Uber, AirBnB, Virgin Galactic, WeWork – the hospitality industry is bursting with tech startups, and the opportunities for future entrepreneurs are unlimited. At Les Roches, we’re giving the next generation of disruptors the chance to develop their big idea alongside their studies, with our European Tech Tour competition.
The Tech Tour competition is open to all BBA students starting their studies in September 2019. After submitting an initial business idea before October 15, entrants will develop it throughout the semester, before pitching it to an expert panel in January. The winners will take their ideas on the road, meeting innovative startups in Switzerland and Holland, visiting incubators, seeing classroom theory in practice, and making game-changing connections.
Inspiring real-world innovation
Hospitality is changing like never before. Emerging technologies such as Blockchain, AI and Augmented Reality are redefining the user experience, creating new possibilities and opportunities. At Les Roches, we’re teaching students the new codes of hospitality, developing a disruptive expertise for an industry evolving from hotels and holidays, into workspaces, personal travel, peer-to-peer accommodation and Space.
The Tech Tour is a unique opportunity for a handful of BBA students to go behind the scenes at these new hospitality businesses, learning from their founders and gaining money-can’t-buy entrepreneurial insight. Visiting more than 10 organizations over three days, students will be immersed in the startup ecosystem, allowing them to see what it takes to turn an idea into a successful tech business.
Once back on campus, students can implement everything they have learned, taking their idea to the next level with the help of a community of tutors, mentors and industry professionals. Whether a student wins a place on the Tour or not, the competition process puts classroom theory into practice, and instils the methodology needed to launch a business in the real world.
How to enter the Tech Tour competition
The Tech Tour competition is open to all BBA students starting at Les Roches in September 2019.
How the competition works:
1. Write 700 words on your business idea that will shape the future, and submit it to us by October 15, 2019. Submit your idea here.
2. You will refine your idea during your first semester (BBA1), alongside your studies.
3. At the end of BBA1, in mid-January 2020, you’ll present your idea to a panel of experts, serial entrepreneurs and industry professionals.
4. If the panel believes your idea is innovative, feasible and has the potential to truly disrupt, then you will be awarded a place on the three-day Tech Tour. All travel and accommodation is fully paid.
5. Use the Tour to learn real-world startup lessons, make key contacts, and return to campus with money-can’t-buy insight to take your startup to the next level.
Ready to take the first step on your entrepreneurial journey? Learn more about the Tech Tour, our BBA, and tell us about your big idea.
