How to Prepare a Video Pitch for Remote Judges
A strong video pitch gives remote judges a clear sense of your business, your market and the people behind it. When judges cannot speak with you in the room, your structure, voice, visuals and evidence must do more work. The goal is not to produce a glossy advertisement; it is to make a persuasive business case in a short, watchable format.
This approach is especially useful for competitions such as the Believe & Achieve business plan competition connected with the BYU Management Society Asia Pacific Conference in Mongolia. Entrants may be assessed across distance and time zones, so a concise recording can help judges compare ideas fairly and remember the strongest opportunities.
Australian founders should also account for local viewing habits. A judge in Sydney, Brisbane or Perth may watch on a laptop between meetings, while another may review submissions on a phone during a commute. Clear language, strong captions and a practical explanation of how the business earns money will usually matter more than cinematic effects.
Define the business case before filming
Begin with a one-sentence value proposition: identify the customer, the problem and the result your product creates. “We help regional cafés reduce food waste through demand forecasting” is more useful than “We are transforming hospitality with innovative technology.” A specific claim gives the rest of the pitch a firm direction.
Build the script around five questions: What problem exists? Who experiences it? What is your solution? Why will customers choose it? How will the business grow? Include evidence wherever possible, such as pilot sales, waitlist numbers, customer interviews, repeat purchase rates or letters of intent. If you are still pre-revenue, explain the test results that support your assumptions.
Australian judges may respond well to plain, direct phrasing rather than exaggerated claims. Explain whether your first market is inner-city Melbourne, regional New South Wales or a broader Asia-Pacific segment. Mention relevant realities such as delivery distances, GST, local procurement or the cost of acquiring customers through Australian channels.
Write for people watching remotely
Remote judges need signposts. State the business name and main promise in the opening ten seconds, then preview the problem, solution and commercial opportunity. A useful script can follow this rhythm: problem, insight, product demonstration, traction, business model, team and funding or partnership request.
Keep the recording within the competition’s stated time limit, then leave room for pauses. Short sentences are easier to follow through headphones, and one idea per sentence makes subtitles cleaner. Avoid dense slides filled with text. Use a large typeface, high contrast and simple charts that remain legible on a small screen.
A neutral Australian accent is perfectly suitable, but speed and clarity matter more than sounding formal. Avoid slang such as “heaps,” “arvo” or “no worries” unless it genuinely suits the brand. The tone should feel confident and human, with enough energy to hold attention without becoming a sales-performance imitation. For additional presentation ideas, review this pitch guidance while adapting every example to your own venture.
Match the format to the judging criteria
Before recording, convert the criteria into a production checklist. If judges assess innovation, market need, feasibility, social impact and presentation, make each element easy to locate. A spoken phrase such as “Our first-year target is 2,000 subscriptions” can reinforce a matching graphic and help a reviewer make notes.
| Pitch element | What to show | Common weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Customer problem | A specific user, situation and measurable cost | Describing a broad social issue without a buyer |
| Solution | A short demonstration or visual walkthrough | Explaining features without showing the benefit |
| Market | Target segment, size and route to customers | Using a huge global figure with no entry strategy |
| Traction | Sales, pilots, research or validated demand | Treating social-media likes as proof of demand |
| Business model | Price, margin logic and repeat revenue | Saying the business will “scale” without numbers |
| Team | Relevant skills and responsibilities | Listing titles without showing capability |
| Request | Exact prize, funding or partnership use | Ending without a clear next step |
A competition pitch should complement, rather than simply read out, the written business plan. The conference details can help you understand the wider event context, while the recording should focus on the decision a judge must make: whether the idea deserves recognition, support or further discussion.
Record a credible and accessible presentation
Use a quiet room, place the camera at eye level and face a window or soft lamp rather than sitting with bright light behind you. A phone can produce excellent footage when it is stable and positioned horizontally if that is the required format. Record separate audio with a basic microphone or wired headset if the room echoes.
Show the founder briefly, then use screen recordings, product footage, diagrams or customer evidence to vary the visual experience. Keep the background tidy and remove notifications from any device shown on screen. Add accurate captions, identify speakers and check that colour combinations work for viewers with low vision. Captions are valuable for judges watching without sound, not just for accessibility compliance.
Run a technical rehearsal on the actual upload platform. Check file size, resolution, audio levels and whether links or embedded media function correctly. Watch the finished file from beginning to end without touching the controls. Any long silence, distracting transition or unclear graphic will be more noticeable when the judges cannot ask what you meant.
Rehearse for a confident final cut
Write the script in spoken language and rehearse until you can deliver it naturally without reading every word. Mark the figures that must be exact, including prices, percentages and timelines. If your business sells across Australia, be precise about whether figures are in Australian dollars and whether they include GST.
Ask someone unfamiliar with the venture to summarise the pitch after watching it once. If they cannot explain the customer, the solution and the commercial opportunity, revise the message rather than adding more slides. A friend in Adelaide or a colleague in Cairns may notice assumptions that feel obvious to you but are not obvious to a remote reviewer.
Finish with a clear statement of what support would unlock: a pilot with retailers, introductions to distributors, prize funding for product development or mentoring in a new market. Review regional opportunities through the international business page, then make sure your final request fits the competition’s purpose and eligibility rules. A calm delivery, credible evidence and disciplined editing will give remote judges the information they need to remember your pitch.