Lee Prize winners debut their ideas to help the hospitality, entertainment, and travel industries recover from COVID-19 pandemic to investors, manufacturers and customers.
LAS VEGAS (August 14, 2020) – More than 250 submissions from 32 states and nine countries were received by the Lee Prize committee this summer. Now the finalists will move on to present their ideas to investors, manufactures, industry end users and the public at the virtual Demo Day event from 2-4 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, Oct. 27. All in an effort to get their solutions to the market as quickly as possible.
Finalist ideas range from one-time use recyclable bedsheets to fleets of cleaning robots, virus-capturing HVAC systems and, app-based work scheduling software that simplifies job sharing, and tools to oversee employee and customer flow to simplify social distancing. The finalists were chosen by the Lee School Prize Committee. Winners, which will be announced at Demo Day, will be expected to bring their product or idea to market within twelve months.
“We are impressed with the solutions developed by Prize participants and are encouraged that Demo Day will allow us to connect the winners with investors to ensure the timeline can be met,” said Leith Martin, executive director of UNLV’s Troesh Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Demo Day will be hosted on VFair, a virtual convention software, which will allow attendees to have a conference-like experience from anywhere in the world with wifi access. The free event is open to the public and will bring investors together to preview the finalists as well as semifinalists and other innovators that are working to help the hospitality, entertainment, and travel industries recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Register to attend Demo Day at https://leeprizedemoday.vfairs.com/.
Demo Day Schedule – Tuesday, Oct. 27 (all times PDT)
INVITE ONLY EVENT
10:30-1 p.m. – Press Conference (media only Q&A with finalists)
1-2 p.m. – Investor Access to Finalists (one-on-one meetings in exhibit hall)
EVENTS OPEN TO PUBLIC
2-3 p.m. – Finalists to present on Main Stage – Finalists will be available in the exhibit hall to answer questions during and after the presentations
3-4 p.m. – Moderated Q&A with Finalists on Main Stage
In addition to presentations from the finalists and announcing how the $1 million Lee Prize will be dispersed among the winners, Demo Day attendees can explore a virtual exhibit hall, connect with the finalist and semifinalist in virtual lounge, and set up individual meetings with the innovators to discuss investment in the companies or to set up beta test environments or purchase products that are ready for market.
The goal is for the Lee School Prize innovators to leave the day with all the tools they need to speed their ideas to market to maximize their positive impact in the shortest amount of time.
“Demo Day brings to fruition the goal of the Lee Prize,” said Andre Carrier, chief operating officer of Eureka Casino. “COVID-19 has created a difficult situation for everyone around the world. The Lee Prize has created a starting point for recovery, especially for the hospitality, tourism, and entertainment industries.”
Potential investors can contact the Troesh Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at entrepreneurship@unlv.edu. For more information about the Lee School Prize visit www.LeePrize.com.
About the Lee Family
Ted and Doris Lee, together with their sons, Greg and Ernest, have been active in the Las Vegas community since 1971. From real estate investment and development to operating casinos, hotels and restaurants, the Lee Family manages dozens of properties. The Ted and Doris Lee Family Foundation supports community projects in parks and recreation, intercollegiate athletics, education and the arts. In 2001, Ted and Doris Lee established the first endowed professorship in law at UNLV’s Boyd School of Law. In 2011, The Lee Family Foundation gave a $15M donation to bolster business education at UNLV and the business college was formally renamed the Lee Business School at UNLV in honor of their support.
About the Lee Business School at UNLV
Established in 1967 as the College of Business, the now Lee Business School is one of the largest schools at UNLV with approximately 3,500 undergraduate students, 500 graduate students, and 100 faculty and staff and offers the only accredited business program in Southern Nevada. The school offers ten undergraduate majors, 14 minors and seven graduate degrees, including the MBA and Executive MBA programs. Lee Business School is among the top 5% of business colleges and schools worldwide to hold international dual accreditation in business and accounting by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the premier accrediting body for business and management education. In addition to its scholastic endeavors, Lee Business School is home to three centers that bring together faculty and students with business and industry. These include the Troesh Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER), and Lied Center for Real Estate. With more than 20,000 graduates, the Lee Business School Alumni Chapter is one of the largest alumni chapters on campus.
