Smith School Presents Live Web Cast of $50K
China Business Plan Competition

Beijing, China – August 31, 2007 – The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business announced today it will Web cast the Sept. 10 final round of its $50,000 China Business Plan Competition live from Beijing. The Web cast will be available for viewing on the homepage of its exclusive portal partner, QQ.com, on the QQ Technology Channel. 

The Smith School’s Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship hosts the annual China Business Plan Competition, in which entrepreneurs compete for more than $50,000 in cash, business training and other prizes to kick-start their businesses. The 2007 competition field of approximately 200 entrants was narrowed to five finalist teams that will compete Sept. 10 at the TsingHua Science Park at Innovation Plaza in Beijing. The event and Web cast will begin at 2 p.m. in Beijing (2 a.m. EDT) with the final round competition and will last through the announcement of the winners at 5:30 p.m. (5:30 a.m. EDT). Among the highlights of the program is an opportunity for each of the finalist teams to hear feedback on their business plans from a panel of seasoned venture capitalists who serve as judges.

The finalist teams are:

• HXGame
• Life Safety
• Nantronics
• XBRL-enabled Business Reporting for China Market
• ZaraCom Technologies Inc.

The Smith School of Business sponsors the competition — now in its third year — to support of the growth of world-class business ideas and business leaders in China. Entrepreneurship is a key area of focus for the school, which offers its leading executive MBA programs in Beijing and Shanghai. Program details can be found online. 

The Smith School in China
The Smith School is partnered with the University of International Business and Economics to deliver its executive MBA and other executive programs in China. These programs are part of the school’s commitment to help China meet a critical need for MBA graduates and world-class business leadership.

About the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 13 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and part-time MBA, executive MBA, executive MS, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations on four continents — North America, Europe, Africa and Asia.