Incentives are the key, right?

What is the motivating factor behind competitions or awards programs? What gets people—in this case businesses—involved? Incentives? But what kind? Should we explore other ways to encourage participation, or is a competition even the answer?

Just thinking about how we can possibly motivate businesses to participate in a competition.

Perhaps venture capitalists or backers who might fund a competition could support it with man hours instead of money.

Maybe the answer is to reward businesses with a brain trust. Maybe the winners get an inspiration week with forward-thinking minds in their industries or a consulting package with an company that can help them innovate.

Maybe the incentives of a competition are just not powerful enough to make long-lasting change in businesses...

Just thoughts.