WHIN 2019 Annual Meeting

Thursday, 12 September 2019

On September 12th regional stakeholders, partners, and friends of the Wabash Heartland Innovation Network gathered in the auditorium at Ivy Tech- Lafayette Campus to engage in the 2019 Annual Meeting. They came to hear about all that happened this past year at WHIN, and the morning's events contained just that.

CEO Johnny Park gave his State of the Region Address about the region as it stands today, but also what he expects to happen in the future. Gary Henriott, chairman of the board of directors, gave a forecast from his perspective; he brought energy and excitement to the entire auditorium around what the future holds for the WHIN region. WHIN Champions embody a person who is adopting and driving technology use and advancement in their industry, and WHIN is proud to have recognized 12 exemplary people as WHIN Champions. The Regional Cultivation Fund awarded grants to its first 8 recipients, all 8 projects were represented and a key member of each project gave a 2 minute update. Over the past several months team members have been conducting the 2019 Placemaking Survey to determine the needs and desires of the region when it comes to quality of life in their area, the results for that survey were delivered that morning.

All our key partners and team members gave updates on their projects and areas of work. Ivy Tech gave an update, as well as Purdue University. Ag and Manufacturing alliance, Ag and Manufacturing council, and the overall Regional Cultivation Fund were highlighted and reported on. The audience engagement was the most well-received part of the day. The WHIN team posted questions on the front screen, like which county are you representing, why are you attending today's event, and what word represents WHIN to you. We asked the last question at the beginning of the day and again at the end; it was incredible to see the progression of what everyone believed WHIN to be. See the audience results below.

The main event concluded and all attendees had networking time to connect with each other and the partners. All technology and industry partners, along with Purdue and Ivy Tech, set up booths in a tradeshow style so that attendees could better understand exactly what kind of technology WHIN is launching into the region. The networking lunch allowed idea exchange and collaborative conversation to round out the event.

It was a special day of celebration and we can't wait to present on the progress from our next year!