On September 8, 2021, the first Young Business Festival finally took place. The project had already been postponed twice due to well‑known external circumstances, but as the saying goes, good things come in threes. The event, organized by IHK Nord Westfalen, Venture Club Münster, and the Wirtschaftsjunioren Nord Westfalen, focused on learning from each other and, of course, especially on networking.
Workshops
On the afternoon program, there were workshops on various topics. What does agility look like in the military, and what can be transferred to companies? For example, how to keep the goal in sight even under radically changed circumstances, or how not to ignore your gut feeling. How to fundamentally change your business model by moving from a brick‑and‑mortar retailer to an omnichannel player, and what challenges you might face? How to acquire new customers and shape the journey from first contact to closing in the B2B sector? Starting with the question of how to find potential first contacts and what nuances to consider for different personality types. And last but not least, fuck‑ups and how to handle them in a culture of error. Established companies might still learn a thing or two from startups, which tend to be more open about this, as seen in event series like the Fuck‑Up Nights. Between the workshops there was always enough time to chat, network, or hang out in the finance lounge with experts from various banks to discuss funding programs and financing options.
Festival
However, workshops alone don’t make a festival, and that was the explicit—if somewhat atypical for the IHK—goal of this new, and hopefully not the last, event of its kind. So a pitch event followed, where selected startups could compete for a €5,000 prize, donated by the Wirtschaftsjunioren Nord Westfalen, and win the audience’s vote. The competition was kicked off with an exciting keynote by Christopher Huesmann of flaschenpost, who offered some insights and shared a few learnings. For example, just because certain things are done by everyone in e‑commerce doesn’t mean it’s the right approach for your industry and business model.
Pitch Competition
Afterwards, each finalist had exactly five minutes to present their startup and then answer three audience questions. From precise timing to the fundamentally different problems the startups solve, and even an unconventional presentation style, everything was on display. The audience then had to make a fairly tough decision and vote for urbanhive, clockin, AllCup, edyoucated, or DeskNow. The happy winners are AllCup, who plan to invest the prize money in their patent application.
Meet and Eat
But the festival wasn’t over yet, because it’s also about getting to know each other and networking. And what better way than with cold drinks and tasty food from the food trucks? In the wonderful summer‑evening weather, the terrace buzzed with new contacts and exciting conversations, fostering a great exchange among the diverse participants.
It was an exciting event that is certainly not the last, but rather a more than successful kickoff for the Young Business Festival.
Venture Club Münster thanks the sponsors, IHK Nord Westfalen, and the Wirtschaftsjunioren Nord Westfalen for the great collaboration and a successful festival.
