Zach Brandon does it again.
Under Brandon’s leadership, the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce has increased engagement with local startups and entrepreneurs, and the latest evidence comes in the form of its reboot of its annual expo taking place April 8 at the Alliant Energy Center, the chamber announced this week.
According to chamber’s website, “neXXpo: Business in Fast Forward” will reduce the number of trade show booths in favor of showcasing “who’s emerging, what’s being created (and) business trends in the making.”
“This is not only a significant opportunity for entrepreneurs, this is an opportunity for Greater Madison to be recognized nationally as a place where talented people are building great businesses,” Brandon said in a statement. “Our message will be, if we are not already on your radar, we should be. Because this region is what is next.”
In addition to four seminars, a keynote speaker and a networking happy hour, neXXpo will allow entrepreneurs to pitch their business plans to a live audience in the newly created “Pressure Chamber” competition. The chamber announced that the winner will join a delegation of other area startups in a series of meetings with prominent venture capital firms in Silicon Valley.
Brandon, who previously worked at the Wisconsin Technology Council, tweaked last year’s expo by reserving a corner for several startups, including AquaMost and EatStreet. He also brought the chamber’s annual dinner speaker, Debra Kaye, to present again for members of Capital Entrepreneurs, and he created a $100 membership option for startups.
One thought on “Chamber Revamps Expo for Entrepreneurs”