Just two years ago, Paul McAvinchey, a Cleveland transplant hailing from Ireland, started TechPint as a way for startups to gather over a beer or two in an informal setting. Since then, TechPint events have occurred every few months in both Cleveland and Akron, and McAvinchey has gone big.

On Friday, May 15, TechPint will host its second annual Startup Summit – last year known as the Industry Digital Summit – at the Improv in the Flats for a full day of networking, speakers and, of course, beer. “Last year the purpose of the conference was focused on startups,” explains McAvinchey. “This year we’re doubling down on being an event for founders of companies and inventors.

A national panel of speakers are scheduled, including Tanisha Robinson, founder and CEO of Print Syndicate, and Ted Serbinski, managing director of TechStars Mobility. Featured speaker is Paul Singh, founder of Disruption Corporation. Singh will speak on “The Business of (Tech) Startups: on the intersection of venture capital, tech-enabled companies and the American city.”

New this year is the TechPint Startup Awards, featuring awards in four categories: Most Innovative Startup; Most Beautiful Startup (best design); Best Emerging Startup; and Best Growth Startup. Nominations were made through TechPint’s Facebook page in April. One of the category winners will be awarded the TechPint Startup of the Year award.

Last year, more than 350 people came to the summit from all over the Midwest. McAvinchey expects more than 400 this year, with the first two rounds of tickets already sold out. Additional tickets are still available at $125.

Meanwhile, McAvinchey is planning Industry: The Conference for People who Build, Launch and Scale World Class Products September 11-12. The conference this year focuses on product development, a popular topic at last year’s conference.

“We wanted to build a conference for ourselves because there’s no real event out there like this for product people or people who don’t know they’re product people yet,” says McAvinchey. “It will be big enough to be great, small enough to get to know people there and opportunities for collaboration.”

Industry draws more than 500 innovation and industry leaders from around the country. Registration is already open. The event begins with a pub crawl of Cleveland’s most popular brewer and bars.