EVENT DATES: OCTOBER 10-14, 2022

SUBMISSION DATES: JULY 29 & AUGUST 12, 2022

UW–Madison Innovate Week is designed for an audience of campus researchers, inventors, entrepreneurs, social impact innovators, and makers of impactful products. Event goals include raising campus awareness of entrepreneurship and innovation; promoting opportunities, programs and resources for campus innovators; and providing learning and networking opportunities. Campus and eligible community entrepreneurial resource organizations* can participate by hosting events and/or signing up to table at the Resource Fair.

HOST AN EVENT

Potential event types include: Talks, Panels, and Workshops, Info Sessions, and Tours/Resource Overviews. Events involving content delivery and/or hearing from an entrepreneur have been more successful in attracting audiences than Office Hours or Open Houses. It’s fine if events are open to the community, but they don’t need to be. We plan for Innovate Week week to be primarily in-person, with a pivot to virtual if required by campus health guidelines. It’s recommended that event locations be on the UW-Madison campus. Promotion will be primarily to campus audiences.

Innovate Week will be coordinated and the overall event promoted by Discovery to Product (D2P) on behalf of the Innovate Network. Campus and community entrepreneurial resource organizations* offering events will coordinate and contribute events and handle event production, registration, and cross-promotion of their own events.

How to Host an Event:

• Submit this form with your event idea, ideally by July 29 . Once submitted, we will reach out to learn more and to make sure your event is a great fit for the week. If all looks good, we will confirm you’re set to host.
• Finalize event logistics and details by August 12 for best publicity consideration. This includes date, time, location, title, description and speakers, URL, contact info, accessibility tagline, and how to register and/or attend. Consult the Innovate Week 2022 Planning Schedule to see which events have already been scheduled. Events over the lunch hour or late afternoon/early evening often work best for attracting faculty and staff. Events that start after 5:30 p.m. often work best for undergraduate students. We know that things may change, but ask that you confirm as much as possible by the deadline so we can announce the schedule by early September, and people can start registering to attend. Events can be added after the deadline, but the later we receive them, the less likely we can feature them in advance promotion.
• Spread the word to campus innovators! D2P will promote Innovate Week as a whole through UW–Madison’s Innovate Network, UW–Madison channels, and our campus partners. Event hosting organizations are strongly encouraged to promote their events as well. Your cross-promotion is key to attracting an audience for your event.
• Participate in a brief post-event survey and collect and report attendance, so we know how it went, and how we can improve the event in future.

More details will be provided after you submit your event idea, and you’re confirmed to host.

*Eligible community entrepreneurial support organizations are nonprofit, educational and government organizations or accelerators that support entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses through education, training, networking, technical assistance, financial or physical services.

Submit your event. Deadline: Friday, August 12.

RESOURCE FAIR OCTOBER 13

As part of Innovate Week, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) will host a Resource Fair for campus and community entrepreneurial support organizations* at the Discovery Building on Thursday, October 13, starting at 5:00 pm (after a panel program). Participating organizations should offer resources or programs available to campus innovators. Tabling is free of charge. WARF will provide a table and chairs. You will provide materials, tabletop signage, etc. The Resource Fair signup is separate from submitting an event for Innovate Week. Sign up by Friday, August 12 for best publicity consideration. Final deadline: Tuesday, September 27.  Resource Fair Sign Up (WARF)