KEY TAKEAWAYS: WIN: Pitch Smart – Retail Ready Competition is set for June 11 at the New Orleans Convention Center Small businesses will pitch shelf-ready retail products in a “Shark Tank”-style format The winning business will be featured at Dutch’s Corner, serving about 800,000 annua l visitors WIN Series continues after the event with workshops and a Meet the Primes procurement forum   The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is accepting applications for a pitch competition aimed at helping small businesses secure retail opportunities and gain exposure inside one of the city’s busiest venues. The WIN: Pitch Smart – Retail Ready Competition is scheduled for June 11 at the convention center and will serve as the capstone event for Phase 1 of its WIN Series, a business development initiative focused on supporting small and emerging companies. The competition, organized through the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority’s Small Emerging Business Program, will feature a “Shark Tank”-style format. Local entrepreneurs will pitch shelf-ready retail products to a panel of judges who will evaluate submissions based on branding, market potential and product readiness. The winning business will earn the opportunity to sell its product at Dutch’s Corner, the convention center’s in-house retail store, which serves an estimated 800,000 visitors annually. “As we wrap up Phase 1 of the WIN Series, we’re pleased to see the growth of our SEBs and hear about their unique, shelf-ready products,” said LaToya Martin, SEB Program manager for the convention center. She said the competition provides meaningful feedback and real market exposure for participating businesses. Submissions are open until May 8 at 5 p.m. Following the June event, the WIN Series will continue with Phase 2, titled Meet the Primes, running from July through November. That phase will focus on construction and service vendors, offering workshops on bidding, estimating, responding to requests for proposals and presenting to major contractors and stakeholders. It will conclude with a “reverse trade show” forum where small businesses can directly engage procurement decision-makers. Convention center President and CEO Jim Cook said the program continues the legacy of civic and economic development tied to Mayor Ernest N. Morial’s vision for the facility. “We are eager to hear the excellent ideas our small businesses bring to the competition and are proud to nurture and enable entrepreneurs to build their skills and networks through initiatives like the WIN Series,” Cook said. Since 2019, the convention center reports it has awarded more than $54 million in contracts to small and emerging and disadvantaged business enterprises. Officials say programs like WIN and its SEBconnect platform are designed to expand access to procurement opportunities and strengthen local business participation in large-scale events. ...read more read less