Big Idea Competition Recognizes The Shoals' Brightest Concepts

Mar. 01, 2017

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

Guy McClure, College of Business Communications What's the Big Idea? Well, it's a chance for someone to present an idea for a business to a panel of experts and win a portion of prize money up to $3,000. The mission of the event is to identify those in our area who are on the path to becoming leaders in digital technology. The University of North Alabama, Shoals Chamber of Commerce, the City of Florence, and PartyPros USA will host the Big Idea Competition Thursday, March 9, at 5:00 p.m. The competition will be held in the Performance Center of the Guillot University Center on UNA's campus. Over forty participants from three categories - community, collegiate, and K-12 - submitted their ideas of which 9 will be presented on the evening of the event. Each category will be awarded a first, second, and third place with monetary awards of up to $3,000 provided by Listerhill Credit Union. Three UNA scholarships will be up for grabs as well for graduating high school seniors who participate. "We want to have the community engaged in this event so they will see the future direction of technology in the Shoals," states Dr. Santanu Borah, Professor of Management at UNA. "We are not trying to reinvent the wheel, we are simply trying to find new and better uses for the wheel." Dr. Deborah Barnhart, CEO of the US Space and Rocket Center, will be the keynote speaker. Prior to the event, Barnhart will spend the day visiting local schools, the Chamber of Commerce, and meet with the administration at UNA. The Big Idea Competition is free and open to the public. For more information visit www.shoalsbigidea.com.