Happy Birthday! In the blink of an eye, Distillery Labs is one year old. And to celebrate, they threw a heck of a party on Thursday. Food trucks outside and a pop-up restaurant inside; a band and a DJ; games, prizes and fun. The Distillery Labs team organized a really awesome day to share this great resource with the community. (It didn’t hurt that Thursday was the first day in nearly a month where there didn’t seem to be a “heat index.”) I saw so many familiar faces. But even better, I saw lots of complete strangers and assumed some of them were experiencing Distillery Labs for the first time. I’ve said this many times before, but thank you to everyone who made Distillery Labs happen. Whether you supported its building, ongoing operations, special programming, or supported GPEDC as it worked alongside so many others to make the plan become a reality, my sincere gratitude.
AgTech Connect: The next AgTech Connect event is August 18 from 10 – 11:30 am at Beck’s Hybrids in El Paso. Agriculture remains one of the major industries within the region and part of Central Illinois’ long history as a leader of corn and soybean production. Innovation has always been at the heart of farming – inventing and experimenting with new tools, equipment, and products is what allows farmers to continue growing their operations. This state-of-the-art seed processing facility provides a great illustration of business innovation. The event is planned to connect entrepreneurs with resources in our community to support their business development. We hope you can join us for this valuable networking event. Please RSVP here by August 16.
Thank you, Ameren: Big thanks to Ameren Illinois for agreeing to be the “Book Sponsor” for this year’s Big Table. A central theme of this round of the Big Table conversation is Innovation as a Regional Growth Strategy, and our keynote speaker (sponsored by the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce) is Victor Hwang, the founder of Right to Start. Victor will share his game plan for communities embracing startups. Ameren’s sponsorship will ensure that Big Table attendees receive a copy of Victor’s book, The Rainforest.
Big Table Registration: Speaking of the Big Table Greater Peoria, we’d love you to reserve your seat. The event will be held October 17–18 at the Four Points Sheraton Peoria. Join us for two days of bold conversations, fresh ideas, and regional collaboration. Register here today to attend or serve as a table facilitator and help shape the future of Greater Peoria.
Have a great weekend.
Chris