P2 event Pitch IT

The students could enter the Euroscoop at 12:00 to set up their stands for the fair. These stands were located in the foyer of the cinema. At 13:30 you could already make out some nervous faces, because the 'prof tasks' were being rated by the academic advisor and teachers. At 14:30 the various companies and guests were being welcomed. Upon arrival, everybody was given an envelope with a map of the fair and fake money. You could invest this money in projects groups at the fair.

One minute pitch

The 24 project groups could pitch their ideas in de cinema at 15:00 in front of a professional jury, consisting of Erik Kamps (director NBrIX), Pieter Wels (teacher at FHICT) and Pieter Dorst (teacher at FHICT). Sonja Nieuwenhuis, (team leader in Tilburg) welcomed everybody. "Students are very proud of their products, on which they have been working for 7, almost 8 weeks. All of these products can be viewed at the fair, but will also be presented in a one minute pitch." Erik Kamps, stresses the importance of the cooperation between students and companies.

From smart home to food

After Kamps' talk, the first group kicked off with their pitch. After that another 23 pitches followed, some students were nervous, others were quite self-assured. In total there were 6 themes: smart home, education, leisure, food, identity and health. Various ideas on these topics were presented, like the smart fridge, which keeps track of what's in it and when these products expire. But also a 'remote-controlled' plant, which you water from your couch. In short: a lot of different pitches were presented, some had better subjects, others had a stunning presentation.

The fair

After all those pitches, it was time to have a look at the fair. The external parties could make an investment in their favourite product with the fake money they received earlier. Jasper, Jelle, Tom and Nick of project group Smart4 developed a smart fridge and a supermarket app in one. "The app is aimed at reducing waste. For instance: the app tells you what kind of products are in your fridge and which recipes you could make with them. We also have a special button about biogas". Smart4 thus respond to the trend that the Netherlands are becoming more and more sustainable. There is also attention for Leisure. For instance, project group 4-plan made an online market place for events. "Imagine you're looking for a mechanical steer for your daughter's birthday, then you can ask that question here and we will bring you in contact with someone who can offer you this item." Tom, Max, Tido, Bas and Wouter stand out. They really put some effort into it by having T-shirts made with their logo on it. "We, Match up, have designed a special platform, making it easy to keep records of practically anything related to competitions . For instance the number of rounds at a match or the number of points per player. It comes in pretty handy if you're organising a tournament." Another product that stands out is the Helping Hand by Roy, Sven, Teun and Cas. They designed a bracelet that allows, for instance, elderly people to leave the house on their own, without too much effort. The hand makes contact with a sensor by means of a small laser.

Award ceremony

At 17:00 the award ceremony took place. There was an award for the group that received the most fake money as well as an award for the group with the best pitch. The Mood Bear won the 1st prize. They had received the most money: 44.500 euro had been invested in their product. They won cinema vouchers. The award for best pitch went to Map Your Meal. They won a cream cake with a golden USB-stick. The jury was unanimous in their decision. "I'm very inspired. We were very impressed," says jury member Pieter Dorst.

After the award ceremony there was a drink to celebrate the event. The organisation is looking back at the P2 event with a very satisfied feeling. "I'm very happy," says Jeanine van Geest. And duly so. The P2 event was very successful!