In a changing sector, a business accelerator symposium will be held Wednesday to help aerospace and defense small companies find a new direction to grow.

There will be topic specialists who will discuss multiple topics, which will include sales, marketing and business acceleration strategies, said Dan Nienhauser, a principle at Impact Business Accelerators, which will host the event.

And while the event is specifically targeted at small defense companies, Nienhauser said these skills can easily be applied to other companies as well.

Itll touch on many areas, he said. It will touch on how small companies can attract new business and how to attack the challenges they will be facing.

The event will also host a panel of innovation experts, as well as an open question and answer section. It will cover organizational, operational and strategic challenges that impede growth, expansion and success.

With the cuts to defense spending, many are small companies that will face significant program cuts in 2013, Nienhauser said.

But those cuts dont have to be the end for these companies, Nienhauser said. Instead, they can find new ways to adapt and expand in a changing business environment.

The experts include a representative from Continuum Advanced Systems, a Boston industrial design firm, Dr. Chell Roberts, College of Innovation and Technology executive dean, and a design manager from ECCO, a New York product innovation firm.

Its about finding different ways to use technologies in other opportunities, Neinhauser said.

Continuum has experience in translating technologies across different sectors, Neinhauser said. By taking a medical bladder and putting it in a shoe, the company created whats now known as the Reebok Pump.

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Aerospace, defense symposium comes to Mesa, ASU Wednesday