Partnering Forums

AUTM Partnering Meeting Request for Proposals

Partnering Forums – Seeking Topics

Are you interested in helping to host a partnering forum? The Partnering Forum Planning Committee is seeking proposals. See more information below or download the Word version here. When you're ready, submit your proposal to AUTM. We're anxiously awaiting your ideas send them in soon!
 
AUTM is seeking proposals to host an Industry Partnering Forum meeting. Universities or a collaborative group of organizations interested in co- hosting an event are encouraged to apply.
 
Industry Partnering Forum meetings provide technology transfer professionals from industry and universities a unique opportunity to network in a particular technology sector and explore opportunities to form collaborations in areas such as intellectual property licensing, research, and other areas to
collaborate. The meetings are intended to be small, with approximately 100-200 in a virtual event, to foster more robust networking opportunities.
 
The format includes presentations from industry partners highlighting a focused technological area of interest and how to best work with their company; one or more short panel sessions dealing with technology transfer topics relevant to the technology sector; and plenty of opportunities for one-on-one partnering. A sample agenda is provided below.
 
The RFP process is open to both universities and companies, or applications from multiple organizations that plan to co-host an event. Proposals will be reviewed by the committee and a decision will be made within 60 days of submission.
 

Hosting Requirements:

The hosting organization will be required to provide the following support and logistics:
  • Convene a working committee of 3-8 members.
    • Committee members should be active in the technology sector and have numerous contacts with companies and universities in the sector.
    • Committee members ideally should be from industry and academia.
    • Required to attend regularly scheduled conference calls.
    • Actively promote event registration
  • Work with the AUTM staff to secure sponsorship for the meeting
    • Current goals are $1,500 in sponsorship per sponsor with a minimum of $7,500 per event.
  • Secure panelists for discussions
  • Secure industry participation for networking tables

Timeline for Meeting Development:

The following is a recommended timeline for completion of various tasks in setting up a Virtual Industry Partnering Forum event. The timeline is shortened and can be more flexible with a virtual event.
  • Six months out: When possible, submit your proposal to AUTM 6 months in advance for a virtual meeting.
  • Six to three months out:  identify panelists and industry participants.  Build the event platform.
  • Twelve to eight weeks out: Promotion of the event begins. Registration is open.

Proposal Requirements:

Written proposals should include the following:
  • Organization name
  • Submitter’s name and contact information of person who will act as the point of contact
  • Technology focus
    • Explanation of why your university/organization is uniquely positioned to host this event.
  • Potential dates for the forum
    • Consult with AUTM on calendar of events
  • List of potential companies to participate
    • A minimum of two companies must already have demonstrated commitment to attending, before selection of dates will be confirmed.
    • Names of companies to be invited
  • List of potential university attendees to the forum
    • Describe your plan for reaching out to potential university attendees
    • Names of universities to be invited
  • List of potential sponsors for the forum

Submission Deadlines – Rolling Submissions

These quarterly deadlines are guidelines. Please submit your proposal as soon as possible to allow the maximum amount of planning time for your event.
  • January 15, 2023
  • April 15, 2023
  • July 15, 2023
  • October 15, 2023

Suggestions

Below are some suggestions for things to consider as you prepare your proposal.  In the past, these have helped make certain events stronger, but they are not required.
 
  • Pre-proposal stage: Well before the proposal deadline, talk with several potential attendees of the forum you are considering, particularly industry contacts.  Ask them if this kind of event would interest them, if they would attend a stand-alone event or a virtual event and other questions that may direct you to the appropriate model, timing, and location for a forum in your targeted industry. You may also be able to turn these conversations into letters of support, committee member leads and/or sponsorship leads.
  • Co-hosting.  Is there another institution that could co-host the event with you? This would help share the workload, and automatically increases your initial network of contacts.
  • Co-location.  Is there an already existing event specific to your industry that attracts industry and/or university people to a given location?  If so, you can explore co-locating the partnering event to leverage that potential nucleus of attendees.
  • Leverage AUTM Meetings.  The AUTM Annual Meeting and the regional meetings offer great opportunities to interact with industry and university contacts that understand the AUTM mission, and partnering meetings are built into the format. You can leverage these meetings for pre- proposal research or recruiting sponsors, attendees, speakers, etc.

Selection Criteria:

Successful Partnering Forum Meetings have attendees from both universities and companies that have a strong presence in the technology sector upon which the meeting is focused. Thus, marketing of the meeting to inform the value and entice attendance from both a diverse number and type of companies and universities is a key activity in hosting a meeting. Ideal proposals will have multiple contacts within industry and academia in the technology sector to contact regarding attendance. Such contacts would form the basis of not only potential attendee lists, but also committee members and sponsors. Strong proposals in the past included letters of support from interested industry partners, preferably with commitments of attendance and an industry representative on the committee.

Host Perks:

For hosting an AUTM Partnering Meeting, the host organization will receive the following benefits:
  • Four complimentary registrations
    • Additional attendees from the host university/organization will receive a discounted
    • $50 registration fees
  • Host organization will emcee the event and will have the opportunity to make opening remarks.
  • Worldwide marketing exposure
  • Host logo will appear on all marketing materials and AUTM website.
 
AUTM Obligations:
AUTM will provide:
  • Overall coordination and program development (with Planning Committee)
  • Marketing for the event
  • Registration services
  • Collateral development
  • Payment of all invoices
  • Set up and provide access to AUTMConnectTM Partnering Software for all attendees.
  • Onsite staff assistance at in -person events
  • Full staff support during virtual events.
    • Secure and set up virtual platform
    • Speaker management
    • Chat management
    • Virtual networking management

Sample Agenda

The agenda for virtual events can be flexible. We can accommodate full day events, half-day or content over several days. Partnering can also extend over 1-2 weeks as appropriate.
 

View Sample Program

A sample agenda from the 2023 Annual Meeting's Partnering Forum is available online.