The 2006 Global Moot Corp Competition promises to be one of the best in terms of the quantity and quality of teams competing from around the world. We also have other great events that coincide with the Competition.

This year, our Venture Showcase will be held in conjunction with the World Congress on Information Technology, a semi-annual event that takes place around the world and is drawing 6,000 Information Technology professionals to Austin. The Competition portion will take place on the UT campus on Friday and Saturday. We invite you to watch these teams in action.

Thirty-five teams of MBAs will gather in Austin to compete in the "Super Bowl of world business-plan competition." The ideas they are pitching are as wide ranging as the geographical distances of their hometowns. Teams from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Mexico, Norway, Thailand and all corners of the U.S. will compete for the title of Global Champion.

The ventures feature lifestyle enhancers such as 3D projection, a martial arts TV channel and an environmentally friendly rat control device. Medical devices such as diagnostic tools for Multiple Sclerosis, viral infections and skin cancer will be pitched. Mobile fitness centers, an online marketplace for day laborers and and tax preparation service are some of the services being presented.

A good percentage of the teams presenting at the Global Moot Corp Competition turn their business plans into viable businesses. We surveyed our past participants for an update on their progress since competing.

On April 17, CNBC premiered American Made, the network's first original prime time series that celebrates American business leaders and the American dream. American Made, a one-hour program, debuted on CNBC on Monday, April 17 at 8 PM ET and re-aired that evening at 11 PM ET. American Made is hosted by Ingrid Vanderveldt, a Texas Moot Corp alum.

American Made is hosted by Ingrid Vanderveldt, who went from software start-up founder to entrepreneurial promotions specialist to cable network television host/reporter. Vanderveldt takes viewers on rare visits into the worlds of the most inspiring entrepreneurs. She'll explore what drives them, how they succeeded and how they came to live the American Dream.