Dragon's Den-type competition comes to Kamloops

I’m out.

People who watch — and make pitches to — CBC’s Dragons’ Den regularly have heard those two words. This weekend, eight local entrepreneurs might also hear them as the city hosts a version of the hit show — complete with its host, Diane Buckner, on the judging panel.

The eight will make their five-minute pitches of their startup businesses at Aberdeen Mall’s centre court from noon to 4 p.m.

The Kamloops version of the Den is one of several events this week being sponsored by the people who created Race to a Million, a social-enterprise project promoting business opportunities and entrepreneurialism in the city.

Dean Pierson, one of the project’s creators, said Buckner will be the keynote speaker at the Grand Hall at Thompson Rivers University on March 4 at 7 p.m., speaking on The Art of the Pitch — Why Some Entrepreneurs Succeed and Some Don’t.

Tickets for the event are $30.

On March 3, the project creators are bringing two golf experts, Tom Matzen and Allen Bonk, to Kamloops for an invitation-only session on organizing golf tournaments to pitch the city as a golfing destination and still make a profit.

Matzen and Bonk will join Buckner and Phil Holland, co-founder of Circa Communications, on the judges’ panel.

The pair will be at Aberdeen Mall from noon to 2 p.m. for a session Pierson has called Pitching Business on the Green — How to Double Your Income and Triple Your Golf Games, which will discuss how to use golf to promote business. Tickets are $20.

As for the business pitches, Pierson said each will benefit from the feedback and questions from the judging panel but “three [judges] are bringing their chequebooks and are ready to invest on the spot.”

Being held at the centre court area makes the event accessible to people; however, a $20 ticket ensures a seat for the event. Tickets for each event are available online at racetoamillion.ca/events.

The eight presenters include Kids Coffee and Tea Company, a unique business-fundraising model — Michael Koehn, Regan Hayes and Karri-Ann McLean; Agile Schedule, a calendar and scheduling solution — Jarrod Goddard; Heat Pads, a reusable product — Matt Oginski; Rip Charger, an after-market supercharger for two-and four-stroke engines — Dennis Smith; Spark Story Starters, a card-based and iPhone application — Tamara Vukusic; Cell Pods, a rapid-charging solution for cellphones for use in airports and malls — Matthew Muzillo; Wild West Adventure Vacations, a Wild West vacation model for Kamloops — Larry Foss; and Share My 360, a 3D virtual software — Jason Wassing.