The InventOR Collegiate Challenge team has finalized selection of the venue for the final competition. On June 28 all 21 finalist competitor teams will gather at Portland State University's Viking Pavilion to show off their prototypes, make a pitch to the audience, and compete for top honors.
The renovated Viking Pavilion at the Peter W. Stott Center opened on PSU's campus last spring and provides the perfect, modern facility to accommodate the growing InventOR competition. This year, we expect 700 attendees to join the finals on June 28, including judges, community members, high school students, and the supporters of all 21 student teams vying for $25,000 in prizes.
Why is it fitting for InventOR to take place in a collegiate sports facility? Because it's the "Friday Night Lights" for invention education! And it's getting bigger every year.
InventOR started two years ago with a competition held at OMSI in Portland and then moved to Klamath Falls for the 2018 finals at Oregon Tech. Back in Portland for 2019, InventOR needed a large enough spot to support a program that has grown from a handful of Oregon schools to a statewide competition with 17 universities and colleges from all corners of the state.
Portland Monthly calls Viking Pavilion a "modernized mecca." The building is slated to receive a LEED Gold rating for for its energy efficient and sustainability features. Because it is an athletic facility, building designers focused on water-saving technology and materials from the original structure found new life as features of the new design.
At InventOR, look for more than 40 booths including prototype displays from competing teams, speakers who will inspire and educate, and educational activities to experience across PSU's urban campus.
We can't wait to see you in June!
