Location: Casper Events Center - Casper, WY
Cost: $100 - Early Bird Special - before August 1, $125 - August 2 - September 26, $150 - at the door

The 2007 WyoSpace.com IDEA EXPO is a one-stop-shop for Wyoming small businesses and entrepreneurs to learn more about the many programs sponsored by the Wyoming Business Council. The EXPO is designed to provide assistance in such areas as market research, patents and trademarks, manufacturing methods, grants and other federal government small business assistance programs. In past years, each component of the WBC economic development outreach held its own state-wide conference. The 2007 IDEA EXPO consolidates these conferences into an intensive and comprehensive and single event.

Sessions begin on Thursday morning, also at the Events Center, will follow several broad subjects such as marketing, finance, business management and international business, and focus individually on innovation in each of the major subject areas, as well as offering information on services available through Wyoming Business Council and its partners. Business people from entrepreneurs looking to get a start to CEOs of large companies will find value in the sessions and the show floor, which will feature a new concept in trade shows.

The “trade show” portion of the Idea Expo will be a working trade show. Meaning, you should come to the show floor expecting to accomplish something for your company.

Visit www.wyomingideaexpo.com for more information.

At the request of several Members of Congress concerned about the fate of America’s small manufacturers, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has published a detailed summary of all Federal programs that provide support to small manufacturers. The survey results are quite interesting. Overall, GAO identified 254 Federal programs that provide support to the business sector. Within this group, twenty programs provide support to manufacturers, and five are targeted especially to small firms. While GAO could not obtain data on spending in all twenty of these programs, its analysts estimate that Washington spent a total of roughly $35 million (over three years) to support anywhere from 8,000 to 9,000 small manufacturing firms per year. Very few of the Federal programs provide direct financial assistance; most focus on providing technical support and other types of assistance. At first glance, it may appear that, with only five targeted programs, small manufacturers have very few options for Federal support. However, as GAO notes, small manufacturers are more likely to obtain support from general business support initiatives as opposed to programs that are targeted only to their specific niche.

Access the May 2007 Government Accountability Office report, Information on Federal Programs and Interagency Efforts that Support Small Businesses Engaged in Manufacturing (GAO 07-714).

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8.0 DoD Phase ii sbir conference- 8/20/07

At the 2007 National SBIR Phase II Conference, hundreds of Phase II companies ready to transition will meet with hundreds of end users to discuss commercialization and create partnerships.

Escalating needs for diverse warfighter capabilities require government funded R&D projects to be quickly transitioned into the field. Recent legislation* supports this effort and encourages government leaders to look to SBIR technologies. The Beyond Phase II Conference offers a cost effective way for industry/government decision makers to interact with hundreds of small businesses with advanced stages of technologies poised for action. The mission…transition!

Date:
Monday, August 20, 2007 to Thursday, August 23, 2007

Web Site:
http://www.dodsbir.com/conference

Conference Address:
Hyatt Regency Crystal City
2799 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, Virginia

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