“We created seven companies in 54 hours. What did you do last weekend?”

Most of the 30-odd people who were sitting in the room on December 4 had no idea what they were getting into. Some had an awesome idea that they wanted to share. Others had a burning itch of an idea that they couldn’t let go, but feared what others may think. Others were just curious.

In the second iteration — “startup-speak” for version — of Startup Weekend in Bermuda, entrepreneurs and dreamers congregated at the Butterfield Bank, Rosebank branch, to learn, network and start up.

As this movement evolves and develops, we continue to see the same intensity and individual affirmation that made the pilot weekend in March so successful.

The attendees learnt valuables lessons in team building, market validation and time management. They nurtured a mere concept into a tried and tested proof of concept ready to be developed into a business plan.

Close to 18 different pitches were shared, and seven made it through to final team building and presentation. The concept of fish farming, which has been often discussed — and greatly politicised — was researched and redirected as a compelling solution to our undersupplied national demand for fresh local fish by residents and tourists alike. While more due diligence on potential biological and regulatory impediments needs to be performed to bring this idea to fruition, this team presented the most complete final pitch and took home top honours.

Rounding out the top three final pitches were a silky-smooth presentation on a more environmentally friendly food packaging line in accordance with the America’s Cup green directives and an extremely entertaining Billy Mays-esque pitch for a user-friendly tourism content aggregator coming from one of the participating high school students.

We also heard compelling stories about:

• A children’s programming tutorial site pitched by a precocious eight-year-old

• An intriguing floating modular pod hotel concept

• A father-son home hardware optimisation service pitched by a 13-year-old with ice water in his veins, who didn’t flinch despite technical issues

• An uplifting, pay-it-forward bracelet business that would visually track the viral nature of Bermudian hospitality

Bermuda was able to offer the lowest cost Startup Weekend that the facilitator had seen, thanks in great part to the generous sponsors:

• Department of e-Commerce, which had the foresight to send three Bermudians abroad to participate in one and then organise the first one here in March

• Bermuda Hospitality Institute, which suggested the hospitality theme

• Butterfield Bank as host, especially Lee Simmons who manned the door for an ungodly amount of hours

• Deloitte, for sponsoring and taking time to judge

• Clarien Bank, also sponsoring students and taking on the role of judge

• Barritt’s, which graciously kept our thirst quenched

• Babson Alumni, which sponsored a number of participants

• JD Lewis Group, which provided sponsorship for students as well

• Bermuda Business Development Agency, which provided a judge

• Bermuda Economic Development Corporation, which assisted with co-ordination and provided a judge

• Red Bicycle, which provided all of the eye-catching design and graphic work leading up to the event

• Our amazing local food vendors and all who volunteered their time

A big thank you to Ron Ben-Zeev for coming from Tampa over a rainy weekend to volunteer as our certified facilitator. To the coaches, mentors and judges, who gave of their weekend to guide and provide feedback, thank you.

Most importantly, I must take my hat off to the volunteers on the steering committee who went above and beyond to deliver an excellent event.

• Nick Kempe is chairman of the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation