Looking for a great experience at a tech conference in the Midwest? Need a chance to pitch your brilliant business idea but not sure where to do it? Want to gain advice from entrepreneurs from all over the country? Ready to learn from more than 15 different workshops on social media, business basics, and other interesting topics to help you excel? Then you should attend The Combine, taking place right here in Bloomington, October 20-22.

Tickets can get pretty pricey when trying to attend any sort of tech event. The Combine understands and wants to help you get the most of out the Midwest tech scene. If you haven’t purchased your ticket yet, don’t worry you can still buy one at the regular registration price of $225. If you wait until after October 16th, tickets increase to $250. Worried that might break the bank? Have no fear, you can volunteer and get a discounted ticket.

For just three to four hours of your time volunteers will receive The Combine tee shirt and discounted admission. If you’d like to attend the whole event your ticket will cost just $40 or a one day pass for just $20. Don’t forget if you attend or volunteer on Friday, you’ll also receive a $10 lunch voucher.

If this is the solution for you, go a head and sign up using our volunteer form. Once you have submitted your form we’ll send you a discount code for you to register. By registering for the conference you’ll get confirmation on which slot you have been scheduled to work. The last thing you’ll need to do is to set your calendar for the volunteer meeting on October 12th, 6:30 pm in The McClosky Room at City Hall (401 N. Morton a few blocks NW of the downtown square). We’ll have pizza and all the info you’ll need to make your volunteer session successful. If you can’t make the meeting, make sure to check online for important information.

Still have questions? Don’t hesitate to ask! Submit any questions to volunteers@thecombine.org

  |    |    |  

There are countless people in our world that don’t get recognized nearly enough for all of their hard work and achievements. Here at SproutBox, we’re fortunate to work with two outstanding individuals whose dedication to their profession has garnered official recognition. SproutBox’s own Brad Wisler and Mike Trotzke will be among a select group of individuals who will be honored tomorrow at the first hYPe (Helping Young Professionals Excel) 10 Under 40 Awards Ceremony for their accomplishments both inside and out of the workplace.

Brad and Trotzke will be honored tomorrow at the “MTV Music Awards” themed ceremony, which will be held at IU’s Henke Hall of Champions. This is the inaugural year for both the Chamber’s hYPe program and the 10 Under 40 Awards, and they are off to successful beginnings. The award’s applicant pool reached 50 nominations, and SproutBox was lucky enough to grab two of the awards.

It’s fulfilling to see two of our founders recognized for all they have accomplished in their time here in Bloomington. They have experienced both the good and the bad. They have witnessed failure and success. Through all of this they have been able to mentor others and help lead them down the path to making their dreams into reality.

Not only have both Brad and Trotzke impacted the local tech community through their work, they have also gone out of their way to play a role in the greater Bloomington and even Indy community. Both have served on several boards and organizations including Indianapolis TechPoint, Bloomington City Council, and the Bloomington Tech Partnership, just to name a few. They’ve presented to many different classes or university student groups about entrepreneurship and were also involved with The Combine.

All around, Brad and Trotzke are outstanding guys. I’m not saying that because I am sucking up (I definitely don’t need to do that–just ask them!), but I honestly believe it. I don’t know many people who can say they’d rely on their bosses for anything. I know that if I ever need anything, I can call one of them up and they’d be ready to help as soon as possible (as long as they answered their phones…it’s hard getting a hold of such important people). They are the type of people who throw everything they have into something and won’t quit until they get exactly what they set out for, a desirable quality that few people possess. Brad and Trotzke are role models that I have been lucky enough to know on both a professional and social level.

I speak for all of SproutBox when I say how delighted I am that they will be honored tomorrow night. They are both very deserving of this award and should be proud of all they have accomplished.

Congrats Brad and Trotzke!

  |    |    |  

We are excited to announce that SproutBox is a sponsor of the upcoming midVenturesLAUNCH. The two-day conference will bring in over one thousand people and companies to Chicago to explore the future of web 2.0 technology. This is a great push for a startup revolution in the Midwest. If you attended The Combine and enjoyed your experience, this event should be on your calendar.

midVentures is a web 2.0 venture consulting firm that helps corporations, investors and entrepreneurs turn concepts into working business models. The midVenturesLAUNCH conference will bring together over 1,000 VCs, entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts from 28 states and four countries to network, share ideas and launch products.

LAUNCH

Twenty-five teams will launch their new products for a packed house of industry professionals with three minutes of stage time. We are excited to announce that MyJibe will be there to present their product for the first time. Mike Langellier and Brand Dewitt will be there to launch and demo the site.

Speakers, Panels and Workshops

There are over 60 speakers and panelists, including the founders of Groupon, Reddit, Mint.com, ChaCha, OpenTable, Feedburner, crowdSPRING and OKCupid. Attend one of 12 workshops at the Sync Tech Center with topics ranging from social media to greentech, legal development to customer acquisition.

Topics include:

From Concept to Product: How Incubators Help Seed-Stage Startups

How to Acquire Customers, Raise Funds and Make an Exit

The Three Stages to Not Being Silicon Valley

COMPETE

Thirty-five hand-picked startups in the COMPETE track will present in front of an expert panel of judges. The top five teams will have a chance to present their product on stage Sept. 28.  Over 75 companies will demo on the conference floor to network with VCs, entrepreneurs and potential customers.

This is definitely a conference you do not want to miss and we’re excited to be a part of it. We believe that the Midwest is the place to be for startups. We showed you at The Combine. Now get to Chicago for midVenturesLAUNCH Monday and Tuesday to check this out for yourself.

  |    |    |