From Idea to Market workshop offered

A workshop for area businesses interested in learning more about increasing their customer base through innovation commercialization is being offered 8:30 – 11:30am Thursday May 30 at the Augusta County Government Center in Verona.  Those who attend will learn the steps to Innovation Excellence, from encouraging idea generation to taking a product or process innovation  to the marketplace.

This “”From Idea to Market” workshop is the last in the “Growing Together: Pathways to business renewal & expansion” series being offered by a collaboration of public and private organizations in the central Shenandoah Valley.  The series was designed to help strengthen the region’s economic vitality by making it easier for existing area firms to pursue advanced strategic paths for growth.

This workshop will begin with presentations spanning the spectrum of the innovation process  from fostering a Creativity Culture in the workplace to Protecting Intellectual Property to Attracting Investors.  A second set of presentations will provide an overview of some of the regional programs and resources available to assist with innovation development and commercialization, including SHINE Systems & Technologies, the Virginia SBDC Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP), GenEdge Alliance, JMU Research & Innovation, UVa Innovation, and Blue Ridge Community College, and others.   To conclude the event, owners of several local businesses that have experience generating creative ideas, developing those ideas into a viable product or process, and eventually taking that innovation to market will share their experiences and tips for business growth through development and implementation of new innovation.  Time will also be available for Q & A.

Admission to each of the Growing Together workshops will be free thanks to the generous support of local sponsoring organizations.  More detailed information about this workshop, along with a list of sponsoring organizations, is available at the Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center (SV SBDC) website at www.ValleySBDC.org/growing-together.

Anyone interested in attending the “From Idea to Market” workshop should pre-register to ensure a seat by calling the SV SBDC at 540-568-3227 or visiting their website.