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Elevate Ventures’ Rally innovation conference, which takes place Tuesday and Wednesday at the Indiana Convention Center, won’t be the only local event next week aimed at entrepreneurs, investors and innovators.
Third-party organizations are planning about a dozen other events, from smaller conferences to happy hours, to capitalize on the momentum they expect Rally to generate.
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Indiana Technology and Innovation Association, Innopower, Indiana Venture Club and others are all hosting events of their own that are explicitly tied to Rally. Some of these events take place at the convention center alongside Rally, while others are at off-site venues but meant for Rally attendees.
Some are existing events aligning themselves with Rally, while other events are brand-new.
Rally did the same thing last year. The goal is to offer conference attendees more events to choose from and a better overall experience, said Elevate Ventures CEO and Rally mastermind Christopher Day.
“Rally is built as a big tent, and so if you run another conference or have a summit or an annual meeting, you can bring that in and bolt it on to Rally,” Day said.
The Indiana Chamber is hosting one of those bolt-on events—a new event called the AI Leadership Summit, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the convention center, 100 S. Capitol Ave.
At the AI summit, speakers will forecast AI’s impact on Indiana’s key industries, including manufacturing, agbioscience, life sciences, logistics and transportation. The event is geared toward legislators and policymakers, but it’s open to all Rally attendees.
Adam Berry, the Indiana Chamber’s vice president of economic development and technology, said his organization originally planned to host a small-scale discussion group on the topic. But after speaking with Elevate Ventures, Berry said, he saw the chance to go bigger.
“If we’re going to be producing something of value, then let’s not necessarily do it behind closed doors, but make it available to whoever wants to benefit from it,” Berry said.
Indianapolis-based Innopower, which works to promote entrepreneurship particularly in the Black community, had a similar motivation for teaming up with Rally this year.
Innopower’s Minority Business Week, which offers programming and events aimed at Black entrepreneurs, will host two days’ worth of its programming during Rally. (For information and registration, click here.)
That programming will be open to general Rally attendees. Likewise, Minority Business Week attendees will be able to attend other Rally programming. Innopower has secured sponsorship support allowing it to offer deeply discounted tickets for small business owners—those whose businesses generate $150,000 or less in annual revenue.
Those discount tickets are $75, as compared with Rally’s $699 ticket price.
As of earlier this month, about 300 people had already purchased discount tickets, said Innopower CEO Emil Ekiyor.
Other events for Rally attendees next week include the following. (Most events require separate registration at rallyinnovation.com.)
— Indiana Technology and Innovation Association annual conference, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Aug. 27, at the Indiana Convention Center, 100 S. Capitol Ave.
— Happy hour at 16 Tech’s AMP food hall, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Aug. 27, 1220 Waterway Blvd. Shuttle service will transport Rally attendees from the Indiana Convention Center and 16 Tech between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
— Venture Club of Indiana investor-only happy hour from 5:30 p.m. to 7 :30 p.m., Aug. 27, at Barnes & Thornburg, 11 S. Meridian St. The Venture Club is also hosting an Emerging VC Breakfast from 7:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m., Aug. 28, at High Alpha, 830 Massachusetts Ave.
— Happy Hour at 1933 Lounge, hosted by Prolific. Event is at capacity and registration is closed.
— Roast, Toast, and Rally Northern Indiana happy hour from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Aug. 27, at The Union 525, 525 S. Meridian St. Hosted by the Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest, Startup South Bend-Elkhart and the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center.
— Rally Rave, from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Aug. 27, at Bicentennial Unity Plaza, adjacent to Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 125 S. Pennsylvania St.
— Michigan-based Midwest House, which describes itself as “an experiential embassy of the Midwest,” will host workshops, talks and other programming Aug. 27-28 at Cinderwood Event Space, 601 S. Meridian St.
— EdChoice Education Innovators Summit, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Aug. 28, at the Indiana Convention Center, 100 S. Capitol Ave.
— Indianapolis-based VentureVets will have a pitch competition from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., Aug. 28, at the Indiana Convention Center, 100 S. Capitol Ave. VentureVets will also host an afterparty from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. that day at Hotel Tango Distillery, 702 Virginia Ave. in Fletcher Place.
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Back 9 Golf & Entertainment will also be offering $15 off bay time for attendees or staff that show their Rally credential.