Oxford Business Network (OBN) and Special Interest Group (SIG)
Pitch Guidelines
Introduction
The Oxford Business Alumni (OBA) Network is a global networking organisation for all Oxonians with an interest in business. The OBNs sit within the framework of the OBA Network as industry-specific networks for MBA,
MFE and MSC students, academia and professionals and exist to promote the exchange of ideas and knowledge on business issues. SIGs also fall under the OBA Network umbrella and exist to unite individuals in areas of common interest that transcend geographical and functional boundaries.
Together, these student-initiated and led groups offer an opportunity for worldwide relationship building and information sharing amongst a broad range of individuals
, including alumni of the Saïd Business School.
The Alumni Relations (AR) Office holds a budget to support OBN and SIG activity. Some of this funding is allocated at the beginning of the year to five core OBNs and the remainder will be made available to additional OBNs and
SIGs following a ‘pitching’ or ‘bidding’ process to the AR Office. Winning pitches will receive School recognition and funding. Five core OBNs (below) are exempt from the requirement to ‘pitch’ as they are strategic to the School and are expected to run annually:

Entrepreneurship

Finance

Management Consulting

Private Equity

Social Entrepreneurship
OBNs and SIGs outside the strategic five are encouraged to pitch or bid for funding to execute their plans. The following notes detail how to compile a comprehensive bid to present to members of the AR Office in week 4 of MT.
The below are some guidelines, but if you have additional questions please contact the AR Office.
How does the pitch process work?
Form Working Party

From the group of students who wish to bid for OBN or SIG funding, you should form a working party that will formulate and present the bid.
The membership of this working party should be agreed by the majority of the larger group i.e. by the membership of the potential OBN or SIG.

Collate Ideas

Once your working party is established, it should collate the ideas of the membership and formulate the details of the event/s that collectively, you wish to host/attend. The following initial steps should help: o If available, you should contact the Alumni Chair of your group via the AR Office to establish what previous events were particularly successful and would benefit students and alumni by running again. o Establish within your group whether anyone has good contacts with an organisation, venue, potential speaker etc. o NOTE
: while the AR Office understands students’ desire to secure very senior guest speakers, we have found the most successful events to be those sourced through alumni and students’ own connections.
Determine Details

Finalise the details of the event/s for which you want to bid for funding.
These details should include: o Why your group and its planned activities should be considered as relevant or strategic to the School. o Your proposal should focus on one of two approaches to an event schedule:
 One annual event – for example the Private Equity Forum or the Business and Environment Conference. These events would typically have a number of key speakers and attract and audience of 100-200 delegates OR
 A minimum of two key events usually to be held before the end of the Trinity Term following your matriculation.
There may be exceptions to this timeline
– for example the Women in Business event that was held in
September 2009 specifically to include new students.

There is only one opportunity to pitch for funding - the AR
Office will make one allocation of funds following bids in
Week 4 of MT. o Target audience
 students (which courses)

alumni (remember that groups are run by student committees but have alumni membership. Your planning should always consider appeal for alumni. You should demonstrate how you will actively seek to engage and utilise alumni)
 Others – invited audience from outside the School

 Potential audience size o Venue – Saïd Business School, London, chapter city or others o Event format
– for example
 Company visit
 Speaker

Speaker with drinks reception
 Speaker with dinner
 Masterclass

Forum or panel
– multiple speakers
 Conference o Dates
– here, you should consider other events being held by other departments or by students that would present a clash and have the effect of diluting the potential audience for both events
(The AR Office can help you with this if required). Please note all OBNs and SIGs should be able to access a shared calendar of events via the GroupSpaces Network. o Costs
– these can be numerous and not always obvious. For example, name badges for an event can be expensive. Careful attention should be paid to all possible costs which may include:

Venue hire
 Transport to venue
 Speaker

Speaker expenses
 Catering
 Staff costs – i.e. catering, reception, cloakroom, security staff
 Audio Visual – i.e. microphone, video/audio recording
 Miscellaneous – ie trophies, gifts

NOTE : Student Treks are not eligible for funding via this process.
There is a separate process for this details of which can be obtained from the Careers Office.
Secure School Mentor

The AR Office will endeavour to provide each group with a School mentor or champion
– suggestions will be primarily culled from faculty and teaching practitioners. Alumni may also be tapped.
Schedule your Bid Meeting

When your plans and your pitch are complete, please contact the AR
Office to inform us of your wish to make a bid. An appointment will be

made for you to present to a small panel of AR staff during week 4 of
MT.

You will be notified of the decision within the following week.
Committee Election Process

If your pitch is successful you should immediately complete the election process to formally appoint a Chair of your OBN/SIG. The newly elected Chair should then arrange the appointment of or elections for other required committee positions. Details of these can be found in the Election Guidelines provided. The names of all those holding committee positions should be passed to the AR Office.

OBN and SIG Chairs will be given access to the GroupSpaces account where previous years have stored all their documents, plans, contacts, guest lists etc. GroupSpaces is an online management tool for groups.
This is a one-stop-shop facility which provides the group leaders with mailing list maintenance and mailing options, document storage and newsletter production among other functions.
Unsuccessful Bids

If your pitch is unsuccessful, you need not abandon your plans. In this situation you may consider seeking sponsorship – the AR Office has guidelines for this and will support you in providing these and appropriate administrative help for example, letters of invitation from the School to possible speakers. The AR Office will also offer support where possible and appropriate, in marketing your events to the School and wider University.

You will also be able to establish your own GroupSpaces account.
Pitch Timeline

Core OBNs should be launched with elected group chairs by week 2 of
MT (week of 19 October)

All additional OBNs & SIGs will pitch in week 4 of MT (week of 2
November)

London Eye Core OBN launch event TBD (late October)

The mission of the OBA Network:

To support the development and maintenance of world class business and management education at the Saïd Business
School and Oxford’s collegiate university.

To establish a globally renowned alumni programme, comparable to the best in the world, ensuring an active network of intellectually and emotionally engaged alumni who support and further the School’s vision.
Oxford Business Networks (OBNs) sit within the framework of the overarching OBA Network as industry-specific networks for students, academia and professionals. They exist to promote the exchange of ideas and knowledge surrounding an industry. These sector-based groups create opportunities for worldwide relationship building and information sharing.
The OBNs are student organised and driven.
Five OBNs linked to the School’s strategic vision will run each year. Students will have the opportunity to pitch new OBNs to the Alumni
Relations Office for annual support.
All industry sectors that have been represented in the past are (the core five OBNs are listed with asterisks):

Entrepreneurship*

Social Entrepreneurship*

Finance*

Management Consulting*

Private Equity*

Business in Government

Communications and Media

Consumer and Marketing

Energy and Resources

Real Estate

Science and Technology

Healthcare

Business and the Environment
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) unite individuals in areas of common interest that transcend geographical and functional boundaries. These special interest groups can be driven by current students and alumni and can be diverse in their scope and remit.
The groups provide opportunities for social and business networking among students and alumni and encourage OBA members to continue engaging with the School and collegiate university. They differ from OBNs in that they are not specific-industry focused.
SIGs that have been represented in the past include:

Women in Business

Strategic Focus on Africa

Asia Pacific

Sport, Leisure and Entertainment
What will the Alumni Relations Office do for core OBNs?

Provide an annual budget for events

Arrange London based launch event with alumni

Advertise events to strategic School and
University constituencies

Suggest group mentors that students can potentially tap to provide guidance and/or act as internal champions for the OBN

Facilitate connections with appropriate alumni

Support students as they bid for sponsorship/funding from external sources

Link to GroupSpaces – online management tool and provide initial training for this
What will the Alumni Relations Office do for non-core OBNs and SIGs?

Offer bidding/pitch process through which groups can secure funding

Advertise events to strategic School and
University constituencies

Suggest group mentors that students can potentially tap to provide guidance and/or act as internal champions for the OBN or
SIG

Facilitate connections with appropriate alumni

Support students as they bid for sponsorship/funding from external sources

Link to GroupSpaces
– online management tool and provide initial training for this