Boston University School of Hospitality Administration presents $100k Poyiadjis Hospitality Innovation Competition

Boston, MA (January 19, 2024) – Boston University School of Hospitality Administration (BU SHA) is proud to announce the second annual $100k Poyiadjis Hospitality Innovation Competition. Building on last year’s success, this year’s competition offers double cash prizes (from $50K in 2023 to $100K for 2024) and more opportunities for BU student teams to compete. 

BU School of Hospitality Administration, innovative in its approach to hospitality education and practice, frames hospitality as extending far beyond dining and hotels to encompass real estate, sports and entertainment, senior living, events, and more. At its core, hospitality seeks to forge meaningful connections in every human interaction. 

“The Innovation Competition emboldens students to kickstart their ideas and transform them into real ventures within the hospitality industry which is infinititely expansive in its applications,” said Arun Upneja, Ph.D., Dean of Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. “The world needs young minds to put their talent, creativity, and skills to solving real-world challenges and improving everyday experiences through the infusion of hospitality.” 

The competition offers students to tackle real-world challenges and create solutions for them. Competing teams can apply with just an idea and will then work with advisors and mentors to further refine their ideas during their time in the competition. In its second year, the Innovation Competition has expanded in scope and prizes. For the 2024, BU students and Class of 2023 BU alumni will compete for $100k across three tracks (Open, Social Impact, and Student Wellbeing).  

The competition culminates with final presentations and the cash-prize awards in front of a panel of judges and a live audience at the annual Hospitality Leadership Summit on Thursday, April 4, 2024 at Boston University’s Computing and Data Sciences Center — an emblem of innovation as Boston’s largest fossil fuel-free building. 

The Competition is made possible by the generous support of Roys and Donna Poyiadjis. Roys Poyiadjis is the Founder of Platinum Capital Partners, Inc., a family office that focuses on technology investments, traditional private equity activities, real estate, and special opportunities. Donna Poyiadjis is involved in several philanthropic initiatives.  

Additional support is made possible through individual donors and these Boston University partners: 

  • Student Wellbeing, a campus-wide initiative to support students’ health and wellbeing during their time at BU. 
  • Innovate@BU, a University-wide initiative to enable all BU Terriers to become drivers of innovation in their own lives, careers, and communities. 
  • BUild Lab DG Capital Student Innovation Center, home to people, programs, and collaboration space that helps all BU students and recent alumni transform their ideas into something real and develop innovation skills, an entrepreneurial mindset, and a strong community along the way. 

 “As we face increasingly more complex challenges around the world, there is an urgent need to rewrite the playbook and create new innovative solutions to the issues of the present and the future,” said Roys Poyiadjis. “Given BU SHA’s commitment to furthering innovation and entrepreneurship in the hospitality space, we are delighted to sponsor the Hospitality Innovation Competition at SHA with the mission of teaching students to think like entrepreneurs, to embrace innovation, and use their learning to present new ideas and ventures that have the potential to positively impact the hospitality industry.”  

 In addition to very attractive prize money for the top three teams in each track, all participants will benefit from a multi-dimensional learning experience through a combination of group classes, one-on-one mentoring, and access to experienced advisors and investors, helping teams further their business ideas and create a better future for the next generation of hospitality. 

 Key Deadlines for the Competition: 

  • February 19, 2024: Applications Due 
  • February 23, 2024: Announcement of teams selected to move to Stage 2  
  • March 18, 2024: Stage 2 teams pitch to judges  
  • March 21, 2024: Announcement of teams selected to move to Stage 3 – Final Round 
  • April 2, 2024: Student Wellbeing Track pitch to the judges 
  • April 4, 2024: Final teams (top 5 teams in Open and Social Impact tracks) present their ventures to a live audience consisting of Boston University students, alumni, industry professionals, potential investors, and judges at the  Hospitality Leadership Summit  

    For Competition application information, visit $100k Poyiadjis Hospitality Innovation Competition 

    Photos and interviews available upon request. 
    ___________________________________________________________________________________________

    About Boston University School of Hospitality Administration: Established in 1981 and now celebrating 40 years of Innovating the Business of Hospitality, Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration (SHA) offers students a combination of rigorous academics, liberal arts curriculum, and international experiences for the pursuit of success in lodging, restaurants, food service, and other avenues of the hospitality industry. SHA has a unique relationship with the city of Boston, where the area’s hotels and restaurants provide students with numerous opportunities for internships to satisfy work experience requirements for their degrees.  

    Information on graduate and undergraduate degrees at BU School of Hospitality Administration:

     

    View all posts