September 3, 2004

Purdue to create jobs through Lilly Endowment Connections Fair

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Company representatives and entrepreneurs can make a one-stop shopping trip at Purdue University for interns, start-up support, networking and information on small-business plan competitions.

The Lilly Endowment Opportunity for Indiana Connections Fair will offer those opportunities from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 7 and 8 a.m. to noon on Oct. 8 in Purdue's Stewart Center. The free fair, which includes continental breakfast and lunch, will feature workshops on creating new businesses through regional business plan competitions, creating new jobs through the Interns for Indiana program and finding capital for business startups. Purdue and company representatives will set up informational booths, and an interview-style networking session also will be offered.

The deadline for companies and business leaders to register for the fair is Oct. 1. Registrations are accepted online. For questions about registration, contact conference coordinator Kathy Walters at (765) 494-2758, kw@purdue.edu.

Don Gentry, special assistant to the provost, said he expects at least 200 company representatives, student interns and economic development officials to take advantage of the fair.

"This is an opportunity for companies and those who aspire to launch their own businesses to take advantage of a wide array of resources at Purdue University," Gentry said. "Whether they need logistical support setting up a new company or could benefit from the services of an intern or two, Purdue wants to lend its full support to these businesses. The fair also provides a novel forum for networking."

Gentry will deliver a kick-off speech at 9:30 a.m. in Stewart Center's Fowler Hall. The workshops will begin at 10:15 a.m. in Stewart Center, Room 218. Purdue President Martin C. Jischke will address fair participants at an 11:45 a.m. luncheon in the East and West Faculty Lounges of the Purdue Memorial Union.

More workshops and networking will follow the luncheon. The day will conclude with a question-and-answer session in Stewart Center, Room 306, in which Purdue staff will discuss the networking sessions to be offered the next day.

Gentry said the ultimate goal of the Connections Fair is to create quality jobs in Indiana to stem the "brain drain."

"The second day networking sessions will enable community leaders, students and economic development professionals to create contacts for new economic opportunities and desirable, high-tech jobs." Gentry said. "We want to foster more partnerships among startup companies, business development leaders, venture capitalists and Purdue."

The Connections Fair is funded through a $3.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. The purpose of the grant is to help Indiana retain more university graduates and increase the growth of high-tech startup companies.

Writer: Marydell Forbes, (765) 496-7704, mforbes@purdue.edu

Source: Don K. Gentry, (765) 494-9095, dkgentry@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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