MIST - Mekong Innovative Startup Tourism

M E K O N G I N N O VAT I V E

S TA RT U P TO U R I S M ( M I S T )

B U S I N E S S P L A N C O M P E T I T I O N

A N D P R E - A C C E L E R ATO R

© 2016 - The Mekong Business Initiative. All Rights Reserved.

MIST: THE BASICS

What is it?

A business plan competition and pre-accelerator that identifies investable tourism projects in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam

Why do it?

To catalyse tourism sector innovation, growth, and jobs

What are the goals?

To line up funding and acceleration for five highly investable projects

To secure a sustainable future for the MIST program in 2018 and beyond


HOW MIST WORKS

MIST Tourism Business

Plan Competition

5 Pre-Accelerators

(Cities TBD)

2 Demo DaysMekong Tourism Forum

(June - Luang Prabang, Lao PDR)

APEC Investors Summit (November - Danang, Vietnam)

5 Investments/ Accelerator

Commitments

200+ entries 20 semi finalists 10 finalists


WHAT MAKES MIST SPECIAL

ORGANIZERS

MIST is organized cooperatively by:

• Mekong Business Initiative

• Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office

With additional support from:

• Asian Development Bank

• Government of Australia

• Seoul Global Startup Center

• Da Nang Business Incubator

(DNES)

• SECO Entrepreneurship Program

• Cambodia Young Entrepreneurs

Association

• Dulichable: Vietnam’s Tourism &

Hospitality Marketing Magazine

PRE-ACCELERATION

20 semi-finalists identified through the MIST

Tourism Business Plan Competition will be

invited to join a pre-accelerator program in the

Greater Mekong Subregion. There, the

semi-finalists will receive:

• Business plan coaching

• An orientation to the local tourism ecosystem

• Hackathons focused on their business plans, involving

industry experts and local ecosystem participants

• Connections to potential local partners

The location of the pre-acceleration programs will be

chosen to suit semi-finalists’ business plans.


WHO BENEFITS

SPONSORS• Association with innovation

• Opportunities to network with tourism industry

innovators

• High-value logo placements in MIST

communications and at MIST events

INVESTORS• Vetted pipeline of high-value opportunities

TOURISM INNOVATORS• Expense-paid trips to the region

• Pre-acceleration program

• Matchmaking with key players and potential

partners in local tourism ecosystems

• Potential for investment

LOCAL ECONOMIES• Injections of innovation and investment

• Opportunities for local tourism businesses,

students, destination marketing organizations

(DMOs) and other ecosystem players to learn

from successful international models

• Ongoing innovation infrastructure

(Tourism Innovation Clubs)


TIMELINE - PHASE 1

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Regional

In-

Country

Global MIST

Business Plan

Competition

20

Semi-

Finalists

Chosen

MIST Pre-Accelerators(4 cities TBD)

Mekong

Tourism

Forum

Demo Day(10 Finalists TBD)

Tourism Ecosystem

Deep Dive.

Tourism Innovation Clubs

Formed.

MIST Finalists Mapped

& Connected to Local

Ecosystems

Marketing• Website launched

• Sponsors

committed

• Competition

announced

through industry

partners

• Newswire

announcement

Investor Outreach

Tourism

Innovation

Clubs


TIMELINE - PHASE 2

Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov

Regional

In-Country MIST Vietnam

Pre-Accelerator

Vietnam

Tourism

Ecosystem

Deep Dive

MIST Finalists

Mapped &

Connected to

Local

Ecosystems

Investor OutreachAPEC Summit

Demo Day(5 Finalists TBD)

Tourism Innovation Clubs

THANK YOU