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New Ideas Voting OPEN

MEDIA ALERT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2008

HELP STOKE SOME FIRES IN SOUTH CAROLINA!
THE New ideas for a new carolina people’s choice award now open for voting

WHAT:

Be a judge in the largest business idea contest in South Carolina and help a fellow citizen realize their dream! Any and all residents of the Palmetto State can now vote for their favorite idea in the New Ideas for a New Carolina contest.

WHEN

Voting is open May 7 – May 14
Winners will be announced at the ThinkTEC Innovation Summit in Charleston on June 4, 2008.

HOW IT WORKS

Any resident of South Carolina can vote for their favorite business idea in the Wildcard business category. The winner in this category will receive $2500 and is eligible for the $5,000 Grand Prize. A runner up will receive $1000 to cultivate their idea and both will receive a scholarship to FastTracSC entrepreneurial training programs.

After public voting is closed, the field will be narrowed to the public’s five favorites. At that point, Evelyn McGee-Colbert, actress and wife of The Colbert Report host Stephen Colbert, will be judging and choosing the winner and runner-up of the Wildcard category. Both McGee-Colbert and Colbert will appear via video at the awards ceremony when the winner is announced.

WHO

Finalists in the Wildcard category that are available to vote for are:
1. A facility where one can both practice their golf game on a nine-hole course and their fishing skills in the stocked catch and release fishing hole.

2. A performing arts organization that will build working partnerships between community amateur groups and professional performing arts groups to focus statewide attention on South Carolina artistic resources

3. A SPF clothing line designed for women between the ages of 15 – 35 that will provide stylish wardrobe options while protecting their skin from harmful sun damage.

4. A dining web site that allows diners to search, using their cell phone, wait times at local restaurants.

5. A clothing line with a small computer connection that can be connected to photo software allowing consumer to display graphics, photos, etc. directly on the article of clothing

6. Text messaging marketing to advertisers that can be implemented in a client’s radio, television, print or direct mail advertising and invite consumers to text for more information.

7. A pliable and fashionably designed mat for women to sit on at the edge of the pool to protect their swimsuits from snagging on rough cement.

8. A literary publishing house using new technologies such as print on demand, electronic texts, audio downloads, etc. to connect the writing and reading communities in South Carolina.

9. Fashionable and easily interchangeable seat covers for your vehicle that protect upholstery from messy children while not compromising the safety of a car/booster seat.

10. An exhibition to showcase the supportive, global community of fiber artists brought together by access to the Internet.

WHERE:

Votes can be cast at www.newideassc.com

ABOUT NEW IDEAS:

An idea out of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce to promote the FastTracSC program, New Ideas for a New Carolina and the 2008 contest is powered by New Carolina - SC's Council on Competitiveness and its partners: FastTracSC, ThinkTEC, InnoVenture, NEXT, the Florence Chamber of Commerce and SCLaunch!, the contest's main sponsor, and a number of other state and local organizations with a shared vision for a brighter future for South Carolina.

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