Networking with Sir Richard Branson

If you've been working on the business start up idea of the century, you could win a day with Sir Richard Branson on his Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands. Or you could pay your own way with a cool $40K.  

Either way, you'll be rubbing elbows, knees and toes with a cross section of the world's top business visionaries in internet marketing, manufacturing, investments and trading, fitness and wellness products, software and consulting. And, let's not forget the opportunity to brainstorm with rebel billionaire Sir Richard Branson about your winning business idea.

All business? Of course not. It's a private island for heaven's sake. Plan on a little adventure, camaraderie and fundraising in between. MBA founder Yanik Silver says the event is not on corporate team building or motivational development. It's an all-inclusive adventure outing that encourages high-level networking and powerful connections that "can only occur outside normal business settings."

The competition is the work of Maverick Business Adventures and Joe Polish's Centurion MasterMind Group. Joe Polish is the founder of Piranha Marketing and creator of the Genius Network Interview series. The trip is just one of the 50 prizes being awarded for the most promising start-up businesses with high-growth potential in the competition they call, Startup Open.

The competition coincides with Global Entrepreneurship Week 2010 (GEW) Nov. 15-21 staged internationally by universities, colleges and entrepreneurship-focused organizations who are looking at ways of conducting business that can improve lives, build economies and expand human welfare.

The inaugural event of GEW was held in 2008. Last year, more than 7.5 million people took part in some 32,000 events across 88 countries. This year 10 million people in 102 countries are expected to participate.

 

Better hurry. Registration for Startup Open closes Oct. 31. http://www.startupopen.com/ for complete details.