Thanks to all who attended the 2004 Midwest IDSA Conference! It was an overwhelming success that packed a lot of content into such a small weekend-- and you couldn't beat the weather Chicago decided to give us.

Thanks again to all the sponsors, speakers, product contributors, reception hosts, students, professionals, and of course the conference organizers and IDSA Chicago!! A special note of appreciation to Maria Weber who was the hub of the whole operation and ended up leaving early due to sickness-- hope you feel better!

Keep an eye on this website-- in the next 14 days we will have a conference write up, photographs, and online auctions for the donated products that we were unable to get to during the conference.

Thanks again, and please check back soon!

Today's the day! Bad news for procrastinators: the conference has sold out-- consequently we will not be accepting at-the-door registration. As for the rest of you-- see you there.

Registration for the Pactiv/SolutionPeople pre-conference event closes today at noon, so if you have not already done so-- register as soon as possible.

Pactiv, a sponsor for the conference, has some job openings they would like you to know about. Check it out!

The PDF map & directions for getting to the Friday-night receptions at Radius and Design Within Reach has been updated with better return directions. Check it out along with the latest updates on the schedule page.

New pre-conference event added!

How can you quickly design and develop innovative new products?
Attend the IDSA pre-conference workshop sponsored by Pactiv on Friday, April 16 at The W Hotel in Chicago!

WHEN: Friday, April 16 - 8:00am to 12:00 noon
WHERE: The W Hotel - City Center (Previously announced Lakeshore location was a mistake.)
TUITION: FREE for IDSA Members (courtesy of Pactiv), $199 for non-members
MATERIALS: KnowBrainer innovation tool ($100 value), Resource Kit and
innovation worksheets
REGISTRATION:
- Limited number of free spaces available for IDSA members,
see link to register:
http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=12475
- Non-members register with a credit card by visiting
http://www.solutionpeople.com/training-idsa and using the SolutionStore
- For more info contact: idsa-reg (at) solutionpeople (dot) com, phone (312) 829-2852 or visit http://www.solutionpeople.com/training-idsa

Facilitated by Gerald "Solutionman" Haman Haman is founding partner of SolutionPeople, developer of the
Thinkubator in Chicago, and teaches innovation at Northwestern University. Formerly with Procter & Gamble and Arthur Andersen, he is the award-winning inventor of the KnowBrainer, a tool that has proven to increase creativity by over 500%. Haman gained international acclaim for establishing a world brainstorming record by facilitating 8,000 people in a Thinkathon at the Singapore Stadium to generate 454,000 ideas in less than 60 minutes. He has been profiled in 50 major news publications including FAST Company, the New York Times, Newsweek Japan, The Australian, and Investors Business Daily. Haman holds a Masters Degree in Communications and Training from the University of Minnesota and is a contributing author of the New Product Development Handbook. He has published articles on innovation for the Journal of Innovative Management, Training Today and The Meeting Professional.


SolutionPeople has recently been recognized by Fortune magazine as a "Winning Workplace" finalist and the American Society for Training & Development awarded them a "Learning Excellence Citation" for their training effectiveness. The firm has also been profiled in the "Creating Customer Evangelists" book and recognized for their unique business practices. SolutionPeople's training, tools and techniques have been used by over 100,000 people to generate over 2 million ideas that have produced over 2 billion dollars in value. Every month people from around the world come to the SolutionPeople's Thinkubator in Chicago to experience Accelerated Innovation training.

An initial schedule of speakers and events has been posted on the schedule page. While you're there check out the PDF map & directions for getting to the Friday-night receptions at Radius and Design Within Reach!

1. W Hotel Rooms are going, going...
The blocks of W hotel rooms reserved for Shift attendees expires today, so although our $139/night rate continues, it is no longer guaranteed. Book your rooms now, so you can stay where the action is! Check out the hotel section for more info on this significantly discounted hotel rate!

2. Volunteers!
We're looking for a few volunteers to assist with setup and registration at the Conference. If you're interested in pitching in, please contact Maria Weber: maria.weber at webbscarlett dot com

3. Special thanks to all of the Midwest Conference sponsors.
Interested in becoming a sponsor? It's not too late! Contact Zach Kaplan for more information: zkaplan at inventables dot com