Georgia Southern University’s Business Innovation Group (BIG), in partnership with the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority and The Creative Coast, hosted its inaugural BIG Expo for Entrepreneurship & Innovation on Tuesday, September 19th from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Expo took place at “The Alley,” located at 58 E. Main Street in downtown Statesboro, Georgia.
Georgia Southern’s BIG recently invited local area entrepreneurs, business owners, investors, alumni, and friends to join the festivities at no cost.
The event provided a platform for networking, exchanging ideas, and learning from subject matter experts. The primarily outdoor event included a showcase of diverse business ideas, fast-pitch sessions from local entrepreneurs and students, and the opportunity to learn what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur by connecting with like-minded professionals.
Attendees heard from resource providers, learned new tools to drive business revenue, and gained inspiration from individuals who have already succeeded in business.
The BIG Expo was educational for those who sought to turn their dreams into reality by launching a new business or side hustle. The BIG Idea Accelerator was hosted by The Creative Coast and ran from 6 to 8 p.m.
"We are excited about the BIG Expo because it is our inaugural event here in Statesboro," Catherine Blake, Hinesville Business Incubator Manager said at the start of the event. "We plan on bringing this event to other locations such as Hinesville and Metter. We've had 80 people show up for our event so far, and we anticipate more as the evening unfolds; as several people are inviting their guests and clients. We are looking forward to having a great time learning from each other and exploring new ideas in business."
ABOUT BUSINESS INNOVATION GROUP
The Business Innovation Group (BIG) at Georgia Southern University works to build an ecosystem throughout the State of Georgia to help entrepreneurs create, incubate and accelerate their for-profit business enterprises. BIG works to facilitate access to university resources, to create opportunities for student experiential learning, and to foster an environment that supports a growth mindset throughout the state.
As a unit of the Office of Research at Georgia Southern, BIG is committed to developing and deploying new technological platforms, innovative programs, quality services and educational events to help meet the needs of area businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators seeking to expand business operations and/or launch new business enterprises, products and services. For more information visit https://research.georgiasouthern.edu/big/.
