• Students can form teams of 3-6 members to register.
• Once your team is formed and confirmed, each member may proceed with individual payment.

• Your team must upload the Business Proposal to the MEC dashboard before the deadline for your registration to be considered complete.
• Please click here for the Business Proposal requirements.

• Each team will receive feedback and guidance from the Judges. Some teams will move directly into the Final round, while others will have a chance to re-submit their business proposal for reconsideration.

• Teams are encouraged to revise and resubmit their Business Proposal based on feedback received. Any revised submission will be included in the final review process when determining advancement to the next stage.
• Please click here for the Business Proposal requirements.

• All teams will be notified of their results by this date. Depending on the number of participating teams, some teams may be placed on a waitlist.
  

• All teams will be notified of their results by this date. Depending on the number of participating teams, some teams may be placed on a waitlist.
  

• Please ensure that you submit the final draft of your Business Proposal, Pitch Video, and Commercial Video through the MEC Dashboard by the deadline.
• You may click here to view the submission requirements.

• Teams will be able to access their Peer Review Team (PRT) details and relevant materials through the MEC Dashboard for PRT session preparation.

Commercial video voting will take place on YouTube, where the most attention wins. Marketing is a crucial skill for any successful entrepreneur, and this is your chance to prove just how good you are!

All videos will be publicly accessible on IEG’s official YouTube channel. Now it’s time to rally your friends, family, and supporters to like, share, and view your video. The more engagement your video gets, the higher your chances of winning the Best Marketing Award!

Good luck, and may the best team win!

• This is a mandatory online orientation session. Each team is required to have at least one representative in attendance.
• The official date and time will be based on the MEC Dashboard, and the meeting link will be published on both the official website and the Dashboard.

• Each team will receive feedback and guidance from the Judges to support their preparation for the upcoming stages of the competition. 

• Please select one of the following sessions to attend the competition rehearsal:
  • January 4, 19:00 (EST GMT-5)
  • January 5, 21:00 (EST GMT-5)
  • January 6, 23:00 (EST GMT-5)
• The access link to the Rehearsal Lobby will be provided at a later time.

• Final Round Schedule:
  January 9, 20:00 – 22:30 (EST GMT-5)
  January 10, 20:00 – 22:30 (EST GMT-5)
  January 11, 20:00 – 22:30 (EST GMT-5)
• You will be able to download the Final Round Brochure on your MEC Final Round Dashboard
• You may refer to the scoring criteria here.

Awards for MEC Online Americas 2027 will be announced during the online Awards Ceremony, which will be held on the evening following the final day of the competition. The exact time and access link will be announced at a later date.

Awards for the MEC Online Americas 2027:

• 1st Place: $8,800 ($1,000 start-up fund; $1,250 in IEG program scholarships per member; $50 MEC scholarship per member)
• 2nd Place: $7,000 ($700 start-up fund; $1,000 in IEG program scholarships per member; $50 MEC scholarship per member)
• 3rd Place: $5,600 ($500 start-up fund; $800 in IEG program scholarships per member; $50 MEC scholarship per member)
• Additional team awards will be listed in the MEC Brochure.

Vision & Ethics – 25%

• Originality: Demonstrates bold and creative approaches to addressing a meaningful problem.
• Ethical Responsibility: Balances innovation with ethical considerations and positive social or environmental impact.
• Impact Potential: Shows the capacity to create meaningful change in its chosen context.

Market Opportunity – 25%

• Value Proposition: The appeal of your product or service to your customers and how well it meets their needs.
• Customer Segmentation: Identification of key customers and their needs.
• Market Overview & Reach: Demonstrates convincing evidence of market size, growth, and potential impact.
• Competitive Analysis: Assessment of your potential competitors and their market positioning.

Business Model – 25%

• Value Alignment: Ensures the business model aligns with customer needs and delivers strong value.
• Revenue Model: Outlines clear and sustainable methods of generating income.
• Marketing Strategy: Develops an effective and creative plan to engage the target audience, leveraging appropriate channels, customer insights, and resources.
• Sustainability & Scalability: Demonstrates the potential for expansion and long-term growth while maintaining a resilient and sustainable business model.

Financial & Execution Strategy – 25%

• Cost Structure: A comprehensive breakdown of all potential expenses.
• Financial Analysis: Realistic and detailed financial projections for the first 3–5 years of your business.
• Execution Plan: Identifies potential risks and proposes practical strategies to address them.
• Investment Potential: The attractiveness of the business idea to potential investors, showcasing a strong value proposition for a scalable, repeatable, and executable business model with significant market opportunity and investment potential.

Final Business Proposal – 30%

• Vision & Impact: Demonstrates a clear, innovative solution with meaningful social or market impact.
• Market Understanding: Presents a compelling value proposition supported by strong market research, customer segmentation, and competitive analysis.
• Business Model & Proposition: Shows strong alignment with customer needs, a clear revenue model, long-term sustainability, and potential for future growth.
• Financial & Execution Plan: Combines realistic cost and revenue projections with a clear execution strategy, addresses risks, and demonstrates strong investment potential.

Pitch Video – 30%

• Clarity of Pitch: Clearly communicates the problem, solution, and core value proposition in a structured and concise manner.
• Business Understanding: Demonstrates a solid understanding of the business concept, including market opportunity and target audience.
• Strength of Value Proposition: Presents a compelling and differentiated idea with clear potential impact.
• Presentation & Delivery: Ensures the video is clear, well-organized, and easy to follow.

Final Live Competition – 40%

• Peer Review and Judge Q&A: Provides comprehensive responses with clear logic, theory, and data support to questions from the Peer Review Team and the judges.
• Team Collaboration and Confidence: Demonstrates confidence and teamwork. It is not a one-person effort.

• Best Marketing Award: The award will be based on the number of views and engagements. All videos will be featured on our official YouTube channel.
  *Note: The results of the video voting will not be included in the final score.