Who’s coming to Innovate Carolina?

Here is a word cloud of the titles of people who have already registered to join us April 12th, 2013 – Greensboro, NC

Need more reasons to join us on April 12 for Innovate Carolina?

Check out what some of our attendees said about our conference last year?

• “Gained new insights, met great people”
• “New ideas and new ways to sell them”
• “Fresh perspective about what’s working in other orgs”
• “Some innovation ideas that I can carry back into my work”
• “Great content – and local!”
• “Truly current and leading edge thinking = very stimulating”

Registration now open! Sign up now for the Early Bird rate!

Join our fourth annual full day conference – April 12th at NC A&T State University in Greensboro, NC.

Bridging the Gap Between Ideas and Execution

While there are signs that more innovation is happening in both business and public organizations, too often it means idea generation is increasing, rather than the number of new products and services. There’s a gap between idea generation and evaluation on the one hand (the front-end of the innovation process) and product/service development and commercialization on the other hand.

This year we’re bringing nationally and locally recognized leaders and experts to tackle this question: How do we “bridge the gap” between developing and generating ideas and increased product development and successful commercialization and launch?

Carolinas professionals scheduled to share their lessons learned, experiences and tools come from organizations as varied as: Electrolux, RJ Reynolds, Milliken, InVue, VFC and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

This is THE opportunity to:

• LEARN ABOUT PRACTICES AND TOOLS that you can use to improve your outcomes and share with your manager and peers
• MEET AND NETWORK YOUR PEERS within the innovation and product development space who live right here in the Carolinas. You might find your next job, employee, business partner, or new fellow comrad

Still not sure?

Over 150 innovators, new product development and product management professionals and executives have attended each our first three conferences.

Check out the agenda, speakers and sponsors pages on this site. If you’d like, check out our interviews with past speakers Iain Gray, VP Global Services, Red Hat, and Greg Hopper, Senior Product Manager, Net App on our You Tube channel.

Our 2013 theme: Bridging the Gap

The theme we have selected for this year’s conference is “Bridging the Gap between Ideas and Execution.” It is evident that more innovation is happening in many businesses, but in many cases that means idea generation is increasing, but doesn’t often translate into more new products and services.  A gap exists between pure “innovation” – idea generation and evaluation – and product/service development and commercialization. How do we “bridge the gap” between developing and generating ideas and increased product development and successful commercialization and launch?

Our speakers and panelists will describe the issues they faced in bridging the gap, and identify potential solutions and pitfalls they faced as they developed a bridge between innovation and commercialization.

This year we’ll be gathering at the historic NC A&T State University in Greensboro, NC.  Please save the date, Friday, April 12 and look for more information and registration in the weeks to come.

Protected: 2012 Innovate Carolina presentations

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Thank you for all your support for our Third Annual Full Day Conference!

Many thanks to our host EMAC at the Long View Center, Raleigh, NC

If you enjoyed our full day conference, please continue to support our chapter by attending one of our upcoming events:

June 7th in South Carolina -register for Rapid Prototyping Part 2.

Innovate Carolina 2012 – April 20 – Raleigh – Sign up Now!

Join our third annual full day  conference -  April 20th at EMAC at the Long View Center downtown Raleigh.

Innovating in Tough Times: Practical Ways for Innovating when Budgets are Tight and Resources are Limited

• MEET YOUR PEERS within the innovation and product development space who live right here in the Carolinas. You might find your next job, employee, business partner, or new fellow comrade
• LEARN ABOUT PRACTICES AND TOOLS that you can use to improve your outcomes and share with your manager and peers

Carolinas based organizations scheduled to share their lessons learned, experiences and tools include: Bank of America, Britax, Burt’s Bees, Center for Creative Leadership, Elster Solutions, Gilero, Milliken, NC Department of Commerce, NetApp, Novant, Red Hat, and Sealed Air

There is plenty of time for networking as well.

Over 150 innovators, new product development and product management professionals and executives are already signed up.  This is THE opportunity you don’t want to miss.

Still not sure?

Check out our short conference overview and interviews with morning speakers Iain Gray, VP Global Services, Red Hat, and Greg Hopper, Senior Product Manager, Net App on our  You Tube channel.

Check out the agenda, speakers and sponsors pages on this site.

See a sampling of what 2011 attendees had to say:

• “Outstanding exchange of ideas”
• “Really good session.  Wanted to attend more than was possible.”
• “Gave me ideas on how to improve the projects and processes I manage”
• “Great insights on how to innovate, leadership”
• “Good networking”

Details on the registration page.

We have a new group on Twitter.  Our new Twitter handle is @ PDMA_Carolinas.  During the Innovate Carolina 2012 Conference, we’ll be using the hashtag #InnovateCarolinas2012 - Tweet it out!

Innovate Carolina 2011 attendees – discount on 9/22 event in Charlotte

Attention Innovate Carolina attendees!  Check out our upcoming event at Dilworth Neighborhood Grill in Charlotte, NC.  Attend our 9/22/11 chapter meeting at discounted rate of $15 by using priority code:  Innovate2011

We’ll have a panel of “cross-breed” experts who have practiced product development and innovation on both sides of the “products vs. services” fence.

Networking and food starts at 5:30 and the program begins at 6:45pm.

Protected: 2011 Innovate Carolina presentations

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Open Innovation in the News

Wondering if Open Innovation is relevant in today’s business?  You bet!

• Keynote speaker Louis Foreman of Enventys opens a $25 million innovation fund through his firm’s idea submission platform, Edison Nation
• Toyota’s technology transfer contest, Ideas for Good, will open voting on public submissions on April 10 (set up by one of our sponsors, Innocentive)
• UNC Charlotte announced the finalists of its Five Ventures business plan competition to be held on April 14
• Henry Chesbrough, who first coined the phrase Open Innovation, launched a new blog on Forbes about last week