REDWOOD FALLS - The Minnesota Inventor’s Congress is taking its annual Congress to the Twin Cities area in 2014, ending a 56-year run in its home community of Redwood Falls.
MIC Program Director Deb Hess said in announcing the move today that the decision has been a difficult one, but necessary. Inventors have been urging a move to an urban venue to increase the exposure they can receive.
It’s expected that an event in the Twin Cities will attract a larger crowd. Importantly, it makes the show more accessible to people from a greater array of businesses and other resources important for inventors.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development awarded the Inventor’s Congress a two-year grant that is helping make the move possible, said Hess.
She said the MIC is currently negotiating with a prospective partner in the Twin Cities. It has not yet selected a site or place for the show, but is expecting to host it in the spring.
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The Inventor’s Congress moved its traditional date for the show to April last year, but a late season-blizzard reduced attendance. The show in Redwood Falls has typically attracted 2,000 to 2,500 during the weekend.
The MIC will maintain its year around office and operations in Redwood Falls. Hess said the office has contacts with over 2,000 inventors a year.
