Launchpad back after two years

After a two-year hiatus, the area’s foremost tech celebration will return with a purpose. Now hosted by Connect Northwest, the seventh Launchpad event will be held from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Oct. 5.

The free event — dubbed Launchpad 7.0 — will be held at the Spokane Convention Center.

Originated in 2001 as a networking party for area high tech-related businesses, Launchpad became so popular that each event drew hundreds of attendees. Its creation stands as one of the major successes of INTEC, an economic development group that has since closed its doors.

As INTEC shut down and spun off the Connect Northwest group, Launchpad went into hiatus.

“This year’s theme is a celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit in the Spokane region over the past few years,” said Bill Kalivas, CEO of Connect Northwest. The event will have food, a no-host bar and one new feature, said Kalivas: the annual Catalyst Awards.

The awards, taken over by the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce after the demise of Technet last year, honor regional technology companies.

That ceremony will be held from 4-5 p.m.

Another hour of Launchpad will be devoted to a forum featuring eight business leaders. Among those taking part are Rob Brewster of ConoverBond Development; Jeff Severs, CEO of ISR, Inc.; and John Stone, one of several backers of the Institute for Systems Medicine, a Spokane-based research effort targeting new medical industry jobs.

Registration for the event is encouraged, said Kalivas, to help scale the services needed. For registration or more information visit www.connectnw.org.