Frequently Asked Questions

Attending

What is Startup Riot SHOW?
Startup Riot SHOW is an all-day event which highlights 25 startups through three minute, four slide presentations given by the startups. The startups subsequently answer questions from a judging panel for three minutes. There are a few important aspects that make Startup Riot SHOW different than any other startup conference you've heard about or been to.

First, we intentionally keep our ticket prices low so as to be affordable for everyone between entrepreneurs ($30 for the day) to investors ($70 for the day). Of course, presenters are always free. One way we keep our prices low is by not serving you overpriced, bland, mass-produced lunch. We send our attendees out in a fun matching exercise to local eateries. No one enjoys knowing they overpaid for a bad box lunch so why would we do that to you?

Second, we don't allow any service providers (lawyers, accountants, recruiters, consultants, etc.) to attend unless they are a part of a sponsoring organization. We believe this makes for a higher quality event and increases the rate at which attendees return to the event. This is good for our attendees, our sponsors, and us.

Finally, SHOW isn't just about raising money otherwise we'd call is RAISE. Although there are a lot of investors who attend and participate, this event is about showing off what you're doing and building the relationships that will help everyone - presenters and attendees - succeed. We expect all attendees to come with the expection of helping others succeed.

When is Startup Riot SHOW?
Atlanta SHOW 2012 is on Wednesday February 22, 2012 at the Tabernacle Atlanta.

Who can attend?
Startup Riot SHOW is open to all investors (institutional, corporate, and angels), entrepreneurs, and companies looking for partnerships and/or M&A opportunities. Also welcome are individuals representing governmental, academic, and non-profit organizations that support entrepreneurs.

Can students attend Startup Riot SHOW?
Yes, students are permitted to attend Startup Riot SHOW but there is no discount available to these attendees. Students should register as "entreprenurs" since our hope is that we'll nudge them in that direction after they attend Startup Riot.

Who can't attend?
If you provide services to startups (e.g., attorneys, accountants, benefits, legal, consulting, etc.) you are not permitted to attend unless you are a part of a Startup Riot sponsoring organization. Also individuals who run pay-to-pitch organizations are absolutely not permitted to attend.

Interested in sponsoring Startup Riot? Drop us a line.

Why should I attend?
There is no other event where you'll have the opportunity to hear 3 minute pitches from 25 startups in a day. There just isn't. If you really need convincing see what the press has said about our event.

When is the deadline to apply to attend?
Due to constraints on printing badges, programs, etc. we will stop accepting applications to attend on February 8, 2012 for Atlanta or earlier if we fill all of our attendee slots for the event. We are anticipating more than 500 attendees in Atlanta in 2012.

Once I apply to attend, am I automatically allowed to come?
We manually review each and every application to ensure that you aren't a member of one of our restricted attendee groups (see above). Once we approve your application, we'll let you know. If we reject your application, we'll refund your registration fee in full.

In case we can not validate your identity and background, we may contact you for further information so it is imperative that you supply correct and complete contact information to us. If we can't get a hold of you, we will have no other option than to cancel your application to attend.

Can I walk up and register the day of the event?
Sorry, no. We have had many individuals try this before and because of our stringent screening policies, we can not and will not accept any individual who has not been pre-screened. In addition we can not manage registration payments at check-in so we require every attendee to have fully paid their registration fee prior to the event.

Presenting

What kinds of startups can present at Startup Riot SHOW?
We are primarily seeking Internet and software oriented startups for Startup Riot.

If I apply to present do I automatically get a slot?
Sorry, no. We tried that the first year of Startup Riot but given the growth of the event this just isn't possible. We now have a selection process for potential presenters. But keep in mind that presenting at Startup Riot has been and will always be FREE.

What is the process to being selected to present?
First, you need to apply to present. The most important part of the application is the submission of a link to your four slide presentation (see the next question) and a link to a video of you presenting those four slides in three minutes (or less, but not much less). The video should be shot so that you are both easy to see and hear. Feel free to say things like "slide 1" or "next slide" so that we can follow along with your presentation. Neither slides nor the video presentation need to be publicly available but they must be available to us without the need for a login/password.

Second, we'll review your application and let you know if we are going to slot you. Applications will be reviewed on a first come, first serve basis so it behooves you to apply early but with a good and complete application. In some cases we may defer your application so that we can better judge where you are in the applicant pool. Expect to hear a decision from us within four weeks or so after your application submission.

What are the requirements for the presentation?
There are two requirements. First, your presentation should be three minutes or less. On the day of the event, if you run over we will come up on stage and stop you. That has never happened so we're really itching to push someone off stage. Don't let that someone be you. That said, we also don't want you to finish your presentation in one minute. Try to take all three minutes of your time but don't go over.

Second, you are allowed only four slides. The first slide should clearly identify the presenter's name and the name of the company. No other information is allowed on the first slide. You can put additional contact information or design elements but you can not use the first slide to convey information about your product or service. Of the remaining three slides, you are welcome to use them as you wish. We suggest that you heavily focus on your products/service since you only have three minutes to convey what you do to the audience. Your slides may not have any "builds" or animation - just static plain slides. Your talk should be the focus of your presentation, not fancy slides. If you're going to use text make sure it's BIG - we recommend at least a 50 (yes, fifty) point font or larger.

When presenting your slides you may only go straight through the slides - you are not allowed to skip back and forth through the slides in an attempt to get more visuals for your talk. If you do that at the event you will be promptly removed from the stage. We're not kidding.

When do applications to present close?
We anticipate closing off the applications to present on January 25, 2012. We will continue to take late applications after this date. Apply as early as possible for the best possible odds of getting a slot.

Can I update my slides after I get selected?
Absolutely. We recognize that you may be applying to present at Startup Riot many months before the actual event. In light of that the application only requires your initial slides that you'll use. If you are selected to present at Startup Riot, you will have the opportunity to submit final slides a few weeks before the big day.

What does it cost to present?
Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. We will never charge entrepreneurs a fee if they are selected to present at Startup Riot. All presenting entrepreneurs will get one free pass to the event for themselves. Additional company attendees will need to apply to attend and pay the relevant registration fee ($30 per person).

Will the event be broadcast live or taped?
We will probably not being doing an official broadcast of the event. That said, we will be encouraging audience members to live stream, live blog, tweet, etc. If you aren't comfortable with that, don't apply to attend/present. This event is about increasing the awareness in the presenting companies and additional viewers who can't make the event is a good thing for everyone.

Will there be opportunities to practice pitching before Startup Riot?
We are working on giving presenters opportunities before Startup Riot to get feedback on their presentations. It may be too late to change your slides at that point but you can always fine tune what you are saying.

Are there any other events for selected presenters at Startup Riot?
Indeed - we are working to put together a presenter and sponsor only pre-party on the evening of Tuesday prior to Startup Riot. The venue for this pre-party will be shared with presenters and will be a great opportunity to meet your fellow entrepreneurs before the big event.

What are the requirements for the presentation table each startup gets?
There are no requirements but we recommend that someone is at the table for the entire event - even when presentations are occuring. For that reason we recommend that each startup sends at least two people - the presenter and one other - to Startup Riot. Beyond that you are welcome to have as simple or as elaborate of a setup as you desire. We don't allow anything that will be distracting or detracting from other startups at the event. That means no ballons, projectors, noise makers, fog machines, or anything else that you would find annoying if someone next to you was doing.

What's the story with the travel assistance fund?
In 2010 we launched a travel assistance fund and asked for voluntary donations from our attendees. All of that money was spent helping entrepreneurs who aren't in the Atlanta/Georgia area get to the event. We weren't able to cover 100% of the costs of any entrepreneur but we were able to help defray the costs. When applying to present let us know how much you might need to help make the journey. We can't guarantee that we'll be able to provide any or all of the funds you request but we'll definitely try.

Sponsoring

How can I sponsor Startup Riot?
We're glad that you think Startup Riot is an event worthy of your sponsorship! We've had a great amount of interest in the event and would love to talk to you about the benefits of being a part of this event. But note, we reserve the right to reject any potential sponsor if we feel that our beliefs about entrepreneurship are not shared or reflected by your organization.

Please contact us and we can talk about possible sponsorship opportunities.