EngenuitySC to Host Ignite! Knowledge Economy Celebration on Nov. 20, 2013

COLUMBIA, SC – November 20, 2013 – EngenuitySC has set Nov. 20, 2013 as the date for Ignite!, the region’s annual knowledge economy celebration. The event will be hosted at The Zone at Williams-Brice Stadium, in Columbia, S.C., from 5:15 to 8:30 p.m. Guests will enjoy an evening of short, keynote talks by local thought leaders, open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres and networking, as well as a lively session of audience voting to select the winner of the Ignite! 2013 Ideas contest. An afterparty, free and open to the public, will be held at Social Bar and Lounge in the Vista.

 

For information about Ignite! visit: http://www.engenuitysc.com/ignite. Major sponsors for Ignite! 2013 are BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and Wells Fargo Bank.

 

A sold-out success each year, this 500-guest event is where CEO-level business, political and technology leaders come to network with the Midlands’ up-and-coming talent, from new media innovators and entrepreneurs to young professionals working in the knowledge economy.

 

Hosts include Steve Benjamin, Mayor of Columbia, S.C., and Dr. Harris Pastides, President of the University of South Carolina, who serve as the Co-Chairs of the EngenuitySC Executive Committee.

 

George Hutton, Executive Director of EngenuitySC, expressed enthusiasm for this year’s event. We’re thrilled with this year’s program and the level of interest we’re receiving from our partners and the community – it’s going to be a great celebration of our region’s entrepreneurial and innovation success stories.

 

The event will progress as follows:

 

·       Networking happy hour with open bar and heavy hors d’oeuvres with an emphasis on healthy, local/sustainable foods, courtesy of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina

·       Five 6-minute talks by Midlands innovators

·       Short presentations by the three Ignite! Ideas Contest finalists

·       Live audience voting via text message balloting, to choose the winner of the Ignite! Ideas Contest $5000 prize, courtesy of Wells Fargo Bank. Past winners include Will Bryan of Public Works of HeArt and Jim Stritzinger of EnduringFX.

·       Free afterparty at Social Bar & Lounge in the Vista, 8:30pm-10:30pm

 

Local entrepreneurs with an idea that can move the Midlands forward are encouraged to enter the $5000 Ignite! Ideas Contest by submitting a short, two-minute video detailing their concept. Videos can be very informal. Enter here: http://www.engenuitysc.com/ignite/i-have-idea

 

Stay on top of Ignite! 2013 updates by following the #IgniteCAE hashtag and @EngenuitySC on Twitter or via Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/engenuitysc.

 

About EngenuitySC

Headquartered in Columbia, EngenuitySC is a public/private partnership formed to develop and grow the South Carolina Midlands’ knowledge-based economy by fostering an environment where entrepreneurship, innovation, and the creation of knowledge are fundamental elements of the region’s culture, identity, and economic development strategy. Through collaboration with business, government, and higher education, EngenuitySC leads initiatives that support research development, promote commercialization, and leverage the region’s assets. For more information, visit http://www.engenuitysc.com.

 

Contact: Tracie Broom, Flock and Rally, 415.235.5718, tracie@flockandrally.com          

                 Debi Schadel, Flock and Rally, 803.348.8861, debi@flockandrally.com