In 2007, a group of Iowa service providers gathered in Des Moines at a roundtable to share best practices and to begin collaborative discussions to better serve Iowa’s small business and entrepreneurial community. What if, they thought, we could create a ‘festival’ to attract small business owners and entrepreneurs into a statewide networking event; a big celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit in Iowa; a colorful venue bringing expert and novice together, showcasing new technologies and innovators, link big ideas and small, home-based ideas, drawing together the creative spirit that is a part of every city, town community and burg in Iowa. From those discussions came the creation of EntreFest!, Iowa’s first statewide conference for small business.
The UNI MyEntre.Net program contributed the initial start up funds and signed on to coordinate the conference. Other service provider partners also stepped up to provide sponsorship funds and 1,000’s of volunteer hours. From that generous support, the first annual EntreFest! conference became a reality in February 2008!
The original collaborators around the table that year included the UNI Regional Business Center/MyEntre.net, Iowa Farm Bureau/Renew Rural Iowa, Iowa Small Business Development Centers, Iowa State University Extension and Community Vitality Center, Institute for Social and Economic Development, U.S. Small Business Administration, Iowa Department of Economic Development, Iowa Area Development Group, Alliant Energy, Aquila (now Black Hills Energy), MidAmerican Energy and the Iowa Association of Community Colleges.
The first Fest! Was held in Cedar Falls in February of 2008 and has become a traveling conference; moving to a new community annually where the entrepreneurs and Iowa’s unique communities and people can be showcased each year. In 2009, the conference took place in Coralville, in 2010 EntreFest! was celebrated in West Des Moines and in 2011 it is scheduled to rock the bluffs in historic Dubuque, Iowa.
EntreFest! continues to be organized by a dedicated group of Iowa’s premier service providers and small business owners which include:
Institute for Social and Economic Development
Iowa Area Development Group
Iowa Department of Economic Development
Iowa Farm Bureau/Renew Rural Iowa
Iowa Small Business Development Centers
ISU Community Vitality Center/Iowa MicroLoan
Main Street Iowa Community Development
Poweshiek Iowa Develoment
U.S. Small Business Administration
UNI Regional Business Center/MyEntre.Net
VentureNet Iowa
FocusFirst, Inc.
Strat Exe. Inc
We hope you can join us in Dubuque on February 26th and 27th for another great EntreFest! Join us as we learn, share and celebrate being an entrepreneur in America’s heartland!