We hope you’ll continue clicking through for a brief review of this year’s conference highlights, including Participant Comments!

A word about this year’s conference…

AICC joined the leadership team of the Indiana Cooperative Development Center and the Purdue University Extension New Ventures Team to develop and deliver a conference for resource providers, counselors, and practitioners who mentor entrepreneurs in value-added agricultural business ventures. The audience included a diverse audience of economic development professionals, small business development counselors, cooperative development centers, extension educators, and entrepreneurs.

Twenty-seven planning committee members came together to brainstorm ideas and develop goals and objectives – and decided to “kick things up a notch!” As a result, audience numbers were the highest ever (170 people) and for the first time, the conference drew practitioners not just from the upper Midwest but from all across the U.S. This conference focused exclusively on the needs and interests of practitioners, featured nationally-known speakers and panelists, and provided nationwide networking and relationship building opportunities.

The format included both a 50,000 foot view of “what is happening across the U.S.”, as well as in-depth, practical examples of value added ag ventures. This was accomplished through large general sessions plus numerous concurrent sessions featuring expert speakers along with entrepreneur and practitioner panelists who exemplified best practices.

Sessions were developed around topics of highest interest to the audience, and included:
     - “The 3-legged Stool of Entrepreneurship:
     - Understanding the Entrepreneur
     - Creating and Analyzing the Business Proposition
     - Creating an Entrepreneurial Culture/Community”

Numerous concurrent sessions were developed around the topics of:
     - Agritourism, Community Food Systems, and Large-scale Ventures
     - “Skills builders” sessions examined the AICC Business Planner webtool, INVenture
     - A toolkit to help segment the client base for maximum success
     - New opportunities for financing value-added ag ventures
     - Rating your community for entrepreneurial success.

Special features of the conference that were intended to highlight the attractions of Indiana as well as encourage relationship building and networking included:
     - A“Taste of Indiana” lunch, with the Hoosier menu composed of food products from entrepreneurial food companies in Indiana – and a spotlight on the Agricultural Innovation Centers
     - Informational Displays by value-added ag sponsors
     - Ideas Worth Sharing table for best program ideas
     - Evening venue at the White River Gardens with wine tasting donated from a coop of Indiana’s wineries
     - Topic Tables at Breakfast.

Deb Conley, Executive Director of the Indiana Cooperative Development Center	Jerry Nelson, Purdue New Ventures Educator, Agricultural Entrepreneurship