Event Details for the 5th Annual RAIN Makers Conference
Date: October 22-24, 2008
Location: Holiday Inn Downtown -
Who can attend: The RAIN Makers Conference is only open to RAIN fund members, as well as angel investors who are interested in learning more about the RAIN funds or forming a fund.
Click here to register
Conference Overview
REAL Companies.
REAL Deals.
REAL Investment Commitments.
This year’s conference is taking a new turn – this will be a highly interactive, engaging format where the conference attendees look at actual deals and go through the entire process from due diligence to valuation & terms to syndication. We will spend time learning about best practices and get access to tools and templates to assist in the process along the way. Then the group will be divided into groups to look at four hand-picked companies to assess the potential for investment. At the end of this conference, we may even see groups working together on an actual deal.
Planning for the 5th Annual RAIN Makers Conference is well underway! We continue to move around to reach our growing number of RAIN® Fund constituents. This year, we will move to late October and are venturing outside
In
The main goal of this conference is to bring together the RAIN fund members, their guests and those interested in forming or joining a RAIN Fund to discuss best practices and trends for angel investing and even more specifically the issues they face as a RAIN Fund group. The RAIN Source Capital team is there to present to the team and provide updates as well as to get feedback and suggestions from the members.
This conference continues to grow each year as do the RAIN Funds around the country. There are now 23 RAIN Funds in 6 states. You will learn from the insightful panel discussions, pointed keynote speakers as well as from your peers. We will provide plenty of networking time and opportunities to hear from the hottest portfolio companies – selected by each RAIN Group to present at the conference.
Click here to register
DRAFT Event Agenda - Detailed
***Note: This agenda may be altered slightly throughout the planning process.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
All day- RAIN Makers Guests are welcome to attend Innovation Expo at the Convention Center
2:00 p.m.: RAIN Makers Guest Check-in opens in Hotel Lobby – Guests may also pick up a badge for the Innovation Expo Cocktail Reception
4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.: Innovation Expo Conference Cocktail Reception
Thursday, October 23, 2008
North Hallway 7:30 a.m.: Registration Desk opens
International West 8:00-9:00 a.m. Networking Breakfast in Showcase Hall
International East 9:00-10:00 a.m. Angel and VC Investing Trends
This session will kick off the conference with an overview on the landscape of the Angel and Venture Capital Industry and trends in the past year.
· Steve Mercil, President & CEO, RAIN Source Capital and Representative, National Venture Capital Association
International East 10:00-10:45 a.m. RAIN Syndication Best Practices
This general session topic will focus on how we can work together as groups – sharing deals and co-investing. This is an important component of this conference because ultimately some of the groups may end up co-investing in one of the actual deals that come out of this conference on day 2.
· Steve Mercil, President & CEO, RAIN Source Capital
· Possible co-teacher: TBA
International West 10:45-11:00 a.m. Refreshment Break in Showcase Hall
International East 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Four Showcase Company Presentations
Four companies will be selected to present after research and recommendation by RAIN Fund Groups. Each company will present for 20 minutes in preparation for actual due diligence and deal negotiation activity throughout the conference.
· Companies will be selected by August 1 and details will be shared with attendees in advance.
Starlite Ballroom 12:30-1:30 p.m. Networking lunch
· Ruvelson Fellowship Announcements:
International East 1:30-2:00 p.m. Due Diligence Best Practices
This session will discuss the important process of Due Diligence and the risk of potential investment. This brief overview will show some of the best practices on researching marketing intelligence, “feet on the street”, and provide templates and tools for your group breakouts and to use going forward with your RAIN Fund groups.
· RAIN Staff
· Possible Co-teacher: TBA
Breakout Rooms 2:00-3:15 p.m. Four Group Breakouts: Meeting of Due Diligence Teams with Four Showcase Companies
This is a working sessions where the groups will walk through a Due Diligence process and analyze the deal they are looking at.
Ambassador Room: Steve Mercil & RAIN Fund Group Leader
Embassy I Room: Peter Birkeland & RAIN Fund Group Leader
Embassy II Room: Joan Wurzer & RAIN Fund Group Leader
Embassy III Room: Brian Johnson & RAIN Fund Group Leader
International West 3:15-3:30 p.m. Refreshment Break in Showcase Hall
International East 3:30-4:00 p.m. Valuation and Terms Best Practices
Valuation is often called an art, not a science. This session will help get the group comfortable with valuing the companies they are screening. We will discuss negotiating value as it relates to terms. This is an area where angels often struggle. We will focus on key valuation methods to use with the deals your group is looking at to make it consistent from deal to deal.
· RAIN Staff
· Possible Co-teacher: TBA
Breakout Rooms 4:00-5:30 p.m. Four Group Breakouts: Meeting with Companies - Valuation and Terms
In this working session, the groups will work together using the tools provided to look at the valuation of the deal they are screening.
Ambassador Room: Steve Mercil & RAIN Fund Group Leader
Embassy I Room: Peter Birkeland & RAIN Fund Group Leader
Embassy II Room: Joan Wurzer & RAIN Fund Group Leader
Embassy III Room: Brian Johnson & RAIN Fund Group Leader
Break 5:30-6:30 p.m.
International West 6:30-8:30 p.m. Reception, RAIN Source Capital 10th Anniversary Celebration in Showcase Hall
The reception will be a celebration of RAIN Source Capital’s 10th Anniversary and a time to network with fellow RAIN Fund members. We will have live music, fun food and drink stations and a special tribute to all of the important people involved in RAIN Source’s growth over the years. Over 50 companies have been provided funding by Minnesota Investment Network/RAIN Source Capital over the years!
8:30 p.m. More Networking
Friday, October 24, 2008
International East/West 8:00-9:00 a.m. Breakfast and RAIN member meeting (members ONLY)
The members-only meeting will be an open discussion for RAIN Fund members – sharing new strategies for success and to discuss the issues that are important to the groups.
Breakout Rooms 9:00-10:00 a.m. Four Group Breakouts: Complete Due Diligence Terms and Write Recommendation
In this final group session, the groups will prepare their presentations for the large group where they will present their recommendations on terms and conditions for the company they have been looking at. This session will be facilitated by a RAIN Source staff member and the appointed RAIN Member leader.
Ambassador Room: Steve Mercil & RAIN Fund Group Leader
Embassy I Room: Peter Birkeland & RAIN Fund Group Leader
Embassy II Room: Joan Wurzer & RAIN Fund Group Leader
Embassy III Room: Brian Johnson & RAIN Fund Group Leader
International West