EntreCon is coming for you — and your ideas


  • July 19, 2015
  • /   Mike Ensley
  • /   entrecon
 

If you’re in or around Pensacola, hopefully you’ve heard of Pensacon, the annual gathering of fans of science fiction, fantasy, comic books, gaming and all other things nerdy that takes place in downtown Pensacola.

I say hopefully because I founded Pensacon.

I had an idea, took stock of the potential for that idea to work in Pensacola and then went out and found the financial partner to make Pensacon a reality.

Three years later, it’s a success, not only in terms of attendance (22,000 earlier this year), but also in its economic impact on our community.

Pensacon takes year-round planning and strategy, an understanding of logistics and the ability to problem solve. It’s also a great deal of fun and very rewarding when it all comes together.

I didn’t realize it until very recently, but I am an entrepreneur.

As part of a new partnership with the University of West Florida, Quint and Rishy Studer and the university are creating the Center for Entrepreneurship. Designed to help drive business in the community, the center will start teaching the notion of entrepreneurship from elementary school onward through college and beyond.

It will empower startups, help growing businesses and foster a sense of giving back to the community.

To kick things off, Quint wanted to do something unique for the entrepreneurs in the community. He wanted to create an event that would bring in world-class business leaders to speak and offer their advice.

But he wanted it to be different. Not stuffy and staid; informative, but fun.

From this, EntreCon was born – melding the fun and excitement of Pensacon with the learning opportunities of a business conference.

Because of my experience, Quint asked me to be a part of planning this event, along with my colleagues Rachael Gillette, director of professional development for the Studer Community Institute and Mark Anderson, executive director of the Greater Pensacola Entrepreneur Fund, as well as the College of Business at UWF.

EntreCon is coming faster than a speeding bullet to downtown Pensacola on Nov. 5-6 of this year and it will be more powerful than a locomotive in changing Pensacola’s business landscape.

There will be an array of learning opportunities at EntreCon and while the fate of the mankind may not hang in the balance, the chance for daring entrepreneurs to make their mark on the world will.

First, as with a traditional “con,” there will be guests – speakers and panelists – who are true superheroes when it comes to building businesses.

Among those coming to offer their expertise will be big names, including keynote Speaker Eric Schurenberg. Schurenberg is the president and editor-in-chief of Inc. magazine. He is the former editor of CBS MoneyWatch.com and BNET.com and managing editor of Money Magazine.

And he’s just the beginning. There are more big names coming to offer insight from all backgrounds and stages of their careers. The life cycle of the entrepreneur is what EntreCon is all about.

When most people think of a conference of this type, they think of the first stage in the cycle – startups. All entrepreneurs start with an idea. Nurturing and developing those ideas is the focus of the first track of programming.

EntreCon’s startup track will offer practical advice (as well as out-of-the-box thinking) from those who have been there/done that. It also will give those just getting started a chance to bounce ideas off their peers.

On track two, EntreCon will offer chances for those further along in the cycle strategies and resources to help answer the question of what’s next for a business that is up and running.

How can they continue to grow? Should they expand now or wait? These are the types of questions the panels and speakers will address.

The final track of programming will address those who can see the end of the cycle. Should they retire? Re-invest? And what is the legacy of a great entrepreneur – not only financially, but also in terms giving back to the community?

EntreCon also is going to be about celebrating entrepreneurship in our community. We’re planning a very special dinner to honor several longtime members of the business community. People whose success, business practices and legacy speak to the strong sense of success in Pensacola’s past, present and future.

And did I mention fun? It’s definitely going to be fun.

Frankly, I really want to tell you all of the amazing ideas we’re cooking up, but some things (and guests) are better left for a later time.

But trust me when I say you’re going to want to be there.

It’s going to be super.

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