Cedar Rapids, Iowa (KCRG-TV9) -- EntreFEST, one of the largest two-day entrepreneurial conferences in the Midwest begins Thursday.
The Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance and New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative (NewBoCo) have teamed up to bring this event back for another year and after five years it's finally returning to the Cedar Rapids area.
There will be business owners from not only Eastern Iowa but all across the country to share some of their advice on owning and growing their own business.
The Cedar Rapids economic alliance says it's really a great way for people to come out and connect with each other.
They expect over 500 attendees this year with over 60 speakers to share what they've learned with other business owners or even those who are thinking about starting their own business.
We caught up with organizers of the event as they were setting up yesterday.
Jill Wilkins, the events director of NewBoCo says this event helps Cedar Rapids show case all the great businesses they have in town.
"We have a great entrepreneurial community here in Cedar Rapids, we have a lot of great businesses, a lot of strong businesses and when you think about the history of Cedar Rapids, it really is based on a really strong entrepreneurial foundation so you know it's just a great fit," says Jill Wikins, events director of NewBoCo.
The event will feature businesses sharing different products and technologies.
EntreFEST will also be using venues throughout the downtown Cedar Rapids area that they say will give visitors a chance to explore what businesses Cedar Rapids has to offer.
The two day conference kicks off May 17, 2017 at 7:00 a.m. with a number of events happening throughout Thursday and Friday.
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