Programming
The recurring flagships anchor the week and drive press regardless of marketing spend.
Signature events
| Event |
Type |
Notes |
| MN Cup Grand Finale |
Pitch competition |
$400K+ prizes; U of MN; opening-day anchor |
| Minnedemo |
Rapid-fire product demos |
Fan-favorite flagship, 11+ years |
| BETA Showcase |
Startup science fair |
500+ guests; also runs in January |
| Innovation Crawl |
Walking tour of innovators |
2025 paired with Naturally MN showcase |
| VC Fireside Chat |
Investor panel |
TriNet-hosted 2023; standalone 2025 |
| Groove Pitch Night |
VC portfolio showcase |
Groove Capital, 2025 |
| Kickoff / Closing Party |
Community social |
Bookends the week |
Recurring tracks
| Track |
Since |
Notes |
| Food | Ag Ideas Week |
2018 |
Cargill, Ecolab, Techstars Farm to Fork |
| BITCon (Blacks in Technology) |
2018 |
3-day co-located conference |
| MANOVA Summit |
2018 |
Health innovation; Mayo Clinic + Walmart backed |
| MEDA Million-Dollar Challenge |
2019 |
Minority entrepreneur pitch |
| Women's Pitch Fest |
2017 |
Women-founder competition |
| Event |
First seen |
Type |
| Sauna Day |
2025 |
Wellness + networking |
| Walk and Talk |
2023 |
Casual networking walk |
| OnlyFounders Bags Tournament |
2023 |
Cornhole + networking |
What works (observed)
- Anchor competition (MN Cup) on opening day sets energy and a press hook
- A single main-stage venue centralizes keynote media
- Free co-working space during the week boosts foot traffic
- Geographic clustering by day reduces travel fatigue
- Structured VC + founder networking scores highest on satisfaction
- A flagship closer (Minnedemo) preserves energy through Friday
Source files
BACKGROUND/sessions/recurring-events.mdBACKGROUND/sessions/all-sessions.csv / all_sessions.json