Philadelphia Open Innovation Tournament

Day 1 - Open Ideation Round

Up to 200 participants will form teams and brainstorm ideas to solve real-world challenges. Teams will create rapid prototypes and present them to peers for evaluation. The top teams, as determined by participant votes (no more than 10), will advance to the second day.

🗓️ Date: Saturday October 26, 2024

⏰ Time: 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM

📍 Venue: Netrality Data Center Meeting Hall, 401 North Broad St, Philadelphia, PA | 🍏 Apple Maps | 🗺️ Google Maps

🍻 Happy Hour 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM @ Prohibition Taproom 501 N 13th St, Philadelphia, PA | 🍏 Apple Maps | 🗺️ Google Maps

Day 2 - Finalists Presenting

Finalists (no more than 10 teams) will refine their ideas and prepare final presentations. Expert judges will evaluate the pitches, and awards will be given to the most promising solutions.

🗓️ Date: Sunday October 27, 2024

⏰ Time: Finalists will schedule time to present

📍 Venue: Netrality Data Center Conference Room, 401 North Broad St, Philadelphia, PA | 🍏 Apple Maps | 🗺️ Google Maps

An Open Innovation Tournament is a dynamic and collaborative event where individuals and teams come together to generate, develop, and showcase innovative ideas. Unlike traditional innovation processes that often occur within closed environments, an Open Innovation Tournament invites participants from diverse backgrounds—such as entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, policymakers, and makers—to contribute their unique perspectives and skills.

Participants engage in various activities like brainstorming sessions, prototyping, and pitching ideas, all aimed at solving real-world challenges. The tournament fosters a competitive yet cooperative atmosphere, encouraging participants to push the boundaries of creativity and problem-solving. By the end of the event, the most promising solutions are recognized and rewarded, with the potential for further development and implementation.

The key benefits of an Open Innovation Tournament include:

• Diverse Perspectives: Bringing together a wide range of participants to inspire creative solutions.
• Collaborative Environment: Encouraging teamwork and knowledge sharing.
• Real-World Impact: Focusing on practical solutions to pressing challenges.
• Networking Opportunities: Connecting innovators with potential partners, mentors, and investors.

Join us to be part of this exciting journey of innovation and impact!

The Philly Innovation Tournament is structured to systematically generate and evaluate innovative ideas through a competitive process inspired by the framework developed by Profs. Karl Ulrich and Christian Terwiesch (@UPenn in Philadelphia). Here's a brief overview of how the tournament will unfold:

Tournament Structure Overview

Participants will brainstorm and create rapid prototypes of their ideas, displaying them on poster boards for peer evaluation. The most promising concepts will advance through multiple rounds, where participants will refine their ideas and pitches. The tournament culminates in final presentations judged by experts, ensuring that the best ideas are identified and developed into actionable projects.

Watch this video for more information about the tournament setup from its creators.

Process

The tournament spans two days, featuring rapid prototyping sessions, peer voting, and expert judging. Participants will engage in brainstorming, prototyping, pitching, and evaluation rounds, competing for awards and recognition.

Day 1: Saturday

• Morning: Doors open and the tournament kicks off with a rapid prototyping session. Teams brainstorm and create poster board presentations of their ideas.
• Midday: Participants vote on the best ideas, and the top concepts (about the top 40%) advance. Losing teams will be invited to resubmit in a repechage round.
• Afternoon: A session on delivering elevator pitches is followed by breakout sessions where teams create light pitches. The day ends with 3-minute elevator pitches and another round of voting, narrowing the field to no more than 10 top teams.

Day 2: Sunday

• Our panel of judges (Local VCs, Angels and Innovation Leaders) listen to pitches from the final teams. The event concludes with awards for the best ideas, followed by support and assistance for promising teams to help them raise funds or support for their projects.

Join us for this exciting event where ideas collide, innovation thrives, and solutions to real-world challenges are born. Your unique perspective is crucial to our collective success. Register now to collaborate, compete, and create the future! 🚀