Conference Sessions

With more than 70 sessions to choose from, including lectures, panels and roundtable discussions, NBIA’s 2006 conference will offer something for everyone.

Click on the following links to view detailed listings of sessions for each day of the conference.

Monday, May 1 | Tuesday May 2 | Wednesday, May 3

Monday, May 1

Sessions, 9 – 10:15 a.m.

Effective Incubator Layouts and Floor Plans

Facility layout impacts client interactions, manager efficiency and financial feasibility, so effective incubator floor plans are crucial. Presenters will point out the positive and negative aspects of example floor plans and explain how to maximize incubator space.
Jim Greenwood, President, Greenwood Consulting Group, Sanibel, Fla.
Lisa Ison, President, The New Century Venture Center, Roanoke, Va.
Ken Kornberg, Architect, Kornberg Associates, Menlo Park, Calif.

NOTE: If you would like the presenters to provide feedback on your incubator’s layout, please bring a copy of your floor plan (PDF format preferred) on a memory stick to this session.

Angel Group Term Sheets

Find out how to help clients secure early-stage equity financing from angel investors. During this session, a leader in the field of angel organizations will identify terms commonly required by North American angel groups, provide an example term sheet, discuss entrepreneur-investor relationships and more.
Marianne Hudson, Director of Angel Initiatives, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City, Mo.
John May, Managing Director, New Vantage Group, Vienna, Va.

Developing Effective Marketing Strategies

Effectively marketing your incubator can help attract new clients and communicate program impacts to stakeholders. Learn strategies for developing a marketing plan that will help you convey key messages to potential clients and stakeholders, improve public relations and establish a brand for your program.
Jeanette DeDiemar, Business Development and Marketing Manager, @Wales Digital Media Initiative, Cardiff, Wales
Marc Hamburger, CEO, START Business Incubator Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Andy McNab, Director, High Growth Start-Up Unit, Scottish Enterprise, Glasgow, Scotland

Sector-Focused Incubation

Focusing on a specific industry sector can generate new revenue streams for an incubator, but not all sectors are suitable for all incubation programs. Using case studies, presenters will identify the key factors that influence sector suitability, from physical infrastructure to community characteristics.
Evan Jones, Director, @Wales Digital Media Initiative, Cardiff, Wales
Chuck Wolfe, Principal, Claggett Wolfe Associates, Auburn, Calif.

Mobile Computing: An Emerging Technology for Incubation

Focusing on a specific market sector can help an incubator generate revenue, add clients and attract supporters. This session will describe the industry that has emerged from mobile computing technologies, and explain how your program can tap into this market.
Chuck Erickson, Managing Director, Software Business Cluster, San Jose, Calif.

Global Update: UK and Canada

This session will explore the role national incubation organizations play in supporting incubator managers in an ever-changing environment. Presenters will provide an overview of the industry in Canada and the United Kingdom, focusing on the daily challenges incubator managers in both countries must overcome.
Peter Harman, Deputy CEO, UK Business Incubation, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Marie Lussier, President, CRC Innovation Centre, Ottawa, Canada

Examining State Incubator Certification Programs

Join this roundtable discussion to hear about state incubator certification programs that are underway in Washington, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Share your thoughts on this topic, and explore how it might affect incubation in your state.
Colleen Barta, Assistant Director, William M. Factory Small Business Incubator, Tacoma, Wash.
Sherry Harlin, Business Development Director, Rural Enterprises of Oklahoma, Durant, Okla.
Marie Longserre, President & CEO, Santa Fe Business Incubator, Santa Fe, N.M.

Forum: Rural

Meet with colleagues to talk about the unique challenges of rural incubation. The discussion will explore topics such as how to define rural, attract clients, identify resources, incubate technology-focused businesses and more.
Moderator: Kenneth Norris, Program Manager, Rural Enterprises of Oklahoma, Durant, Okla.

Sessions 10:45 a.m. – noon

Designing a Biotech Incubator That Maximizes ROI

Using case studies from successful programs, this session will focus on revenue generating strategies for biotechnology incubators. Attendees will learn how to implement successful revenue models, maximize facility space, price equipment usage and more.
David Lohr, Executive Director, Virginia Biosciences Development Center, Richmond, Va.
Melinda Richter, Director, San Jose BioCenter, San Jose, Calif.

Encouraging Young Entrepreneurs

An incubator in Alabama recently partnered with the Appalachian Regional Commission to plan, market, implement and evaluate a community-based youth entrepreneurial training program. Learn from their experiences and take home a flexible program guide with instructions for how to involve local stakeholders, organize content, create materials and identify speakers.
Jerry Davis, Shoals Entrepreneurial Network, Florence, Ala.

Incubation as a Rural Economic Development Strategy

Many rural communities struggle with workforce out-migration and are looking for strategies to stop the human resource drain. Using examples from a Canadian program, this session will identify common challenges in rural economic development and explore how effective incubation programs can overcome these obstacles.
Lorne Ross, Executive Director, North Alberta Business Incubator, St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
Dar Schwanbeck, Manager, North Alberta Business Incubator, St. Albert, Alberta, Canada

Integrating Training With Business Development

Entrepreneur training programs provide start-up companies with the skills and tools to move from the pre-revenue stage to the point of self-sustainability. This session will explain the importance of training, describe models of successful programs, and provide tips for evaluating an entrepreneur’s progress.
Shawn Carson, Director of Training and Incubator Operations, Technology 2020, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Thea Chase Gilman, Executive Director, Western Colorado Business Development Corp., Grand Junction, Colo.

Incubator Development: An Expert Panel Discussion

In honor of NBIA's soon-to-be-released book on incubator development, we've assembled a panel of four incubator development experts. They'll discuss some of the most important aspects of the development process, including feasibility studies, business plans, funding, market analysis and more. Plus, there will be plenty of time for Q&A.
Gary P. Evans, CEO, U.S. Operations, ANGLE Technology Group, Charlottesville, Va.
Jim Greenwood, President, Greenwood Consulting Group, Sanibel, Fla.
Carol Lauffer, Principal, Business Cluster Development, Palo Alto, Calif.
Chuck Wolfe, Principal, Claggett Wolfe Associates, Auburn, Calif.
Moderator: Dinah Adkins, President & CEO, National Business Incubation Association, Athens, Ohio

International Incubation: What do Clients Really Want?

Even successful companies often have trouble expanding into international markets, but incubators can help. Using a case study of the US Market Access Center, this session will provide a profitable business model for international incubation and highlight the best service offerings to assist companies with international expansion.
Kim Fisher, Director, The U.S. Market Access Center, San Jose, Calif.

Roundtable: Angels and Incubation Programs: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

During this roundtable, the chairman of the Angel Seed Capital Association board will draw from experiences with numerous incubators to explore relationships between angel investors, incubator managers and client companies. The focused discussion will address characteristics of effective partnerships, as well as potential pitfalls.
John May, Managing Partner, New Vantage Group, Vienna, Va.
Lisa Smith, Principal, ANGLE Technology Group, Vienna, Va.

Forum: New Managers

If you’re new to the world of incubator management, don’t miss this opportunity to share your experiences, frustrations and ideas with colleagues. Led by an experienced manager, this discussion will explore providing necessary client services, working with a board of directors, having appropriate staffing, managing a facility and more.
Moderator: Devron Veasley, Director, Bessemer Business Incubation System, Bessemer, Ala.

Sessions 2:15 – 3:30 p.m.

Virtual Incubation

A large facility is not always a necessary component of a successful incubation program – offering virtual services can be a cost-effective alternative. Learn about developing a virtual program, including how to decide what services to offer, how to manage the cost structure, how to market to potential clients and more.
John Edmonds, Business Incubation Manager, University of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England
Kim Fisher, Director, Prologue International, San Francisco, Calif.

Growing Life Sciences Companies

This session will explore the challenges of life sciences incubation, particularly related to identifying technologies with potential, entrepreneurs with talent, and funding sources to provide necessary capital. The presenter will address crucial funding gaps, early- and late-stage venture capital attraction, licensing, drug discovery and other topics.
Joel Marcus, CEO, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Pasadena, Calif.

Technology Commercialization Programs for Incubators

A unique set of principles apply to the technology commercialization process in the incubation industry. This session will provide examples of sector-specific technology commercialization, identify best practices, and explain how you can use the technology commercialization process to increase revenue and attract clients.
Carol Lauffer, Principal, Business Cluster Development, Menlo Park, Calif.
John O’Donnell, Executive Director, TechRanch, Bozeman, Mont.
Jim Robbins, Principal, Business Cluster Development, Menlo Park, Calif.

Encouraging Women Entrepreneurs in High-Growth Sectors

Women-owned businesses are playing an increasingly important role in economies, yet the rate at which women start companies in science, engineering and technology is still below its potential. Find out how a program in England is encouraging women entrepreneurs in high-growth industries, and learn how you can do the same.
Sally Arkley, Director, Women’s Business Development Agency, Coventry, England
David Rowe, CEO, University of Warwick Science Park, Coventry, England

Tracking Impact: Are You Leaving Money on the Table?

If you're not collecting adequate data about your incubation program's outcomes, you might be missing out on funding opportunities. Come find out how collecting this information can directly relate to your incubator's fund-raising potential.
David Cattey, Executive Director, Business Technology Center, Columbus, Ohio
Skip Farrar, Manager: Business Development, Southern California Edison, Rosemead, Calif.
Adele Lyons, Executive Director, Gulf Coast Business Technology Center, Biloxi, Miss.
Teresa Taylor, Senior Project Manager, Tennessee Valley Authority, Nashville, Tenn.
Moderator: Tracy Kitts, Vice President & COO, National Business Incubation Association, Athens, Ohio

Roundtable: How Can Incubators Cooperate Internationally?

Not every incubator has the in-house expertise to meet every client’s needs. Sometimes, in fact, the expertise needed could be miles or even continents away. This discussion will explore how incubators can share skills and resources across borders.
Gabriel Mergui, Director of the International Department, Genopole, Paris, France

Forum: University

Operating an incubation program in a university setting creates a unique set of circumstances. This discussion will bring together managers who work at universities to share ideas on topics such as incubating college students and dealing with special staffing needs.
Moderator: Tony Antoniades, General Manager, Advanced Technology Development Center, Atlanta, Ga.