Have a great startup you want to introduce people to? Want to show off the cool new office? Interested in recruiting new talent in a relaxed setting over a beer or two?
Then Denver Startup Crawl might be the event for you.
The Startup Crawl is back and looking for startups to be hosts. The concept is pretty simple—startups around Denver throw open their doors for a few hours as fellow entrepreneurs, technophiles, or anyone else drops in to take a look and learn more about Denver’s startups.
The event is intended to be a showcase of all the startups in and around Denver and to help build a close-knit community where people are “able to recognize one another when they’re walking down the street,” said Nicole Reyla, who is an event organizer.
The crawl will take place in the late afternoon and early evening of Sept. 18, which is a Wednesday. Last year it was one of Denver Startup Week’s biggest events, and interest remains high, Reyla said.
As anyone who’s ever been on a bar crawl knows, the quality of the stops along the way has a lot to do with how much fun you’ll have. That’s why organizers are looking for more startups to play host. Companies have until Friday to get their names on the list for consideration. To do so, they need to fill out this form.
The startup crawl is intended to be a fun event, but it doubles as a networking and recruiting opportunity.
“This is the opportunity for people to check out other companies, see their offices, find out what their culture is like, and meet the teams and leadership at each organization. It also creates a great opportunity for anyone interested in working for a startup and companies who are looking for talent to connect and find out what might be a right fit,” Relyea said.
There are no hard-and-fast rules on what startups have to do as part of the event, Relyea said, aside from being welcoming. Companies are encouraged to offer food, drinks, and maybe something that’s distinctive or a unique draw to their offices, she said.
For practical reasons, the startups with offices in downtown Denver are likely to be the major stops, but the organizers want to include as many types of companies as possible.
“We’re also looking at solutions for smaller companies, companies from Boulder, and those in spaces like Galvanize to make sure that they have a chance to be represented and meet people, even if they don’t have a space to invite people to,” Relyea said.
