Innovation Week goes mostly virtual
Earlier this year, the organizers of Stamford Innovation Week briefly considered calling off their event for 2020 due to COVID-19. But then they realized that the crisis made their showcase for innovation, technology and entrepreneurship more needed than ever.
Innovation Week is moving ahead with a mostly virtual third edition. More than 100 sessions, programs and panels will run from Sunday through Sept. 27. In its digital format, the series still aims to connect a diverse group of participants, including executives, entrepreneurs, public officials and students, and help them navigate the disruption caused by the pandemic.
“The point was made — and eventually it became our consensus — of how could we not do it? We have small businesses, entrepreneurs, even big companies who rely on this annual festival to come together,” said Jon Winkel, founder of Innovation Week and executive director of the Stamford Partnership, the event’s organizer. “It was clear we had to do something.”
The agenda will feature programming on best practices in mentorship and leadership on Monday organized by the University of Connecticut’s Peter J. Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation; a virtual conference on innovation and technology on Thursday and Friday; and a group of initiatives focused on startups from a Sept. 25 to Sept. 27.
Keynote speakers at the innovation-and-technology conference include U.S. Rep. Jim Himes; John Emra, president of AT&T New England; and Kevin Segalla, founder and CEO of free-toplay video games publisher Tilting Point.
Other Innovation Week speakers include the head of strategic planning at Twitch, the head of transformation at Morgan Stanley, the chief revenue officer of Techstars and the Werth Institute’s director.
“Having the lead time was really nice. We’re six months on with the pandemic. People are used to attending virtual events,” Winkel said. “We’ve had plenty of time to pivot.”
A drive-in mixed-media festival scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 25 at Stamford Town Center mall will be Innovation Week’s sole in-person event this year.
Tickets purchased in advance are required for admission.
“Stamford Town Center is thrilled to host this innovative drive-through experience with Stamford Innovation Week,” said Dan Stolzenbach, general manager of the town center. “In the midst of the pandemic, we feel it’s so important to bring people together — in a safe and responsible manner of course — to retain a sense of community and well-being. This interactive and sensory-stimulating event will give attendees an experience upon which they will reminisce for years to come.”
A total of nearly 5,000 people attended the eightday 2019 Innovation Week, up 63 percent from the inaugural Innovation Week held in 2018. That turnout helped Innovation Week win
“Event of the Year” at the 2020 Connecticut Entrepreneur Awards.
“It obviously is not going to be the (attendance) numbers of last year — that’s just not possible in the pandemic world,” Winkel said. “But we’re still expecting over 1,000 in total attendance. … And actually it’s been easier to recruit better speakers in this format.”
For information on Stamford Innovation Week, visit siweek.org.