Blitz – Bangor’s Entrepreneurship Conference
Blitz Entrepreneurship Conference Happening Sept. 28 and 29 in Bangor
Business Leaders from Across the State Come to Bangor To Help Entrepreneurs in Two Day Conference
Blitz, Bangor area’s entrepreneurship conference, is a two-day event for people considering starting their own business, entrepreneurs who have recently started their business, or those who have been in business for a while and have started to think about their exit plan. Blitz is intended for founders, side hustlers, makers, scalable and corporate entrepreneurs, providing a time for everyone to connect, learn and engage. The event will be Friday and Saturday September 28th and 29th in downtown Bangor.
Jason Harkins, co-founder of Blitz, entrepreneur advocate, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at University of Maine, downtown business owner and co-managing director of Scratchpad Accelerator is excited to use this conference not only as a way to get information to entrepreneurs but to get the word out in the community about all the exciting new businesses that are starting right here in the Greater Bangor Area. “The Bangor Region has many amazing entrepreneurs building businesses that will change the landscape for current and future entrepreneurs. This will be the first, in what we expect is many, gatherings of current and future entrepreneurs aimed at learning from experts, sharing knowledge and building connections.”
At Blitz, you can engage with experts on a variety of topics and network with like minded individuals. Sessions give participants a chance to engage with subject matter experts to learn and ask their own personal questions. A keynote address will be given by Heidi Neal, owner and CEO of Loyal Biscuit Company, a chain of five pet stores across Maine. Some of the topics covered at Blitz include:
- Planning for a Successful Exit with Brian Hanson
- Scalable Entrepreneurship with John Burns
- Young Entrepreneurs with Junior Achievement
- Pitch Perfect with Renee Double, Susan MacKay, Katelynn Ronan and Greenlight Maine
“There is so much excitement in the area with interesting new businesses starting and we want to make sure that they have the information and support that they need to succeed. There are so many resources out there to help businesses from start up to sale and we are putting many of them together at Blitz,” says Leslie Poake, co-founder of Blitz and CPA and Partner at LG&H of the upcoming 2018 Blitz Bangor. “There are many challenges for entrepreneurs but there are also many people ready to help them.”
There are 18 individual sessions for attendees to choose from. Sessions are designed to be small and very interactive as opposed to having a speaker lecturing for an hour. Utilizing spaces downtown including the Bangor Region Chamber, COESPACE, CoVort, and WBRC, Blitz is truly a conference of and in Bangor. Networking opportunities are available at the coffee area during the entire conference at the Bangor Region Chamber office. Lunch will be at a variety of locations downtown through a voucher and a networking cocktail reception will be held at the Tarratine Club on Friday night; all are included with the conference registration fee. “We wanted to incorporate downtown businesses and people in this conference to showcase the renaissance of downtown and bring entrepreneurship to the heart of the city,” stated Jason Harkins.
Blitz is sponsored by:
AWESOME sponsor – Bangor Savings Bank
GREAT sponsors – LG&H, Maine Technology Institute and Combined Management
GOOD sponsors – Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, Rudman Winchell, Darlings Agency, Opus Consulting
COCKTAIL HOUR sponsor – Buoy Local
SPACE sponsors – WBRC, Bangor Region Chamber
Blitz is organized by:
Kitty Barbee – Eastern Maine Development Corporation
Marge Barker – SCORE
Jason Harkins – Scratchpad Accelerator and Maine Business School
Deb Neuman – Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce
Jim Pineau – Small Business Association
Leslie Poake – LG&H
Shelley Sund – Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce
There is a fee and advance registration is required. Register by going to www.blitzbangor.com.
