about this event
BŪP Innovation Weekend is a 3-day hackathon and pitch competition where entrepreneurs, creatives, marketers, developers, and business minds come together to turn ideas into real ventures fast. No coding experience? No problem. Using the latest AI-powered "vibe-coding" tools, anyone can build a working website or app over the weekend. What matters is your idea, your hustle, and your team.
Over 3 intense days, you'll form a team, validate your concept with top industry mentors, and pitch your product live to judges from venture capital firms and accelerators competing for up to $100,000 in prizes and perks. This isn't just a hackathon. It's a launchpad.
Friday night kicks off with a welcome dinner and orientation before diving into rapid-fire idea pitches — you get 60 seconds and nothing but passion. Local Tampa Bay companies will also join us for a Reverse Pitch, presenting real operational challenges they need solved so teams can build around actual business problems with a real buyer in mind. From there, teams form, ideas get voted on, and everyone gets hands-on with our Vibe-Coding 101 Workshop — no coding experience needed. By the end of the night, your team is formed, your idea is locked, and building has already begun.
Saturday is a full day of building, learning, and iterating. The morning is heads-down MVP development using AI-powered vibe-coding tools. Industry mentors arrive at lunch for introductions and team matching. Afternoon brings beta testing — teams swap products and collect real feedback from real users. Evening is dinner, a team huddle to regroup and plan for Sunday, and optional open build and pitch practice time to close out the night.
The final day. The morning is for polish, preparation, and one last round of mentor feedback focused on your pitch delivery and handling tough judge questions. After lunch and final rehearsals, guests, judges, and investors arrive for the main event. Teams deliver 5-minute pitches with live product demos in front of a panel of investors and accelerator leaders competing for up to ~$100K in prizes and perks. While judges deliberate, networking and community celebration fill the room. The night closes with the Awards Ceremony — winners announced, investments presented, and post-weekend incubator opportunities revealed for teams ready to keep building.
schedule
Kickoff Night
Welcome dinner and orientation, rapid-fire 60-second idea pitches, Reverse Pitch from local Tampa Bay companies, team formation, Vibe-Coding 101 Workshop.
◍ South University, TampaBuild Day
Full day of building, learning, and iterating. MVP development with AI-powered vibe-coding tools, mentor introductions, beta testing, dinner, and pitch practice.
◍ South University, TampaPitch Day
Polish and preparation in the morning, mentor feedback on pitch delivery, 5-minute pitches with live product demos to judges, Awards Ceremony with winners announced.
◍ South University, Tampatickets
| Ticket | Price | Fee | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Admission | Free | TBA | Available | Free entry to BŪP Innovation Weekend |
prizes
| Place | Prize | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Winners | Up to ~$100K in prizes and perks | $100,000 |