MyEntre.Net invites you to participate in the second installment of our 2009 Summer Webinar Series next Thursday, July 9th, at noon on www.myentre.net.  Our topic will be "From Twitter Dumb to Twitter Dee - The basics on social media marketing" presented by Nathan T. Wright, founder of LavaRow.com.

Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogging, RSS… Small business owners can easily be overwhelmed by the world of social media.  Which ones do I use?  How do I evaluate their effectiveness?  How do I leverage them when my day is already crammed with too much to do?

Nathan Wright, founder of LavaRow.com, will help you get past the hype and identify which social media options make the most sense for your business.  He’ll share tips on getting started and how to really make your business grow with various social media strategies. 

The weekend of July 31st, get together with local developers, marketers, designers, and aspiring entrepreneurs to pitch ideas, form teams and actually launch new business ventures over the weekend. Sound intense? It is!  

By Sunday evening you’ll leave with a full stomach, little to no sleep, a lot of great networking, and you’ll have seen the rise of a new startup or two.

To sign up or learn more about Startup Weekend Des Moines, visit http://dsm.startupweekend.com.

Who:
Business and Technology Leaders from across Iowa

What:
The TAI / Corporate Contracts Celebrity CxOpen is an opportunity for business and technology leaders to gather for an exciting day of golf, networking and business development in the serene setting of the Legacy Golf Club.

This year's honorary celebrities include industry CxOs who will participate in a panel discussion over the lunch hour:

Lane Arthur, Pioneer Hi-Bred
Eric Engelmann, Geonetric
Dan Gretaman, Nationwide
Tom Gretaman, Wells Fargo
Rick Hindman, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Mike Matthes, City of Des Moines
Brian Naaden, Iowa Telecom
Randy Remington, Bankers Trust Company
Denis Roy, Wellmark
Gary Scholten, Principal Financial Group

When:
Friday, September 18, 2009

11 am  |  Registration and Outdoor Barbeque Lunch
12 pm  |  CxO Panel Discussion: Current Trends, Challenges and Opportunities
1:15 pm  |  Shotgun (Scramble Format)

An awards presentation will follow the afternoon round of golf!

Where:
Legacy Golf Club, Norwalk

Benefits:
Networking in a social environment
Prizes and golf gear
Awards and contests
Drinks, food and greens fees included

Cost:

$500 for TAI Members  |  $600 for Non-Members

Additional Details:
Sponsorship Opportunities
Information on the Legacy Golf Club
Map and Directions

Event details:

• Location: Prairie Meadows Convention Center, 1 Prairie Meadows Drive in Altoona, Iowa
• 5:00 - 6:00: VIP Reception with Live Entertainment
• 6:00 - 7:00: Dinner and Keynote Presentation
• 7:00 - 8:00: Awards Presentation

This event raises awareness of career opportunities for women in the areas of science, technology and innovation.  The evening is dedicated to enlightening the general public of the extraordinarily talented female leaders we have in Iowa today and plant the seeds for others to follow.

Nominations will be open to women in the technology, science and engineering communities, in business or academia, and employed in Iowa.  Each nominee must meet the basic definition of the award category for which she is nominated.  In addition to meeting the specified guidelines, the following criteria will be considered in evaluating nominees:

• Has created a culture of innovation
• Demonstrates leadership
• Has positively impacted her school, business, community, the state of Iowa or beyond through her innovation, creativity, problem-solving ability and leadership

The nomination period for the 2009 Iowa Women of Innovation event will be open from August 17 through September 28. 

Individuals can self-nominate and/or submit multiple nominations for the following award categories:

• Research Innovation and Leadership
• Academic Innovation and Leadership (Secondary)
• Academic Innovation and Leadership (Post-Secondary)
• Entrepreneurial Innovation and Leadership
• Large Company/Government Agency Innovation and Leadership
• Small Business Innovation and Leadership
• Collegian Innovation and Leadership (winner will receive $2,500 scholarship)
• Youth Innovation and Leadership (winner will receive $2,500 scholarship)

The conference will feature prominent national experts from the public and private sectors, as well as multiple tracks for best practices, vendor products and services, conservation, R&D, best-in-class collaborations, etc.