GVSU crowdfunding conference comes to Muskegon

Crowdfunding business opportunities through sites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo and GoFundMe are becoming more common for upstart companies, but crowdfunding needs to be done right to be effective and not violate government regulations.

The Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC) and Michigan Small Business Development Center (MI-SBDC) at Grand Valley are hosting the second annual crowdfunding conference to help answer questions about how to best start and run a campaign.

Crowdfunding 2015 Conference 

September 23, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

MAREC, 200 Viridian Drive, Muskegon

The conference will teach participants about the elements that are required to build a high-quality local investment market, how to tell when the time is right to start a campaign, and how businesses and nonprofits can connect with investors.

A panel discussion will focus on the pros and cons of crowdfunding, and detail what happened in campaigns run by Newaygo Brewery and Rhino Media as case studies.

Other topics will focus on crowdfunding for investment and crowdfunding by donation, how to promote a campaign through social media and managing online funding sources. 

The conference will conclude with a panel question and answer session.

The conference is sponsored by MAREC, Small Business Development Center Michigan, Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley, and West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum.

Conference registration is open and is $50, which includes lunch. 

For more information and to register, visit gvsu.edu/marec