4 must-attend events at Birmingham Innovation Week July 9 to 13, including Sloss Sport
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Bham Now continues its coverage of Birmingham Innovation Week, beginning with a kickoff party on July 9 presented by Red Diamond Coffee & Tea. Next up to the plate: UAB wants to hear your business pitch, Southern Research supports STEM education in local schools, and Knight Eady talks technology and opportunity in the sports industry.
Why is the 5th annual Birmingham Innovation Week, July 9 to 13, a must-experience event?
“We have a lot to be proud of in the entrepreneurial and tech ecosystem in Birmingham. Innovation Week is an opportunity for the community to see that in a tangible, visible way.”—Devon Laney, president and CEO, Innovation Depot
“Innovation Depot has been a part of Innovation Week since the beginning as a founding partner, and I’m so proud to see how the event has grown in Birmingham,” Laney said.
“We’ve continued to build momentum every year and to expand the programs, events, speakers and awareness of the week. Now people look forward to it.
“Innovation Week is not just an isolated, weeklong grouping of events. Everything aligns. It’s a destination event that showcases and maximizes awareness of innovation and entrepreneurial growth in Birmingham, leading into the Sloss Music and Arts Festival.”
Check out all Birmingham Innovation Week events here. But first, Bham Now has an inside look at four must-attend events.
1. Start with happy hour!
Event: Innovation Week Kickoff at Iron City
Presented by Red Diamond Coffee & Tea
- Monday, July 9, 2018, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Iron City, 513 22nd Street South, Birmingham Alabama
- Admission is FREE! But you must register.
Let your hair down, hobnob with Innovation Week partners and register for events happening during the week.
2. Get invaluable FREE feedback on your business idea and make connections.
Event: What’s Your Business Idea?
Presented by UAB Commercialization Accelerator, housed under the Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UAB
- Tuesday, July 10, 2018, 9 to 10 a.m.
- Velocity Accelerator in the Innovation Depot, 1500 1st Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama
- Admission is FREE! But you must register.
Share your 2-minute elevator pitch with an audience in a safe, informal environment. (Or, go to listen and see how it’s done.) Get insightful feedback and make valuable connections. Past participants have found business partners, helpful connections and even clients.
“There’s an incorrect notion that you shouldn’t tell people your idea, that you should keep it close and work on it in your silo. This event gets people outside their comfort zone. And when they share, they get valuable feedback.”—Max Polec, director, UAB Commercialization Accelerator
Got a 2-minute pitch? Register for What’s Your Business Idea? on July 10 today!
3. Celebrate a big win for Alabama schoolchildren! Southern Research opens its STEM Education Outreach Center.
Event: Birmingham Business Alliance Business @ Sunset
at Southern Research’s new STEM Education Outreach Center
- Wednesday, July 11, 2018, 5 to 7 p.m.
- Southern Research, 2000 9th Avenue South Birmingham, Alabama 35205
- Admission is FREE! But you must register.
You probably know Southern Research for medical research and drug development, but did you know about its efforts to bolster STEM education in Birmingham?
“Southern Research’s STEM Education Outreach program is involved in a wide variety of activities that impact students and teachers in Alabama. The new STEM Center will enable us to expand our programming through summer learning initiatives, field trips, after-school programing, STEM competitions and science fairs, internships and professional development workshops for STEM educators.”—Watson Donald, senior director of external affairs at Southern Research
Network and check out the new STEM Education Outreach Center at Southern Research during this Birmingham Business Alliance event on July 11. Register today.
4. Are you in the sports business, or do you aspire to be? Get competition ready at Sloss Sport.
Event: Sloss Sport
Curated by Knight Eady
- Thursday, July 12, 2018, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Regions Field, 1401 1st Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama
- Get your tickets: $135 (general), $85 (students)
Big things are happening in the sports industry in the realm of tech, innovation and creativity. Get the inside track by hearing from eight expert guest speakers, including a keynote by Ben Alamar, ESPN director of sports analytics, at Sloss Sport on June 12.
“A lot of young people want to work in sports, but maybe the only path they see for that is to be an athlete or a coach. Well, sports is a huge business, and there’s a lot of opportunity,” said Michael Eady, chief marketing officer of Knight Eady.
“You can develop a piece of technology. You can work in sponsorships. You can work for a TV network. You can be a designer who works for a sports organization.”
“At Knight Eady, we believe in the power of sports. We believe sports is an incredible platform to create positive change. We want young people to to see what kind of impact they can have by working in a sports profession.”—Michael Eady
Don’t miss the first-ever Sloss Sport conference on June 12 during Birmingham Innovation Week. Get tickets while they last.
Big thanks to Red Diamond Coffee & Tea for sponsoring the Birmingham Innovation Week 2018 Kickoff!
“Birmingham has a renewed sense of energy and growth through innovation. We are very excited to be a sponsor of Innovation Week, which we hope will highlight the city’s growth to date as well as provide exposure for the innovation opportunities of tomorrow.”—Bill Bowron, president and CEO, Red Diamond Coffee & Tea
Get the full lineup and register for Birmingham Innovation Week events here.
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