The Combine, an annual entrepreneurship and innovation convention, kicked off last night at the Bluebird Nightclub.
The event, called “Ignite Bloomington,” acts as a social event to bring attendees together before the conference begins in earnest.
“It’s a fun night for attendees to talk and have a beer,” Chris Borland, a Combine organizer, said.
“Ignite Bloomington” events take place four times a year, but this season’s event is being used to kick off the Combine conference, Borland said.
The Combine conference aims to bring together Indiana entrepreneurs, coders, developers and designers to network and listen to speakers, according to the group’s website.
“We have the same goals as other conferences like SXSW,” Combine Chair Mike Trotzky said. “We want to be a catalyst for the local community.”
The conference runs through Friday with workshops and a start-up pitch Thursday, keynote speakers Friday and follow-up social events at the Bloomington farmers’ market and craft beer festival Saturday, according to the conference’s website.
Last night’s event was held at the Bluebird, but the workshops and talks will be held at the Bloomington Convention Center located on 302 S. College Ave.
Tickets are available to the general public for $99, discounted student tickets are available for $20 either at the door or online at www.thecombine.org.
“We want students there,” Borland said.
Attendees to the Friday workshops can learn to build an iPhone app, make a business plan, estimate project costs and listen to talks on creativity and fundraising, according to the conference’s website.
The keynote speaker Saturday is Tony Conrad, an IU alumnus and Hoosier native who is the CEO and co-founder of about.me, a personal branding platform, and is a founding member of True Ventures, an investment group that has funded Word Press and MakerBot, among other companies.
While the event does focus on the technology sector, it also includes workers and innovators from the government sector and established companies, Trotzky said.
“We don’t discriminate,” Borland said.
Other Saturday speakers include Molly Lewis, Andrew Hyde, Tara Hunt, Brandon Dewitt and Matt Hunckler, according to the conference’s website.
Despite the multitude of events, the primary purpose of the conference is not the workshops or the speakers, according to the conference’s organizers.
“We want to provide some density to the community,” Trotzky said. “People can collide and meet each other.”
More than the events themselves, the organizers want to provide a space where people can meet, develop new ideas and bring those ideas into reality.
“The Combine is an event of innovation and networking that shows off Bloomington,” Borland said. “The best part is getting to see and talk to everyone who shows up.”
