MasterCard's latest quirky idea to siphon more of its cash to future innovations is to invite budding entrepreneurs to give a sixty-second pitch - inside an actual elevator.
The Priceless Elevator Pitch will take place from 12pm to 5pm on March 13-14, and 12pm to 2pm on March 15 at the pop-up Austin, Texas HQ of tech mag Mashable.
"Unsure what to prepare? Don’t worry," says MasterCard. "Coaches will be on-site to provide pointers on putting together a top-notch presentation, but once the bell hop closes the elevator door, you’ll be on your own and the clock will be ticking."
Cameras will capture each pitch and broadcast it on plasma screens to an array of assembled VCs at the event.
The top three pitches each day will walk away with a $250 MasterCard prepaid card, while the overall winner will earn $15,000 for their chutzpa.
“You never know where the next big idea might come from—sometimes it just takes a little encouragement and the right opportunity,” says Jay Singer, SVP at MasterCard. “That’s why we’re bringing the Priceless Elevator Pitch to Mashable House. We want to support the entrepreneurial spirit in our cardholders.”