PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Sharks are once again ready to sink their teeth into new ideas and products and they have their eyes set on the Old Dominion!
ABC's "Shark Tank" announced that the four-time Emmy Award-winning show will be holding a casting call for its upcoming 16th season in Virginia for the first time, at Rivers Casino Portsmouth and in collaboration with 13News Now.
The "Open Call" for entrepreneur pitches will be at the casino's event center beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday, April 12, 2024. Applications are available on ABC's website and will also be on-site. Numbered wristbands will be distributed between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., and the first pitches will begin at approximately 10 a.m. Contestants may begin lining up at 8 a.m. that morning.
To preserve the authenticity and integrity of Shark Tank’s on-camera pitches, the Sharks do not participate in casting calls. But hopefuls who attend April's event at Rivers Casino Portsmouth are urged to wow and dazzle the Shark Tank casting team and prepare pitches as if they're actually on the show.
All participants will have an equal opportunity to deliver a one-minute pitch about their business, product, or idea to a member of the casting team during the open call.
"Show us your passion and personality when pitching, as it really goes a long way when you are excited about what you have created," said Mindy Zemrak, CSA, Supervising Casting Producer of Shark Tank, in a news release. "We are very excited to travel to the Portsmouth area and see how entrepreneurship is thriving."
While this is the first time a casting call has been held in Virginia, show producers expect guests from nearby cities, states, and beyond will travel to Hampton Roads for their chance to make their pitch.