Rally celebrates and nurtures the spirit of innovation and the people who make it happen. To serve them, the Rally Team has worked to make it easy for attendees to get the most out of their three days in Indianapolis.
Get ready to express all of your innovative qualities with these 7 ways to help you take full advantage of every opportunity Rally has to offer — to maximize your Rally ROI.
- Set SMART goals
You decided to take three days out of your regularly scheduled life to spend them at Rally. Why? What do you want to accomplish or learn? What risks are you willing to take in order to grow? What are your SMART goals?
Put your thoughts down on paper. Determine which speakers, sessions and conversations will support your goals, and add them to your calendar.
- Download the Rally app
The Rally app gives you everything you need to plan and navigate your Rally experience. View the complete schedule and curate your personalized agenda. Get timely notifications during the event so you don’t miss a thing. Dig into our amazing speaker lineup by browsing bios.
You can also search for and chat with other registered users with the app. Sign up for Braindate knowledge-sharing meet-ups. Personalize your avatar so others at Rally can put a face with a name.
To get the Rally app, go to the App Store, Google Play or wherever you get apps and download the “Attendee Mobile” app. Once prompted, search for “Rally 2023.” Log in with your Rally registration credentials (email address and password). And you’re all set.
- Hit the trails to increase innovation
Recent scientific research has shown links between physical activity and the imagination. Active people tend to come up with more and better ideas during tests of their inventiveness than people who are relatively sedentary.
To be more innovative while you’re in Indy, get moving on the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. Run or walk along 8 miles of trail connecting the 6 cultural districts in downtown Indianapolis. If you prefer, access the Pacers Bikeshare, which offers riders access to more than 500 bikes in Indianapolis with the option to check out and return bicycles at any of the 50 Pacers Bikeshare stations.
Or jump onto the Monon Trail with its close proximity to arts, culture and tourist attractions. The Monon Trail is a rails-to-trails paved path spanning through Central Indiana, connecting to downtown Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.
- Prepare to network effectively
Everyone has reservations about introducing themselves to strangers. But knowing that everyone at Rally is there in part to make connections is one important piece of common ground.
Be prepared to network by anticipating what you’ll talk to other people about. Practice answering the questions: What do you do? Why are you here? How can I help you? And use these simple questions to start and further conversations.
Have an elevator pitch ready, but be human — conversations will be more lasting when you use accessible language. Use a personal story to talk about what you’re passionate about. Be curious about other people’s projects and passions.
- Empower your own creative collisions
You’re likely incredibly proficient in your field, but Rally invites you to get out of your silo. When you learn about a totally new topic, it can spark creative collisions and more innovative ideas.
At Rally, attend sessions outside of your field and listen for gems of wisdom from speakers you’ve never heard from before.
Go on a Braindate. Browse the discussion topics found in the Braindate Market and sign up for a crash course in a subject that sounds interesting to you. Join a small group (45 minutes) or connect one-on-one (30 minutes) to brainstorm, solve challenges and share experiences while meeting new people.
Think of Rally as a chance to declare a minor. Dig into a subject unrelated to your current work but that you’re really curious about.
- Get a taste of Indy’s best
You can’t innovate if you’re hungry. There are so many amazing options for food and drinks in downtown Indianapolis! A great source for finding a destination is Indianapolis Monthly’s “Best of Indy” list.
Very close to the Indiana Convention Center, visit Cafe Patachou, a local Indianapolis staple for breakfast and lunch. Also nearby is Conner’s Kitchen + Bar. There you can find everything to feed you from breakfast to nightcaps.
St. Elmo Steak House has been a landmark in downtown Indianapolis since 1902. If the dining room is full, get a drink at the 1933 Lounge or visit its sister restaurant Harry and Izzy’s practically next door.
- Be Demo Arena savvy
There’s more to the Demo Arena than the most innovative products and services from around the globe. This is where you’ll find the Braindate Lounge, Innovation Studio meetups and Investor 1:1 meetings.
Use the Demo Arena to network through meetups. If one of your Rally goals is to break into a certain sector, go to its meetup. Or expand your professional network at meetups by connecting with people in your field.
The Demo Arena can also be where you make more pointed connections. Use the Rally app to find individuals inside or outside of your industry. Search for people who hold a certain position or express an aligned interest. Start a chat with them in the app and then elevate the conversation in person inside the Demo Arena.
Now it’s time to Rally!
Innovators share common qualities. They constantly explore novel ideas and stay open to new opportunities. They’re prone to take action and exhibit intellectual humility. They’re mentally resilient and willing to reflect on the past to learn from it.
At Rally, we want you to express your innovative qualities like never before. We can’t wait to see you in Indianapolis. Not registered yet? Get registered now.
