TechPint founder Paul McAvinchey always envisioned that his organization’s regular mini tech conferences could become something larger. When the last event drew more than 400 attendees to talk tech over a beer, McAvinchey knew it was time to go big.

On Friday, September 5, the first Industry Digital Summit will kick off at Hotcards. “The Industry Digital Summit is a national conference -- not just Cleveland-centric -- but a national conference with a focus on the Rust Belt,” McAvinchey says. “We want to show that there is a community in the region.”

The event brings some of the biggest names in technology to Cleveland: Ian Sigalow, co-founder and partner at GreycroftVC; Bob Moesta, president and CEO of the Re-Wired Group; and Stephanie Spear, founder and CEO of EcoWatch, to cite a few of the 15 speakers scheduled.

There will be a startup demo pitch, with 20 companies signed up, and workshops throughout the day. It’s all capped off with a pig roast and happy hour before the Hotcards space evolves into a “massive party that will go on until late,” says McAvinchey.

McAvinchey envisions the Industry Digital Summit as an event that could turn into something like South by Southwest or Big Omaha. “There’s nothing like that around here,” he says. “I think it’s important for the region and to have it in Cleveland is just super. We want to make Cleveland the center of digital innovation in the region.”

The conference costs $199, but Fresh Water readers can receive a $50 discount by using the code FRESHWATER upon registration before August 22.