The 2013 Kansas Regional Independent Inventors Conference, co-sponsored by Wichita State University’s Center for Innovation and Enterprise Engagement (CIEE) and the U.S. Patent and Trade Office (USPTO), will be held April 18-20 at the National Center for Aviation Training facility, 4004 N. Webb Road in Wichita.
The event is open to the public. For more information go to http://www.wichita.edu/j/?2095, call 316-978-6487 or email kimberly.moore@wichita.edu.
Cost is $90. Space is limited, so register early at http://www.wichita.edu/j/?2094.
A pre-conference workshop the evening of April 18 will provide attendees with an overview and prepare them to get the most out of the conference. Over the next two days, attendees will have the opportunity to hear inspiring and informative presentations from experts in the field of entrepreneurship and marketing.
Guest speakers include Marcia Stevens, regional director of WSU Kansas Small Business Development Center; Wayne Bell, district director of the U.S. Small Business Administration; and A.J. Anderson, director of the Wichita District Office for the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Keynoting the event will be Bruce Kisliuk, USPTO deputy commissioner for patent administration.
Experts from the USPTO will also address the process of applying for a patent or trademark and provide insight on the many initiatives and programs to assist applicants available through the USPTO.
A sampling of the presentations offered at the conference includes workshops on advanced claim drafting and how to conduct a search of trademarks. Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet in brief one-on-one sessions with USPTO staff and intellectual property professionals to discuss specific intellectual property concerns.
The 2013 Kansas Regional Independent Inventors Conference provides an opportunity for individuals to network with other like minds about the inventor process. In this down economy, more and more people are taking an idea for a nifty invention they’ve been kicking around in their head and trying to develop it.
The conference is an opportunity for area entrepreneurs to learn not only about patents and intellectual property, but also the examination process and how patents provide legal protection (through claims). Attendees will learn about the incentives a patent offers, as well as how to leverage it for investment and licensing potential. Experts will be on hand to share information about the many various programs offered by government agencies.