A state cut might affect networking events for technology start-ups. The Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) eliminated its networking fund, which provided financial help for networking events in different industry groups, some of which went to technology-related events.

The Technology Association of Iowa (TAI) used the networking fund to pay for events such as its Pitch & Grow and some of its Women in Innovation sessions. Some events, such as the organization’s TechBrews, were already receiving private funding. Others face being scaled back or eliminated, said Leann Jacobson, president of the TAI.

“Hopefully we’ll have corporate sponsors step in in some instances,” said Jacobson, adding that she understood the tough choices IDED Director Debi Durham had to make in cutting funding to programs. “We really did benefit from it with a lot of our members. We were able to do things we would not have been able to do without it, absolutely.”

Many technology-related events, such as Startup Drinks hosted by Geoff Wood, have already transitioned to private funding, said Christian Renaud, founder of StartupCity Des Moines and board member for the TAI. On the other hand, the Iowa Venture Capital & Entrepreneur Conference, which was hosted by the IDED, lost funding and is being taken over by the TAI, which is looking to fold elements of it into other existing events.

IDED Marketing and Communications Director Tina Hoffman said that the fund was cut due to the IDED having less funding available in its innovation and commercialization division, which has cut funding from $6.9 million in fiscal year 2008 to $2.15 million this year. The networking fund received $150,000 last year.

“Essentially what we did was determine what are the programs that best help accomplish the governor’s goals of supporting innovators and entrepreneurs, to take their ideas and commercialize those, and also to build the skilled work force with that STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education initiative,” Hoffman said.