Part 1: An Insider’s Tour of the First Floor of the Innevation Center
Welcome to the Innevation Center! In this 4-part blog post, you’ll get an insider’s tour of the University of Nevada, Reno Innevation Center – Powered by Switch. This is Part 1 where we’ll visit the first floor of the Reno Innevation Center. In Part 2, we’ll go up the stairs to visit the coworking space and meet the second floor companies that call the Reno Innevation Center home. In Part 3 we’ll explore the top floor of the Innevation Center and chat with the companies that use the Innevation Center on the daily. Finally, in Part 4, we’ll head down to the basement to visit what is arguably the most exciting part of the building, the Makerspace!
Welcome to the Innevation Center
Located in the heart of midtown and across from the Discovery Museum, it’s easy to forget that the Innevation Center is actually a part of the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). On the corner of Liberty and Sinclair Street, the Reno Innevation Center has lots of free onsite and street side parking, a gem when traveling in downtown Reno nowadays. Heading towards the front door, a full wall of windows faces outwards with the Innevation Center logo large and proud while the Nevada “N” sits discretely on the brick facade to the left.
Through the Front Door
Walking in the front door, a sign with the day’s events greets you with an arrow pointing left to visit the front desk for more information, or to the right for bathrooms. Members, however, all but ignore the sign and beep their keycards at the stairwell to head up to the coworking space or down to the Makerspace. If the front door is unlocked, the front desk is staffed, and UNR students who work part-time at the Innevation Center greet visitors all day long. Whether a visitor is coming in for a scheduled meeting, a passerby is interested in getting a tour, or someone is ready to sign up for a membership, the front desk staff can take care of you or readily direct you to someone who can.
The front desk of the Innevation Center (thanks Lexi and Isis!). 
Entry hall of the Innevation Center.
The Concept Cafe Event Space
To the right of the front desk is Concept Café, the Innevation Center’s primary and biggest event space holding a maximum of 50-75 people depending on the style of the event. With furniture on rolly-wheels and room wide audio system, Concept Café is a great professional spot for mid-sized events. Also as an added perk, Innevation Center members can host one event in Concept Café per quarter as a part of their monthly membership.
First Floor Conference Rooms
Walking around to the left of the front desk is shipping and receiving as well as the coveted vending machines. Just two more steps and you’ll find the desks of both the Assistant Director and Director of the Innevation Center readily accessible. Continuing down the walkway are windows on the left and two fixed desk spots behind cubicles on the right before walking straight into the Innevation Center’s tech-free conference room named Venture Lounge. Seating 6 around a white conference table with 2 large white boards in the back, Venture Lounge is great for people focused meetings.
Staff open offices. 
Venture Lounge conference room.
Rounding the corner a small phone room will be found on the left and at the end of the walkway lies the small AV capable spot named Ideation Conference Room. Seating 8 comfortably, Ideation Conference Room has windows on two sides and a TV screen that a laptop can wireless project to. It’s the perfect spot for small presentations.
Hallway to phone room and Ideation conferece room. 
Ideation conference room on first floor.
Stepping back out of Ideation and going through the door on the left leads right back into Concept Café, the event space showing that the first floor is my personal favorite floor plan, a big loop.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this walk-through of the first floor of the Innevation Center! If you didn’t already know, I am the Assistant Director there and if you have any questions whatsoever about accessing or visiting the space, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me! I’m available on LinkedIn or Twitter or you can email me directly at crystalh@unr.edu. Or, as you saw, you can visit me at my desk on the first floor of the Innevation Center! If you’d like to continue seeing my blogs on innovation, business development, and our community, subscribe to my blog on the right. Thanks for reading!
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