15th International Conference on Business Incubation

15th International Conference on Business Incubation
May 19-22, 2001 • The Fairmont Hotel • San Jose, California

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Preconference Activities

Our Preconference offers attendees the opportunity to explore highly specialized incubation topics in depth before the full conference gets under way. This year NBIA is offering six workshops.

Friday, May 18

Swing for the Fences
8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
This acclaimed workshop from the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds (NASVF) is an effective tool for helping incubator managers build community support for seed investing in entrepreneurial ventures. The course covers the investment process step-by-step through interactive breakout sessions, role-playing exercises, videotaped presentations, a practical "live" case study and on-site coaching from a team of local experts. Designed in collaboration with the nation's leading seed investors, specialists and seasoned professionals, it gives a candid view of how tried and true seed investors think, how they choose their investments and how they work with entrepreneurs. Note: This workshop is concurrent with the Silicon Valley Experience. You cannot attend both. Fee includes breakfast, course materials and networking reception following the workshop.
Cost: $225 NBIA members, $245 nonmembers.

Silicon Valley Experience
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
If the Silicon Valley's command of the high-tech marketplace intrigues you, don't miss this bus tour of popular sites where local experts will provide key details about what makes this entrepreneurial hotbed bubble. A guided look at some of the region's historical sites will help you put in perspective the Silicon Valley's past, present and future.

The first stop is nearby Palo Alto, where Bill Hewlett and David Packard founded Hewlett-Packard Company, now a leading global enterprise, in a garage. Next, we'll cruise the giant corporate campuses of Sand Hill Road. A stop at Stanford University will allow attendees time to stroll through the Rodin Sculpture Garden, and we'll wind up with a visit to the Winchester Mystery House, a 160-room Victorian-era mansion that contains more than a few odd features and state-of-the-art technology for its time.

Tour price includes boxed lunch, all admissions and transportation. Tour departs from The Fairmont Hotel in San Jose at 11:00 a.m. and returns at approximately 5:00 p.m.

Cost: $95.
Tickets will be issued as available and are limited.

Saturday, May 19

Developers' Prep Course
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Developing a business incubation program — either for-profit or nonprofit — can be a complex undertaking. Jonathan Gorham will present the celebrated Developers' Prep Course, which covers how to conduct a feasibility study and develop a business plan, locate and attract prospective clients, create a self-sufficient incubator and achieve intended goals. New this year, Gorham will include effective use of the Web to market incubators and help clients achieve success. Whether you're in the conceptual stage or already knee deep in development, you can't afford to miss this workshop. President of Gorham Associates, Gorham has taught incubator feasibility and management techniques to more than 1,200 private developers and economic development professionals since 1991. Fee includes breakfast, lunch and applicable course materials.
Cost: $270 members, $330 nonmembers.

Cooking on High: Shared-Use Kitchen Ventures
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
In Cooking on High: Shared-Use Kitchen Ventures, renowned kitchen incubation professional Cameron Wold of NxLevel Training Network at the University of Colorado and David Gonzales, executive director of the award-winning Denver Enterprise Center, will tackle issues surrounding shared-use commercial kitchens and food-related ventures. Several incubators have successfully added shared-use commercial kitchens to their programs to increase offerings and potential clients. This workshop covers the basics of establishing a kitchen incubation program and the specific challenges that entrepreneurs confront when growing food companies. Wold will explain the differences between urban and rural kitchen programs and teach attendees how to identify prospective clients and potential funding sources. Those developing a kitchen incubator as a stand-alone facility or as an added component to an existing incubation program will benefit from this workshop. Fee includes breakfast, lunch and applicable course materials. Click here to see the session agenda.
Cost: $205 members, $265 nonmembers.

Lessons from Incubation's Front Lines:
What Works and What Doesn't (and Why)
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
The media may have dismissed some relatively new incubation models as just flashes in the pan. But behind all of the hype, many forward-thinking incubation programs are quietly churning out sustainable, successful companies. Lessons from Incubation's Front Lines: What Works and What Doesn't (and Why) will offer insights from experienced presenters who straddle the worlds of venture capital-backed new enterprises, corporate incubation and technology incubator models. The team includes Terry Collison, Blue Rock Capital partner; Chris Varley, AT&T Labs' new market development vice president; Larry Braitman, cofounder of Signia Ventures; and Jim Robbins, executive director of Panasonic Internet Incubator in Cupertino, Calif., and the Software Business Cluster in San Jose. This highly interactive workshop will show you how to circumvent trouble spots that have grounded some of the notable new economy incubators. Fee includes breakfast, lunch and applicable course materials.
Cost: $345 members, $405 nonmembers.

Making the Grade in University Incubation
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
University-based incubators stand to benefit faculty, students and communities. But all too often, bureaucracy gets in the way of building successful companies. David Cattey, executive director of the Business Technology Center, affiliated with Ohio State University in Columbus; Bela Musits, director of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Incubation Program in Troy, N.Y.; and Joel Stevenson, director of the University of South Carolina at Columbia Technology Incubator, will team up with other university-related incubation professionals to address issues specific to university incubation programs in Making the Grade in University Incubation. They will look at how to minimize bureaucracy, create policies friendly to technology commercialization and fit an incubator into the fabric of higher education. From overcoming university culture issues to structuring equity deals with client companies, this workshop will help you leverage the resources you need for success. Fee includes breakfast, lunch and applicable course materials.
Cost: $345 members, $405 nonmembers.

Fine Points in Arts Incubation
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
The arts are serious business... when you know how to incubate artists and arts organizations. Teaching artist-entrepreneurs to apply their talents to successful businesses can result in wide-ranging benefits for individuals and their communities. Fine Points in Arts Incubation will show you how to apply the principles and best practices of effective business incubation to this niche. Invited presenters include Joe Rodriguez, community arts development officer at the San Jose Arts Incubator; Karen Park, the San Jose Arts Incubator's multicultural arts program coordinator; Mary Kahn, vice president of community programs at the Arts Council of New Orleans and first director of its Entergy Arts Business Center; Troi Bechet, director of the Entergy Arts Business Center; and SueEllen Burns, former director of Chicago's Arts Bridge. These presenters will share their knowledge about creating thriving arts programs, covering topics including arts incubation facilities, arts-specific business assistance, services and funding sources for arts incubators. Fee includes breakfast, lunch and applicable course materials. Click here to see the session agenda.
Cost: $215 members, $275 nonmembers.

Welcome to Conference 2001: An Orientation for First-Time NBIA Conference Attendees and International Attendees
7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
If this is your first conference — or even if it's not — join us for a special welcome. We know you've rearranged your everyday life to attend this conference, and we want your time in San Jose to be memorable and valuable. Everyone here had a "first time" NBIA conference. We remember the excitement, but there's a lot we know now that we wish we knew then.

We've carved out this time to provide a look ahead at the next few days, explain some vocabulary that is unique to NBIA conferences and offer suggestions and techniques so you can make the most of Conference 2001. For our international guests, we've planned special materials to help smooth your way.

Barbara Harley, Director, International Business Incubator, San Jose, CA Lisa Ison, President, The New Century Venture Center, Roanoke, VA

Opening Reception
8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

NBIA prides itself on offering attendees a conference schedule that is jam-packed with incredible offerings ... so it should be no surprise that the official start of Conference 2001 will be abuzz with activity. Register early for conference, then enjoy light refreshments while you check out the offerings in the NBIA Bookstore and the exhibit area. And what would an NBIA reception be without the opportunity for information sharing? NBIA's Connecting Point will make it easy to network, network, network with peers who share your interests.