Business Icon is a program that introduces some of Victoria's vibrant young minds to the world of competitive business. The program is similar to Donald Trump's 'The Apprentice'. Contestants aged between 18 and 25 years spend up to 5 days completing complex business tasks which have been designed to fully test their skills, creativity and leadership in all aspects of business. Participants are eliminated along the way until one winner is selected. Examples of the types of tasks completed by contestants are as follows:-

Task 1:- over 2 days, four teams of 10 are to organise, market and hold an art exhibition aiming to raise awareness whilst fundraising for the Prostate Cancer Council. At the end of task 1, 16 contestants are eliminated.

Task 2:- over 2 days, four teams of 6 are to develop a media / marketing campaign that includes budgets, timelines and concepts which they are to pitch to a panel of expert judges. Following task 2, 12 contestants will be eliminated.

Task 3:- four teams of 3 develop and pitch an environmental impact reduction plan over a 5 year period. At the end of task 3, 8 contestants will be eliminated.

Task 4:- the final 4 contestants compete individually for the WA Business Icon 2008 in front of 450 guests at the formal final event. They developed a transport plan for WA that was pitched and judged live on stage.

Competition Structure:-

The proposed dates for Business Icon Victoria 2009 are:-

Monday 2 March - Applications Open
Friday 10 July - Applications Close
Sunday 23 August - Launch with all competitors
Monday 24 / Tuesday 25 August - Task 1
Wednesday 26 / Thursday 27 August - Task 2
Thursday 27 August - Sponors networking event with competitors
Friday 28 August - Task 3
Monday 31 August - Task 4 Final Event

For more information go to:- www.vic.australianbusinessicon.com.