Are you located within a short distance of Silicon Valley or New York?

Most startups aren’t – and that is why the Everywhere Else conference is so valuable.

The first EverywhereElse tech conference, a conference for American innovators from across the nation — except Silicon Valley and New York — aims to cater to markets that are often overlooked; specifically startups in America’s Heartland. From February 9-12th, in Memphis, TN the first annual conference will host over 1,500 entrepreneurs, startup founders, investors, designers, and developers.

Over 130 startups from around the world will be exhibiting in the Startup Village with 3 chances to win a part of $100,000. The conference also includes a hackathon on Saturday as well as award winning speakers throughout the conference.

“Everywhere Else is a term that was coined by nibletz.com the voice of startups “everywhere else”, along with hundreds of other startups and entrepreneurs who are geographically located outside of Silicon Valley. We encourage growth in startups across the entire country, however we found that for startups that are located outside Silicon Valley and to a similar extent, New York City, it way more challenging to develop, grow and begin gaining traction. It’s also a lot harder to raise capital and in some areas, find talent,” according to Everywhereelse.co.

What Startups Should Anticipate at the Everywhere Else Conference

So what should entrepreneurs look forward to at the 2013 Everywhere Else Conference? Here are three things to anticipate at this year’s event:

1. Access to talent, resources, and investors.

There will be an influx of talent heading to this year’s conference, including investors. “It’s a valuable opportunity to ask tons of questions, meet lots of new people, discover cool new startups, and learn as much as you possibly can,” Michael Walsh, founder of Cariloop, a resource and information source for geriatric healthcare and service providers, said.

But the benefits go beyond lessons learned. “[A majority of] resources and investors tend to be most accessible to startups on the coasts. It’s great to have this conference as a provider of the most coveted resources and connections that startups need to grow,” Danielle Inez, founder of diPR Consulting Group, a small business consulting firm, explained.

“We can’t ignore the fact that over 400 investors have registered to attend this conference, with the intention of connecting with promising startup founders who are located outside the Valley.”

2. An opportunity to gain information and expand your network.

This year’s conference is about energy and innovation that is happening in startup communities outside of Silicon Valley. As entrepreneur Michael Walsh said, “The energy in each breakout session, the enthusiasm and passion for new concepts – it all fills you with this sense of camaraderie that we’re all in this together and a confidence that no matter what gets thrown at you, you are going to deliver something that changes the world.”

If you plan to attend this year’s event or startup conferences in general it is important that you really listen to what everyone is saying and doing. Also, don’t hesitate to join in on the social activities happening around the event as well.

When speaking with Walsh, he noted that the knowledge that’s gained from others in the industry is critical to a startups success, but that it might not necessarily show up on an income statement. You have to be okay with that and see the value in what you are gaining.

Rohit Bhargava, CEO of Influential Marketing Group, advises entrepreneurs to “be approachable and invite more connections – make sure that you are mentally present. Your focus is essential to getting the most out of these relationships.”

3. A first-hand look at “Startup Village.”

Personally, one of the items I am most excited about is Startup Village — a showcase of over 100 startups from around the country. You’ll get to see them in a variety of stages and learn from each startup.

It is also a great place for startups to practice their elevator pitches. Brit Fitzpatrick, founder of Mentordot.me explains, “Startup Village is a great opportunity for startups to increase brand awareness and to generate interest from investors. The video and pitch contests are cool ways for startups to win cash prizes.”

Founder, Danielle Inez agrees. “Promote yourself. If you’re going to be at Startup Village, don’t be shy about getting conference attendees to come visit you. Perhaps you can offer an incentive that fits your brand,” she recommended.

I look forward to seeing everyone there, whether it’s on Beale Street (where the social events are taking place) or at Startup Village. To learn more about the conference, visit EverywhereElse.co.

Connect with Everywhere Else on Twitter.

Natalie Stezovsky is the Vice President for Digital Talent Agents, a company that helps experts build their businesses through thought leadership and content marketing. She’s directly involved in developing agency partnerships and when she’s not doing that, she’s usually found at the barn with her horses. Connect with her on Twitter @nstezovsky or LinkedIn.

© YFS Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Copying prohibited. All material is protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this material is prohibited. Sharing of this material under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International terms, listed here, is permitted.