nashville geek
Every January, announcements and invitations for trade shows & business conferences start filling our inbox. Attending these yearly events can be a great way to network and learn new skills but, most of all, they inspire us to try new things and dream bigger.
If pure inspiration is what you’re looking for, we propose that no event is more inspiring than the New Orleans Entrepreneur Week held each March.
New Orleans Entrepreneur week or NOWE, is presented each year by IBERIABANK and produced by The Idea Village of New Orleans. The Idea Village was conceived, in true New Orleans fashion, at The Loa Bar in 2000. As their website states, “What started on a cocktail napkin has turned into a global movement.” That takes real entrepreneurial moxie right there. Initially, the focus of The Idea Village was to support start-ups and the entrepreneurs of New Orleans. However, following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, their focus shifted to rebuilding and drawing talent back to the city. Now, the original vision has come full circle.
In its 6th year, NOEW is a vibrant week of sharing, learning and training that keeps getting bigger. Last year 5,209 people attended NOEW, and 38 startups shared $240,644 in capital investment.
NOEW is sure to be unlike any Entrepreneur event you have ever attended. Start up competitions, workshops, celebrations, corporate investors and education are all to be found and best of all its FREE! VIP packages with preferential seating and an invitation to the opening event’s patron party are available, but most events are open to the public. Have a great product or idea you would love investors to see? NOEW could be the way. If you reside in Louisiana, it’s not too late to submit an application to show investors your product. (Deadline for Submissions is February 27th, 2015). The 8-day event culminates with what’s called “The Big Idea” described as, “a crowd-sourced pitch extravaganza that will feature 12 of New Orleans’ most promising startup ventures and a celebrity judging panel.” Everyone is encouraged to attend. If what you’re looking for in a conference is inspiration and Big Ideas then, we’re certain; NOEW is the event for you. Registration opens February 23rd, 2015. New Orleans Entrepreneur Week is March 20-27, 2015 Fulton Street, Downtown New Orleans LA
