What wind mills and kayaks have in common?

Submitter Photo - John Warner Submitted by: John Warner on Apr 02, 2007 at 1:50 am Tagged with: Featured Articles, Miscellany Source:

Over 700 people attended InnoVenture 2007, many of whom completed an online survey of their experience. 63% of those who attended felt that InnoVenture was more valuable or much more valuable than other similar events they have attended, while an additional 14% had never attended an event like Innoventure.

Below are illustrative comments about their InnoVenture experience.

  • As a student, I loved seeing and hearing about all these great innovations that are being pushed to market.
  • Found several new contacts that we were unlikely to have found by other methods, which we expect to turn into realized business opportunities.
  • Hearing the presentations and talking to the exhibitors gave me several potentially useful ideas that I am now looking into.
  • I made several high-level contacts with high-level companies.
  • I made several potentially important business contacts. I was excited by the talented people that attended.
  • I was able to get some resources to help a business I am interested in starting. I was also amazed at how big a network is.
  • Lots of contacts with capital companies. Good sessions on raising funds. Good business advice.
  • Made good contacts. Saw several technologies that we will follow up on.
  • Stimulated the creative process and allowed me to see what types of things are out there and what people are excited about.
  • The opportunity to meet with potential funders was fabulous

    • The words below are top-of-mind when those surveyed think about Swamp Fox,

  • Innovation/Innovative
  • Networking
  • Ideas
  • John Warner
  • Business
  • Good/Great

    • One story from InnoVenture 2007 shows the power of uncovering and connecting extraordinarily talented people across diverse organizations, disciplines and geographies.

    The Milliken Research Corporation in Spartanburg leads the world in many areas of materials research. They have developed a material that is very strong yet light. A kayak molded out of the material to demonstrate its characteristics was one of the hits of InnoVenture. Many people came by, picked up the kayak, and imagined how easy it would be to get it out on a river. The college students at InnoVenture, in particular, got excited by the kayak's potential.

    GE Energy's wind research is located in Greenville. Wind energy is a large and growing market globally. GE had a working model of a windmill at InnoVenture in their booth which was located right next to Milliken. Several GE wind researchers looked through Milliken's exhibit, but instead of thinking about currents of water they were thinking about currents of air. What if the material used to make the Kayak was used to make wind mill blades? If the blades could be made lighter, the wind mills would be much more efficient and produce more power. The GE researchers left InnoVenture excited about the potential they realized from seeing the kayak too.

    At InnoVenture 2007, indeed sparks did fly!

    We've love you to leave a comment about your experience at InnoVenture.

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