EntreFEST going virtual for 2020

By CBJ News Staff
news@corridorbusiness.com

EntreFEST, Juneโ€™s two-day conference celebrating entrepreneurship and innovation, has announced it will now be held online this year.

While speaker sessions, networking events, concerts and other activities had been planned to take place on June 4-5 across a variety of venues throughout Cedar Rapids, they will now transition to a live online format.

โ€œWeโ€™re all eager to see the faces of colleagues and friends, but I think a lot of us are also missing the familiar sights and sounds of places we canโ€™t be right now,โ€ NewBoCo Events Director Jill Wilkins stated in a release. โ€œEven though weโ€™re moving online, this yearโ€™s events will give us all a chance to feel like weโ€™re back where we belong.โ€

Attendees will be able to ask questions and interact with speakers directly during their sessions. And this year, popular networking hotspots will each get their own on-location โ€œZoom Loungeโ€ that guests can visit to chat with others and get advice from experts in their fields.

Scheduled activities like concerts, happy hour events and a live comedy stream will get the same virtual treatment, but will offer a chance for attendees to unwind with entertainment.

Attendees who purchase their tickets at least a week in advance of the conference will receive a mystery care package in the mail filled with resources, surprise swag and a preloaded lunch gift card to choose their own curbside, delivery or drive-through option.

โ€œWeโ€™ve put a lot of work into making sure EntreFEST 2020 will be more than just a webinar,โ€ Ms. Wilkins said. โ€œNow more than ever, we want to keep the entrepreneurial community connected and invigorated so they can share ideas and support one another through this crisis.โ€

EntreFEST ticket prices have been reduced by $100 to make the conference more accessible to entrepreneurs and companies impacted by the pandemic. CBJ