TUCSON, Ariz., May 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Business and Inc. magazine have announced the finalists of Get Started Tucson (#GetStartedTucson) taking place on Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at the Tucson Scottish Rite, 160 South Scott Avenue, Tucson, Arizona.  The prize package has also doubled including $5,000 cash, one free year of Cox Business service*, a robust marketing package from Cox Media, and Involta's compliant cloud VM Ware virtual server for one year all valued at nearly $11,000.  The networking kicks off at 5:30 p.m. and spots are still available to attend the live, free event.  Registration is available at www.coxblue.com/getstartedtucson. 

Over 20 businesses applied to present at Get Started Tucson.  The businesses selected to pitch at the live event were selected based on innovation, ease of implementation and benefit to the community.  The five finalists are:   

• Darling Geomatics is a 3D scanning and modeling service for aerospace, defense, civil engineering, architecture, archaeology and entertainment industries.
• Outski combines travel planning, booking tools, social collaboration and a built-in savings account in one online tool making planning for travel easy and accessible to anyone.
• Scraps on Scraps is a residential food waste/compostable material pick up company with a goal to help individual households reduce the amount of compostable materials in our landfills. 
• SmartStar provides digital educational games to empower young people by teaching practical real-life skills in a fun, engaging, and interactive experience.  SmartStar's objective is to equip children with the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills needed for life.
• Southwest Spirits is Tucson's first Sonoran based distillery creating premium, local and organic vodka, gin and tequila. 

A representative from each of these companies will pitch their idea in 2.5 minutes to a distinguished panel of experts.  One winner will be named to receive a prize package valued at nearly $11,000 which includes:

• $5,000 cash
• Cox Business service for one year valued at $1,000*
• Cox Media marketing package valued at $3,300 including digital creative consultation, Google analytics consultation, web ads and Cox.com webmail campaign.
• Involta's compliant cloud IaaS  free VM Ware virtual server for one year valued at $1,500.
  • Package includes: Single Processor Power, 512 MB RAM, 5 GB Storage, 50 GB Metered Bandwidth, CentOS, Apache, Perl, PhP, MySql.

Local partners helping to make Get Started Tucson possible include Inside Tucson Business and Involta. 

Local businesses not competing are encouraged to attend this free event for networking and learning opportunities from accomplished leaders in digital marketing, funding and business growth strategy.

The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with networking and will include food and drinks. 

Cox Business provides voice, data and video services for more than 300,000 small and regional businesses, including healthcare providers, K-12 and higher education, financial institutions and federal, state and local government organizations. The organization also serves most of the top tier wireless and wireline telecommunications carriers in the U.S. through its wholesale division. According to Vertical Systems Group, Cox Business is one of the largest providers of business Ethernet services in the U.S. based on customer ports and has been consistently recognized for its leadership among small/midsize business data service providers. For more information about Cox Business call 1-800-396-1609.

Cox Media, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Communications Inc., partners with both local and national advertisers for marketing success, offering advanced cable and digital advertising products in more than 20 markets across the United States. In addition to proven media solutions, Cox Media offers consultative insights to help clients reach their audiences more effectively and efficiently. From broad reach, highly rated programs to laser-sharp targeting of specific audiences, Cox Media is focused on developing customized marketing solutions that maximize ROI for clients.

About Cox Communications:

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet and telephone services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves approximately 6 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising.

Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For seven years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; for seven years, Cox has ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

About Inc.:

Inc., the only major business magazine dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, delivers real solutions for today's innovative company builders. It provides hands-on resources and market-tested strategies for managing people, finances, sales, marketing, and technology. In addition, Inc. looks beyond work to address the entrepreneurial lifestyle. Inc. inspires and informs, with cutting-edge coverage that reflects its readers' energy, brashness, and imagination.

*Location must be serviceable in the greater Tucson market

SOURCE Cox Business