Misnomer Dance Theater Founder Wins National ideablob.com Contest for Best Small...

Misnomer Dance Theater Founder Wins National ideablob.com Contest for Best Small Business Idea

Chris Elam's idea to establish an interactive web site for
performing artists is December's best business idea
SPRING HOUSE, Pa.--(Business Wire)--Advanta Corp. (NASDAQ:ADVNB; ADVNA) today announced that Chris
Elam of Brooklyn, NY has been named December's $10,000 ideablob.com
monthly contest winner for the best business idea. Elam is the founder
of the Brooklyn-based Misnomer Dance Theater, which has received
critical acclaim for its contemporary dances about human relationships
and its worldwide performances.

Elam garnered the support of the ideablob community for his idea
to establish an interactive web site for performing artists. His plans
for the web site include innovative online features such as live
rehearsal streaming, instant messaging, virtual theaters where viewers
can watch performances from multiple perspectives, and tools to
measure online audiences so production companies can geographically
target upcoming performances.

"Our goal is to create innovative ways to expand our fan base and
at the same time bring dance to theater fans and supporters when they
are not able to make it to the theater," explained Elam. "Ideablob has
proven to be a perfect, non-traditional way to get support for our
non-traditional idea of promoting artists and their work."

Ideablob.com is a vibrant and active community where small
business owners and entrepreneurs are sharing business ideas in
exchange for feedback, advice and votes from the community. Advanta,
one of the nation's largest credit card issuers (through Advanta Bank
Corp.) in the small business market, awards a $10,000 monthly prize to
the best eligible idea, as determined by the votes of the ideablob
community. To date, Advanta has paid out prize money to a
Chicago-based software developer and a Philadelphia-based non-profit
founder.

"This month the ideablob community celebrates a talented social
entrepreneur as its winner," said Ami Kassar, Advanta's Chief
Innovation Officer. "Chris Elam's work brilliantly combines web 2.0
technology with the arts."

Elam was one of eight finalists competing for December's $10,000
prize. Here are the other seven finalists and their ideas.

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*T
Sean Begora, Carpentersville, IL
Idea: A Las Vegas casino that would donate its profits to charities.

Jessica Elsas, Brooklyn, NY
Idea: A line of clothing for children with Autism, Sensory Processing
Disorder, and a range of sensory sensitivity.

James Gillmore, New York City
Idea: An online marketplace for real estate that uses video to sell
and lease property.

Daniel Kahn, Cambridge, MA
Idea: To market products in the Global South (South America, South
Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa) that are responsibly sourced in the
countries where they are sold.

Becky Rolnick, Brookline, MA
Idea: Professionally produced, highly individualized personal
documentaries.

Michael Simmons, Brooklyn, NY
Idea: An accountability system that encourages procrastinators to
start achieving in all areas of their lives on a daily basis.

Katrina Waldron, Chicago, IL
Idea: Technical training and coaching for students to design and build
applications on a popular social media network.
*T

The eight finalists who will compete for January's $10,000 contest
prize will be announced on ideablob.com on January 22, and the
ideablob community will have approximately one week to vote for
January's best business idea. To review the ideas submitted by past
ideablob winners, please visit www.ideablob.com.

There is no purchase necessary to enter the ideablob.com contest.
Contest began on 9/24/07 at 12:00:00 am CT and ends on 3/31/08 at
11:59:59 pm CT. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and D.C.
who are of the legal age of majority in their state of residence at
the time of entry. Void where prohibited. Official Rules are available
online at www.ideablob.com. Sponsored by Advanta Bank Corp., PO Box
30715, Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0715.

ideablob.com and ideablob are service marks owned by Advanta Bank
Corp.

About Advanta

Advanta is one of the nation's largest credit card issuers
(through Advanta Bank Corp.) in the small business market today.
Advanta's exclusive focus on this market, as well as its size,
experience and commitment to developing meaningful product offerings
and a high level of service tailored to the needs of small businesses,
differentiate the company from other issuers. Founded in 1951, Advanta
has long been an innovator in developing and introducing many of the
marketing techniques that are common in the financial services
industry today. Learn more about Advanta at www.advanta.com.

Advanta Corp.
David M. Goodman
Director, Communications
215-444-5073
dgoodman@advanta.com
or
Allison Clark
ideablob Public Relations
847-921-7417
allison@inktankpr.com
or
Matthew Vlahos
ideablob Public Relations
267-402-2001
mvlahos@redtettemer.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008