We’ll open the doors at 4 p.m., though the event starts at 4:30. If you want the best parking space – more on that in a moment – arrive earlier rather than later. However, we do hope you’ll arrive a few minutes before 4:30 to check-in so you won’t miss a thing. We’ll introduce our inventions of the year and our innovator of the year shortly after 4:30 and then we’ll be eating and drinking and merrily chatting with friends and new friends.

Print this parking pass and you can find parking for the event in these lots:
The usual UF Innovate | The Hub lot immediately east of the building (entrance on SW 7th Terrace). Print this parking pass, place it on your dashboard, and you won't be limited to the visitors' spaces.
2. The lot located immediately behind UF Innovate | The Hub (entrance on SW 3rd Avenue).
3. The lots on the blocks immediately south of our building and Midpoint Eatery, accessible from SW 7th Terrace and SW 4th Avenue.
4. The lots opposite our building and Midpoint Eatery, accessible from SW 7th Terrace and SW 4th Avenue.
5. All lots offer handicapped parking spaces. If you arrive and find you need assistance getting to the building, please call or text Sara Dagen at (352) 215-4039.
6. Look for "event parking" signs that will indicate additional spaces.
Limited metered parking and city parking is available on the roads bordering UF Innovate | The Hub.

No, please. We expect a full house – or full yard – with the number of invited guests we anticipate joining us for the event. For that reason, this is an invitation-only event. If our event is only accessible to you with the help of someone, then, yes, reach out to Sara Dagen at saradagen@ufl.edu. We don’t want you to miss the event.

We’ll open the doors at 4 p.m., though the event starts at 4:30. If you want the best parking space – more on that in a moment – arrive earlier rather than later. However, we do hope you’ll arrive a few minutes before 4:30 to check-in so you won’t miss a thing. We’ll introduce our inventions of the year and our innovator of the year shortly after 4:30 and then we’ll be eating and drinking and merrily chatting with friends and new friends.

Clothes, please. And comfortable shoes. I suspect most people will be arriving from work, so your work clothes are likely fine. Many guests will stand during most of the event, although we will have some seating. We will be inside and outside for much of the event, walking on patio concrete or tile floors. We want you to be comfortable – maybe not pajamas and slippers comfy – and prepared for heat or cold or humidity. Whichever variable Florida weather provides that afternoon and evening.

We will follow UF’s standards for the event. If you feel more comfortable wearing a mask, please feel free to do so. The event will take place both inside and outside UF Innovate | The Hub, with beverages and food stations both inside and outside. We will try to keep the formal presentation portion of the event succinct so you won’t have to linger indoors if being in a large group concerns you.

If you park behind the building, it might be easier to enter through the back door. You can! We'll be there to greet you. If you enter at the front of the building, we'll be there to greet you as well.

Well, yes. We’d like you to print your name on a nametag when you enter the building for the event. If your name is difficult to comprehend when spoken – especially when spoken through a mask – then having a printed version to show us at check-in would be helpful. We will be taking attendance based on RSVPs.

We will have adult beverages at the event, and if you don't look like my grandmother or her father, you might be asked for proof of age when you check-in. Otherwise, no ID is necessary.

Yes, of course! We’re presenting awards shortly after 4:30. You’ll want to be there to learn about the inventions and innovators receiving honors. Plus, the more time, the merrier you!

Ah! We were hoping to keep something a surprise for you, but here’s the lowdown:

1. Check-in, get a nametag, get a beverage, maybe an appetizer.
2. Find a place to stand near the stage. (We will have some chairs available. Otherwise, choose your spot to stand.)
3. Listen and watch the program honoring six inventions of the year and one innovator of the year. Be ready to applaud (without spilling your beverage, if possible).
4. Enjoy our international menu – stations around the building, inside and out, plus servers walking around with trays. Visit our beverage stations.
5. Network with colleagues and make new friends. (And say thank you to our sponsor, Wolf Greenfield, intellectual property attorneys.)

No, actually. We've included innovators who have disclosed, licensed or optioned technologies in FY22, some investors who have attended our first Fast Break Ventures Summit earlier in the day, and members of the startups in our two business incubators. Inviting that many people to the stage would be prohibitive. We will honor a selected Innovator of the Year and six Inventions of the Year, but the bulk of the event is intended for enjoying refreshments and each other in a lovely space.

Pretty much, but you’ll select what and how much you’ll eat. We’ll have hearty appetizers from all over the world – a variety that will include some vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options for those with dietary restrictions. We'll have a variety of beer and wine and non-alcoholic beverages as well.

You should receive an email reminder prior to the event meant to remind you of the event and any last-minute instructions. You can save this web address to check back for information as well – such as updates on weather or Covid that affect our event.