community College, Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce, Southern Tier Opportunity Coalition, The Binghamton Local Development Corporation, Broome County, CENTERSTATE Corporation for Economic Opportunity, Newman Development Group, LLC, Broome County Industrial Development Agency.

“We are very pleased with how receptive leaders in the business community have been toward this event, “ said Omar Sanders, lead organizer of Startup Weekend Binghamton. “They understand the important role events such as this can play in creating opportunities for new business development. Startup Weekend Binghamton will be a creative platform that will help bolster the spirit of entrepreneurship in the Greater Binghamton area.”



Participants and attendees, including those with startup ideas, application development or design expertise, or investors and startup enthusiasts, should register at http://www.binghamton.startupweekend.org.