H-ton Students Vie in Business Plan Contest & Trade Show
January 16, 2024
Huntington High School’s four Virtual Enterprise firms participated in last week’s Long Island Business Plan Competition & Trade Show on the LIU Post campus in Brookville.
With over 130 firms entered this year, organizers split the event into two days. Huntington firms HIVE and PREP presented on one day and the PEAK and SPIKE firms took the stage the following day.
The Long Island Regional Conference & Exhibition brought together more than 3,000 students, educators and business leaders with over 130 firms representing the virtual economy.
Firms hosted booths and conducted B2B and B2C sales, as well as competed for the best booth design, sales pitch and more.
Teams also presented their business plans to a group of judges with the hope of qualifying for the VE National Plan competition in April in New York City.
“I am so proud of the way all four firms represented Huntington this week,” said Huntington business teacher Paige Tyree Furman, who leads the high school’s Virtual Enterprise program. “Every single student was working hard, making trades and networking with other Long Island firms. The students worked for months developing their booth design, marketing material, and business plan. The presenters who pitched their products to the judges were outstanding. We find out in about a week if we advance to next round and I have a really good feeling we'll be one of the Top 40 teams to move on.”
A full-year, one credit business course, “Virtual Enterprise is a simulated business that is set-up and run by students to prepare them for working in a real business environment,” according to the high school’s course bulletin.
The Huntington students participating in the business initiative at LIU Post where all impeccably dressed in business attire and exquisitely spoken. They played out their roles perfectly and in fine fashion.
“It was awesome to see all the different firms and create new relationships with them,” PREP CEO Vincenza Garofalo said. “We had an awesome time and can’t wait for what the April trade show will bring to us.”
