FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2009

Contact: Bob Zider, VMEC Director/CEO
Tel: 802.728-1432

Kick-off Event for Vermont & Nationwide Innovation Initiative a Big Success

Randolph Center, VT - The Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC) and Eureka! Ranch held a special kick-off workshop event in Colchester, Vermont, on Tuesday evening, February 17, 2009. The first-in-the-nation Planet Eureka! Merwyn Business Translation Workshop was led by Doug Hall, Founder and CEO of Eureka! Ranch International and VMEC's Patricia Giavara and Lisa Henderson, Certified Growth Coaches, trained by Eureka! Ranch. Eureka! Ranch is considered "America's #1 idea and scientific growth team." The event was considered a huge success by local manufacturers, innovators from area colleges and universities, local inventors, partner organizations, State leaders, and legislators who were among the 75 that attended. Members from the Vermont Technology Council, a strong supporter of this important new initiative, were also present. LT Governor Brian Dubie provided opening remarks.

The 4-hour, hands-on Planet Eureka! Merwyn Business Translation Workshop teaches participants how to create an Innovation Marketplace listing that includes a simple description of their innovation that a buyer can understand quickly and a "Merwyn Business Simulation" report that scientifically quantifies potential annual sales forecasts and royalty revenues. "The Merwyn Business Translation Workshop is a crystal ball - it channels the passion for invention and innovation into a model that provides the inventor a no BS assessment of their chances for market success," according to Dan Kiniry, Marketing Manager for Rhino Foods. The evening workshop resulted in 50 translated innovations and began the process of populating the new web-based Vermont and USA National Innovation Marketplaces scheduled to "go live" in April 2009.

The Innovation Marketplaces are uniquely designed to accelerate connections and communications between Sellers and Buyers of innovations through two-way publishing of Sellers' offerings and Buyers' needs using standardized research reports and formats. The USA National Innovation Marketplace is a groundbreaking service being supported by the US Department of Commerce Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), of which VMEC is an affiliate.

Vermont is one of just four states that will have its own "State" Marketplace, the Vermont Innovation Marketplace, a sub-set of the USA National Innovation Marketplace, enabling local innovators and manufacturers and investors to quickly make Vermont connections and commercialize innovations within the state. Mike Robinson, V.P. of Sales and Marketing for MicroStrain in Williston said, "It is exciting to be one of the first Vermont companies to participate in the Vermont Innovation Marketplace. This is a great opportunity for Vermont businesses to showcase their technologies and products to potential customers and investors."

To learn more about and to register for a Merwyn Business Translation Workshop or a Vermont and USA National Innovation Marketplace Webinar, contact Patricia Giavara at VMEC at pgiavara@vmec.org or call (802) 279-6103 or visit www.vmec.org.