UT to Host the 2012 Southeast Entrepreneurship Conference March 23-24

A student pitch competition, networking and national speakers will highlight the 2012 Southeast Entrepreneurship Conference (SEEC 2012), held at The University of Tampa on March 23-24. The conference is hosted by UT’s Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization chapter.

Known as the premier student entrepreneurship conference in the region, the SEEC 2012 will allow students to engage in networking opportunities with students and business professionals from across the nation.

The main event of SEEC 2012 is the Spartan Pitch Competition. Students will have 90 seconds to pitch their startup business idea to a panel of judges and will be competing for cash prizes to kick-start their venture. The public and members of the media are invited to attend the final round of the Spartan Pitch Competition, which will be held Saturday, March 24, at UT’s Reeves Theatre at 3 p.m.

SEEC 2012 is open to students of all academic majors, especially those students who are emerging entrepreneurs and who already have businesses up and running. Community business partners who are interested in supporting the development of entrepreneurial students are also welcome to attend the conference. The conference will feature more than 15 speakers from across the country and several keynote speakers, including Jeff Stamp, Ph.D., CEO and chief storyteller of Bold Thinking LLC, and Joe Abraham, author of “Entrepreneurial DNA.”

Thanks to sponsors like The Coleman Foundation, the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization and the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE), SEEC has gained credibility and is now a part of a nationally affiliated movement encouraging young entrepreneurs to start their own ventures. Also, SEA (Self-Employment in the Arts) has partnered with SEEC to incorporate an arts component throughout the conference, teaching students how to build a business around their craft.

To learn more about SEEC 2012 and how to register, visit www.ut.edu/seectampa.