publisher's note THE AGE OF <strong>INNOVATION</strong> InterBusiness Issues PUBLISHER Jan Wright jan@peoriamagazines.com MANAGING EDITOR Jonathan Wright jwright@peoriamagazines.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Stevie Zvereva szvereva@peoriamagazines.com IT’S A NEW YEAR… and what better time to focus on the topic of innovation? This is the first issue of iBi to incorporate “augmented reality,” and though I was initially skeptical, I have to admit it’s rather interesting to look inside the head of Dr. John Vozenilek, vice president and chief medical officer for simulation at the Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center, as we can with this issue’s cover image. Augmented reality (AR) presents a digital layer of information on top of the “real world” when viewed through the camera of a smartphone. Thus, we can point our phones at “Dr. Voz” and view a three-dimensional video obtained from an MRI scan of his brain. (Turn to page 16 for instructions on viewing AR content.) In addition, two advertisers—Midstate College (page 53) and Pediatric Resource Center (page 71)—opted to incorporate the technology into their print ads. While I’ve seen AR in national magazines, we had never tried it. When OneFire approached us about incorporating AR into this issue, we decided to give it a test run. After all, innovation involves taking a chance—and risking potential failure. “Failure isn’t frowned upon—it’s actually kind of encouraged,” notes Kate Green of Peoria’s innovation team on page 54. “It means you’re out there… trying something different and new and bold.” There are only a handful of examples of AR in this issue, but we hope it helps you envision the possibilities. It’s an experiment—so let us know what you think at info@peoriamagazines.com! Just as new technology (AR) builds on top of the old (print), we see old buildings in Peoria’s Warehouse District repurposed with lightningspeed internet service. Meanwhile, Caterpillar, Jump, the Ag Lab, the College of Medicine, our major hospitals and other organizations are remaking themselves to accommodate this age of innovation. One emerging concept is the “Innovation District,” a dynamic, synergistic environment for collaboration—turn to page 92 for more on that. As we move into the New Year with innovation on our minds, I’ve created my own wish list for 2016: • That our governmental entities—federal, state and local—set aside their differences and find ways to work together; • That new apartments rise from vacant land in Peoria’s Downtown/ Warehouse District; • That developers are allowed to rehab old buildings without red tape and onerous restrictions; • That Caterpillar breaks ground on its new headquarters; and • That we continue to see young entrepreneurs turn their innovative ideas into new businesses. Happy New Year, everyone! CLIENT COORDINATOR Samantha Foster sfoster@peoriamagazines.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Tarryn Silver tsilver@peoriamagazines.com DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Nikki Cole ncole@peoriamagazines.com iBi is published the first week of each month and mailed to businesses throughout central Illinois. For annual subscription, pay online at peoriamagazines.com/subscribe, or send check/money order for $19.95 to: Central Illinois Business Publishers, Inc. 5005 N. Glen Park Place, Peoria, IL 61614 PHONE: 309.683.3060 FAX: 309.693.3546 EMAIL: info@peoriamagazines.com peoriamagazines.com Permission is hereby given to reproduce portions of this material for educational purposes. InterBusiness Issues welcomes unsolicited manuscripts, but assumes no responsibility for their publication. All ad and editorial copy is due by the 5th of the month. The publisher reserves the right to edit or reject any editorial or advertising material. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. Every attempt is made to provide accurate and reliable information herein; however, the publisher is not responsible for any errors, defects or omissions. There are no warranties made, either expressed or implied, regarding this information, and InterBusiness Issues specifically disclaims any warranty of merchantability or warranty of fitness for a particular purpose. InterBusiness Issues will not be liable for any injuries, direct or indirect damages and/or lost profits resulting from this published information. Your use of this published information constitutes your specific agreement to these provisions. Reproduction of any information contained within in whole or part without express written permission is prohibited. Please keep in mind that this Publication is for informational purposes only, and InterBusiness Issues is not rendering accounting, medical, legal, engineering, or other professional services. Please contact an appropriate professional if these services are so required. For article reprints, call (309) 683-3060 or email info@peoriamagazines.com 14 InterBusiness Issues -- January 2016
peoriamagazines.com 15