5x5 Night Introduces New Public Voting Format

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The first new 5x5 Night of the season looked a lot like the previous 5x5 Night events, with five presenters sharing their ideas in five minutes, using five slides in hopes of winning up to $5,000.  The final presentation of the night, however, was the one that was perhaps the most anticipated.  Rick DeVos, founder of Pomegranate Studios, the organization behind 5x5 Night introduced a new, public voting approach to determining the five ideas that will have a chance to be presented at future 5x5 Night events.

"The goal of 5x5 Night has always been to create a platform for people to share their ideas and find ways to move those ideas forward," said DeVos.  "Certainly winning the $5,000 is the ultimate goal, but what we have discovered is that participants don't necessarily have to win to be successful.  Just the act of sharing the idea with a large group can create new opportunities and give someone a chance to put their idea to work, which is why we have decided to try this new approach, and get a lot more attention around a lot more ideas."

Voting for future 5x5 Night presenters will take place via the organization's website, www.5x5night.com.  The submission process will remain the same with people submitting their ideas via a simple application form on the website.  What happens next is where things get interesting.  All of the ideas that are submitted will be available for public viewing and voting.  The ideas that generate the most support online will be the ones that are presented at the next 5x5 Night event.

Any individual 18 years of age or older who has registered at www.5x5night.com can vote for the ideas they think are most deserving. Each person can vote on up to five ideas and can change their vote as many times as they wish prior to the deadline.  However, you cannot vote for the same idea more than once.

The next 5x5 Night will happen Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, 101 Monroe Center, at 5:30 p.m. The presenters for this event will be the first group that was chosen via a public vote.  Admission is $5. When presentations are complete, the audience will move to Reserve Wine Bar for a complimentary pour and the announcement of the winners.

About 5x5 Night

5x5 Night is an event to stimulate idea sharing and connection building. Any type of idea can be submitted to www.5x5night.com. From art projects to new businesses to events, the evening is designed to promote idea sharing from many disciplines. The basic presentation outline requested explains:

Who you are

What's your idea

How will the idea impact

Where can it go with a small grant (i.e. what would you do with $5,000?)

About Pomegranate Studios

Pomegranate Studios is a business incubator focusing on web-enabled business, social entrepreneurship and empowering individual voices through technology. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it is the brainchild of Rick DeVos and the source of other successful projects including ArtPrize, Momentum and Spout.com.

SOURCE Pomegranate Studios