Utica business conference will include business pitches and insights on the future of work, and the movies

UTICA, N.Y. — The future of work, employment opportunities in the Mohawk Valley, and the movies will be topics of discussion at the April 6 “Pioneering the Future” event at the Brvenik Center for Business Education at Utica College’s Clark City Center in Utica.

The event will include a business competition with nearly $10,000 in prizes — cash and in-kind. The competition is open to any undergraduate or graduate student attending any institution of higher learning in the region during the current academic year.

Adam Day, a creative director for Helios + Matheson, will offer the keynote address. As the driving force behind MoviePass, created by Netflix’s co-founder Mitch Lowe, Day will talk about how MoviePass is forcing theaters to rethink the movie-going experience. He’ll also discuss his journey from the Mohawk Valley and, according to a news release from Utica College, “why college students can find new and innovative job opportunities regionally and in upstate New York.”

Pioneering the Future will run from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and pre-registration is required. Registration is available by March 28 at http://uticabusiness.com/register-for-ptf2018.

Separate registration to participate in the business plan competition is available at https://uticabusiness.com/mv2018-bp-registration.

Pioneering the Future is supported by the Bank of Utica, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Small Business Development Council, and Mohawk Valley Community College’s thINCubator.

“We wanted to create an event that brought out the best in the Mohawk Valley and the downtown Utica community,” said Brett Orzechowski, assistant professor of management and media at Utica College. “This is truly a collaborative effort between neighboring colleges, downtown restaurants and aspiring entrepreneurs.”

Contact McChesney at cmcchesney@cnybj.com

Photo credit: Utica College