Seminar Schedule

Seminar Description

Secrets to Maximizing Your Marketing ROI: Aligning Sales and Marketing

Are your sales and marketing teams working together or are they at war with each other? In today’s tough economy, business can’t afford to expend resources, time or money pursuing opportunities that will not result in revenue. Shrinking budgets, lengthening sales cycles and marketing programs that don’t work are frustrating your sales teams more than ever before. Aligning these organizations can offer you the greatest opportunity to yield better quality leads from your marketing efforts, shorten the sales cycle, close more business and reduce marketing costs. Good working partnerships between these organizations serve as the foundation for profitable revenue growth.

What you’ll learn:

• How to use the customer buying process as the cornerstone of your marketing programs and to align the teams

• Having the teams collaborate on defining customer profiles and marketing tools needed to close more business

• Develop engagement programs to nurture prospects that are not yet ripe for sales

• How aligning the teams will result in a more consistent branding image

• Identify quantifiable measurements for each program to gauge their success or failure

• Measure and monitor the effectiveness of all Marketing activities to maximizes sales and minimize costs.

Speaker Info

Seminar Details

Seminar Description

Mobile Marketing: Get Into Your Customer’s Pocket …

Mobile Marketing: Discover the next marketing technology frontier with more than 4.1 billion mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide.

Our lifestyles leave many of us overbooked and short on time. Our time away from our desks and computers is continuing to grow leaving people more dependent than ever on their mobile phones for information and a way to stay in touch. Grab the attention of your target market while they are on the go! A recent marketing study indicates that more than 64% of mobile phones users have internet access with over 74% of them having unlimited plans and 88% having unlimited text plans. Within the next 10 years mobile phone applications will be as popular as websites are today. It is estimated that by 2020 there will be over 10 million mobile applications in the market place. With that being said, now is the time to initiate your mobile campaign as this technology can be the most cost effective and efficient ways for businesses to market, promote and sell their goods and services to a mobile audience.

This seminar will teach you valuable tips and traits on how to stay in touch with time starved customers as they depend more and more on their mobile devices.

Seminar Highlights:

Speaker Info

Jon Paul Rondeau, President & CEO, New Wave Industries

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: Mobile Marketing: Get Into Your Customer’s Pocket …
• Location: Marketing & Advertising I – Room #1
• Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Seminar Description

Optimizing Your Marketing Initiatives: SEO for Inbound Marketing

As people increasingly turn to the internet to help them find the products and services they need, it is becoming vitally important that a company’s website doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. To remain competitive in today’s internet-driven world, marketers must find ways to level the internet marketing playing field through search engine optimization -– and in a much more cost efficient way.
In this session, attendees will learn how to quickly and easily tackle SEO from an inbound marketing perspective to optimize their content and get found online. This presentation will discuss how businesses can successfully practice and use SEO techniques in internet marketing programs (e.g. blogging, social media, etc.) to increase their organic visibility in search engines.

Attendees will learn:

Speaker Info

Marta Kagan, Director of Brand & Buzz, HubSpot

Marta Kagan is a strategic, versatile marketing executive with 10+ years experience using digital, mobile, and social technology to build brands and drive customer acquisition, loyalty, and revenue, for both early-stage startups and global consumer brands.
In 2008, Marta published the first installment of the internationally-renowned What the F**k is Social Media? series, proclaimed "a social media hit for its wit and its very convincing case for the raw power of social media” by Mashable and earning it the title of 4th most favorited presentation of all-time. The original deck and its two sequels have since earned millions of views, been translated into a dozen languages, and spawned hundreds of copycats.
Marta has held leadership positions both agency-side and client-side, working with notable consumer brands such as eBay, Estee Lauder, and Fidelity Investments. Her expertise spans strategic account planning, social media, viral marketing, branded content, promotions, mobile marketing, brand strategy, and public relations.
She finds it very odd to write about herself in the third person.
LinkedIn profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/martakagan
Email: mzkagan99 [at] gmail [dot] com

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: Optimizing Your Marketing Initiatives: SEO for Inbound Marketing
• Location: Marketing & Advertising I – Room #1
• Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Seminar Description

Marketing, Advertising & PR on a Tight Budget

Moderator Info

Myles Bristowe, CMO, CommCreative

Myles is the Immediate Past President of the American Marketing Association and has held executive leadership positions in six digital marketing companies over the past 18 years. He has brought five of those companies through a successful acquisition, three of which Myles had founded. The recent acquisition of VividContext by CommCreative is where Myles currently serves as the Chief Marketing Officer. Myles is the author of, "What Executives Need to Know About Social Networking", is currently ranked #4 on Social Media Marketing Magazine's list of, "The World's Top CMOs to Follow on Twitter" and has been selected as the 2011 AMA Outstanding Volunteer Of The Year. Myles resides in Mansfield, MA with his good-looking wife and three smarter-than-him children.
www.commcreative.com
@mylesbristowe

Panelist Info

David Cutler, President, Creative Business Development

David Cutler is an "integrated marketing,” advertising, and sales advisor for companies of all sizes that want to discover better ways to take advantage of new opportunities with the Internet, mobile marketing, and live events. His focus is always on innovative yet attainable solutions to solve marketing problems and grow sales. David’s specialty is discovering the most relevant benefits of the Web and harnessing "creative technology” for more effective communications and customer engagement. He can share unique insights because of his experiences with Business Development across a wide range of Media - Print, TV, Events, Internet, Mobile, and Social Media. As an entrepreneur he is aware of the issues and opportunities of the startup environment that need to be part of every company these days. David has also been covering the evolution of media and the Internet for the last decade at www.EatMedia.com

Panelist Info

Jeff Cutler, Content Creator & Social Media Journalist

Jeff Cutler is a social media journalist with 21 years experience in traditional and new media. He is also the Social Media Trainer for the Society of Professional Journalists nationwide. Jeff harnesses the power of social media in his job as a journalist and content creator. He also advises clients on the best way to reach their audiences through the use of various media and content.

His video program - NomX3.com - connects restaurants and related consumer goods companies with an online audience; and the show is proof of concept that social media marketing can bring buzz and exposure to organizations, brands and products.

Jeff is a published author; has written for WBUR (NPR Boston), the Boston Globe, AutomotiveRhythms.com, New York Post, Gatehouse Media, MobileMag.com, Technology Review, and other publications. You can find Jeff at jeffcutler.com.

Panelist Info

Todd Van Hoosear, Principal, Fresh Ground, Inc.

Todd is a professional communicator and technologist with more than 15 years of experience in marketing and technology. As a Fellow with the Society for New Communications Research, Todd is conducting primary and secondary research into social media and Web 2.0 adoption among companies and organizations. As a member of the Social Media Club’s board of directors, Todd is shaping the organization’s ability to help people be responsible and informed citizens in the new media world. Todd has focused on the intersection of technology and communications throughout his career, combining a strong technology background with his agency and corporate marketing experience to help companies focus their messaging and reach their target audiences.

Seminar Description

Zero to $5 Million in 5 Years: Learn Internet Marketing Techniques to Help Your Business Grow!

Speaker Info

Mike Cooch, CEO, Kutenda

Michael Cooch is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Everon Technology Services LLC, bringing nearly a decade of experience as a successful entrepreneur in technology and business services. Michael founded Everon in 2003 with the objective to deliver a dramatically higher level of service to the small and medium sized business marketplace. In his current role as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Michael manages the strategic vision, development and growth of the business, and is a recognized expert in business technology needs and solutions. He has provided the vision and leadership from the Company’s inception, to its current recognized status as a leading provider of IT services to small and medium sized businesses nationwide and a two-time member of the Inc Magazine List of the 5000 Fastest Growing Businesses in America.

Michael is also the founder of Kutenda, LLC, a suite of online market tools designed to make it easy for small businesses to take advantage of the power of online marketing. Kutenda provides training, tools, and services small businesses, enabling them to use the Kutenda platform to grow their business and increase revenue via Internet marketing.

Michael holds an MBA from F.W. Olin School of Management at Babson College and a BS in Business and Finance from Colorado State University.

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: Zero to $5 Million in 5 Years: Learn Internet Marketing Techniques to Help Your Business Grow!
• Location: Marketing & Advertising II – Room #2
• Time: 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Seminar Description

How to Build Your Personal Brand and Your Company's Brand

Personal branding is a global phenomenon that has revolutionized the way we do business and manage our careers. In recent years, social media technologies has converged our personal and professional lives, creating both opportunities and obstacles for our brands moving forward. A 2010, a Trend Micro report stated that one in every four employees are using social networking sites at work. In this presentation, you will learn what personal branding is, how it applies to your job, the proper way to communicate in the workplace, how to build an online and offline presence in support of your company, and how to maintain your brand over the course of your career. You will understand how to define your brand, align it to your company, and use it to deliver more value to the bottom line, using a proven four-step personal branding model.

Lecture Highlights:

• Defining what personal branding is and why it applies to you
• A description of five personal branding myths
• An explanation of the importance of soft skills versus hard skills in the workplace
• How to be a good team player at work and succeed
• Creating personal brand value through projects
• A 4-step process for personal branding success
• The success triangle: passion, expertise, and a support system
• An explanation of what your brand is and how to know if you're branding yourself effectively
• A personal brand assessment with five questions
• How and why to take a niche and become the go-to-person in your organization for a specific skill
• Your three most important brand assets: name, picture, and positioning statement
• The personal branding toolkit: social media profiles, blogs, websites, business cards, and more
• Your personal and professional lives and when to separate them at work
• How to establish a consistent brand image online and offline
• Tips for communicating in the workplace, from face-to-face to conference calls, to internal social networking, and email
• 7 promotional tips for communicating your brand
• How to write an email that will get answered
• Networking on three levels: who you know, who they know, and who knows you
• The 4 rules of brand relationships: mutualism, targeting, giving, and reconnecting
• Some general networking tips
• How to monitor and manage your online reputation
• Case studies of brand reputation disasters
• How to use social media tools to bring more value to your company

Speaker Info

Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner, Millennial Branding, LLC & Author

Dan Schawbel, recognized as a "personal branding guru" by The New York Times, is the Managing Partner of Millennial Branding, LLC, and the author of the #1 international bestselling book, Me 2.0: 4 Steps to Building Your Future (Kaplan, October 2010). Dan is the founder of the Personal Branding Blog®, which was the #1 job blog by CareerBuilder in 2008 & 2009, is an AdAge top 50 marketing blog, and has been visited by 2 million people since 2007. He is also the publisher of Personal Branding Magazine®, a syndicated columnist for Metro US, and the youngest columnist at BusinessWeek. In 2010, he was named to the Inc. Magazine 30 Under 30 list, and BusinessWeek cites him as one of twenty entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter, with over 100,000 followers. He has been featured in over 350 media outlets, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Details Magazine, and ELLE Magazine. He is a keynote speaker at colleges and universities, such as Harvard Business School and MIT and at major companies such as Time Warner, IBM, and CitiGroup.

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: How to Build Your Personal Brand and Your Company's Brand
• Location: Marketing & Advertising II – Room #2
• Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Seminar Description

No Time Marketing: Small Business-Sized Steps in 30 Minutes or Less

Attendees Will Learn:

Speaker Info

Alyssa Dver, Author, No Time Marketing & CEO, Mint Green Marketing

BusinessWeek and American Express OPEN recognized her as a female entrepreneur to watch. She is the chief executive for Mint Green Marketing providing affordable expert marketing help to companies ranging from large multinationals such as Nokia, Pitney Bowes, IBM and Choice Hotels to up-and-coming smaller companies all over the world. Dver is the author of the well-endorsed books, “No Time Marketing” and “Software Product Management Essentials”. She has been published in numerous media including Forbes, BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur, Chief Marketer, Software Magazine and others. A frequent keynote and workshop presenter, she entertains and educates audiences multiple times each month at events such as the New England, New York and CT XPOs for Business, The World Diversity Leadership Summit at the UN, The Women’s Congress, MA Conference for Women, American Marketing Association, Supermompreneur, Int’l Association of Image Consultants, etc. Contact her at www.notimemarketing.com, @NoTimeMarketing or 508.881.5664.

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: No Time Marketing: Small Business-Sized Steps in 30 Minutes or Less
• Location: Marketing & Advertising II – Room #2
• Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Seminar Description

Creating and Sustaining a Winning Fan Page on Facebook

This session will explore effective techniques for implementing and growing Facebook business pages. Attendees will get tips on tools and strategies to run a successful campaign on their own.

The session covers:

• What you need to know about Facebook’s algorithm
• Architecture of a fan page – well-thought-out tabs on the Fan page.
• Custom Applications to provide a Fan page with richer content and design.
• Strategies for launching a fan page when it is ready for the public.
• Recipes of a successful engagement strategy on your facebook page.
• Facebook advertising campaigns: Creating effective ad programs to spur growth, promote contests, increase conversions.

Speaker Info

Ruben Quinones, Director of New Media, Path Interactive

Ruben Quinones (@rubenq) Director of New Media at @PathInteractive,
and an adjunct instructor at NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies Marketing and Public Relations Studies Program. Teaching "Examining Social Media Networks for Brand Value” and "Search Engine Optimization", core courses in the Digital Media Marketing Certificate Program.  At Path, Ruben provides strategic direction over client’s paid search management, SEO, and Social marketing campaigns, and is also a speaker at venues such as Web 2.0 Expo, Search Engine Strategies, and a keynote at a Cisco event.   Social Media Magazine voted in Ruben as one of the top marketing professors.
A seasoned online marketing professional, prior to joining Path Interactive, Ruben’s related experience includes founding and marketing a one of the Internet’s first vertical search directories, directed at property managers, and was an advertising internet consultant for Verizon Information Services for national brands and small businesses. that involve a . Ruben Quinones is a graduate of Nyack College in NY.

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: Creating and Sustaining a Winning Fan Page on Facebook
• Location: Marketing & Advertising II – Room #2
• Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Seminar Description

The Art of Negotiation: How to Achieve Brilliant Results

Based on principles developed at the Harvard Negotiation Project and by Roger Fisher, co-author of the bestseller Getting To Yes, MWI’s Negotiation Skills Workshop builds each participant’s capacity to transform adversarial approaches to negotiation into problem-solving collaborations, producing better outcomes for all parties while enhancing long-term working relationships.

Seminar Highlights:

The audience will gain -

• An awareness of the complexities of negotiation
• An introduction to a framework for understanding, diagnosing and leading the interest-based negotiation process

1. This framework helps participants to:
   1. Avoid giving in too easily, learning how to say "no” without damaging key relationships;
   2. Identify and articulate their unique value proposition in a competitive market;
   3. Respond to threats and otherwise uncooperative behavior;
   4. Recognize a "win” - when to accept and when to "walk away” from a deal;
   5. Communicate clearly and effectively; and
   6. Build, strengthen and improve relationships

• A process for continued improvement and learning.

Speaker Info

Seminar Details

Seminar Description

Exceptional Selling: How the Best Get Better in Sales

Since 1977, Jack Falvey has been presenting this keynote address to the Fortune 100 at national meetings. Prior to each engagement, he spends a day in the field calling on customers with a meeting participant. They don't send him out with the deadwood, so he has worked with some of the best sales professionals in the world.

This presentation shares what professional’s do that makes them so successful. It challenges the audience to apply the same strategy to their own markets and customers.

Content: How professionals build selling skills is addressed using a brief tennis analogy. The audience is asked to participate in a three-minute clinic! The exercise illustrates the point that an overall strategy can apply to all levels, and that skills are developed by being a student of the game on a daily basis.

The time it takes to become a proficient professional is normally greatly underestimated. The task becomes one of making every sales call a "sales training" call.

• The best sales people don't always make the best sales presentations. But they always ask the best questions.
• The best sales people are students of their customers' business and often know more about a customer's situation in their area of expertise than the client themselves!
• The best sales people are students of the selling process and what works best for them with their customers in their marketplace.
• The best sales people are always subject experts. They never stop learning. Current customers provide the best source of application knowledge.
• Without a pre-call objective and a set of closing questions, sales people are merely well paid tourists. Sales professionals know where they are going and how to get there.

Speaker Info

Jack Falvey, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, MakingTheNumbers.com

Jack Falvey is one of the most widely published freelance business writers in the world. In addition to his Dow Jones Features, his work has appeared in Newsweek, The Reader’s Digest, Inc. Magazine, Sales and Marketing Magazine and even Vogue!

He has appeared on NBC’s The TODAY Show, ABC’s GOOD MORNING AMERICA, FOX-TV NEWS and FOX Business Channel. He has written for The Boston Globe and The Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News.

A 1960 graduate of Boston College he has been a member of the adjunct faculty at the University of Massachusetts in Boston since 1981.

In 2000 he founded MakingTheNumbers.Com, an internet e-learning company providing daily sales and sales management professional development via e-mail to readers across five continents.

He has published 46 features in The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s.

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: Exceptional Selling: How the Best Get Better in Sales
• Location: Sales Strategies - Room #3
• Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Seminar Description

How to Sell Your Business in 60 Seconds or Less: Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch

With the proliferation of networking as a way to grow one’s business, we must be instantly prepared to answer the question, “So, what do you do?” in about 60 seconds or less. More important, we must answer in a way that elicits the response, “I need to talk to you!” or, “May I have your card?” or better yet, “You’re just the person I’ve been looking for.”

Join us as Debbie Fay, founder of bespeak™ presentation solutions, shows us how to create perfect elevator pitches. Debbie will:

You’ll walk away with everything you need to create a 60 second speech that SINGS, or as Debbie likes to say, one that “gets heard and gets results”.

Speaker Info

Debbie Fay, Founder, bespeak presentation solutions

Debbie Fay is the founder of bespeak presentation solutions, llc, providing public speaking coaching, training and presentation development to clients such as BNY Mellon Bank, Hay Group and US Fund for UNICEF as well as published authors, business owners and entrepreneurs. An award winning trainer and teacher with a life long involvement in theater, Debbie helps clients present themselves with confidence, conviction and clarity, delivering presentations that get heard and get results. To learn more, point your browser to; www.bespeakpresentations.com, or contact Debbie directly at; dfay@bespeakpresentations.com

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: How to Sell Your Business in 60 Seconds or Less: Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch
• Location: Sales Strategies - Room #3
• Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Seminar Description

How to Reach & Sell to Top Decision Makers

The bar has been raised for all of us in business. Where “feature rich” presentations used to be effective, today they are the shortest distance between you and the loss of interest and credibility.

Developing the skills to gain audience with top decision makers involves no gimmicks. The effective approach is based on time tested insights and is guaranteed to differentiate you from your competition.

Here are some areas we will cover:

Duane’s presentation is guaranteed to provide you with a fresh and energized outlook that will support you in your efforts to establish credibility and trust in the C-Suite.

It’s all about differentiation!

Speaker Info

Duane Cashin, President, Cashin & Company

When it comes to helping sales professionals and their organizations differentiation themselves in a crowded market place Duane Cashin is recognized as one of the best.

After 13 years of business success in companies ranging in size from medium to Fortune 500 and positions from straight commission salesman to Vice President of Sales Duane decided to start his own company.

Within 4 years Duane’s grand format graphics company grew to be a multi million dollar organization with its work displayed at the Super Bowl, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall and MTV’s studios at Times Square.

His speaking skills were honed when he joined Tony Parinello, author of Selling to VITO. Duane sold and delivered these famous seminars throughout the U.S. while establishing a sales record still unbroken.

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: How to Reach & Sell to Top Decision Makers
• Location: Sales Strategies - Room #3
• Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Seminar Description

Integrated Social Media Marketing and Your Website

Social media today involves more than just creating a Twitter and Facebook account. It’s an understanding of how people connect and talk online and on your website. Your customers have a voice help them share it with you. Jennifer Shaheen, the eMarketing and Technology Therapist® will break down the following for you to learn:

• An overview of social media and what it means today
• How to plan for adding social media into your website
• About the popular social tools that can enhance your website and boost traffic
• Engaging off your website to build traffic back to your website
• Tips on how to track your social marketing efforts

Speaker Info

Jennifer Shaheen, eMarketing & Technology Therapist, Technology Therapy Group

Jennifer Shaheen, The Technology Therapist®, is an expert at helping business owners harness today’s technology to effectively grow their businesses in the digital marketplace. As a monthly columnist for Entreprenuer.com, and with over 14 years of top-level experience, she has empowered businesses of all shapes and sizes to integrate effective digital strategies that boost sales, enhance staff productivity, expand customer base and increase market share.

Jennifer is a dynamic and seasoned speaker, presenting monthly for Social Media Magic University on the ongoing ways to leverage Facebook for business. She has also partnered with organizations like SCORE, the National Organization for Women and Small Business Technology to give audiences across the country relevant, usable and simple business solutions that work.

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: Integrated Social Media Marketing and Your Website
• Location: Room #4 - Social Media
• Time: 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Seminar Description

Smart Networking: Attract a Following in Person & Online

Win more business, leverage your time, and make more money through relationships…even if you hate to network!

Networking is one of the fastest, most cost effective ways to get more clients and grow your business. But it can also be a frustrating, time-consuming endeavor if you don't know how to put the pieces together correctly. Contrary to popular wisdom, you don't need to be an extrovert or network non-stop. In fact, you can get 24/7 results WITHOUT the 24/7 effort if you know the Smart Networking secrets to seamlessly integrate face-to-face and online networking, to build lasting relationships quickly and get the help you need when you need it.

Seminar Highlights:

In this content-packed session, Liz will reveal:

• Critical networking mistakes that are leaving you drained emotionally, energetically and financially
• The secret to turning a trickle of referrals into a flood of new business
• How one simple change in your networking approach can completely transform your results and skyrocket your revenues
• The missing key that connects what you want to achieve in your business to the people who can help you get it
• What you can do to build strong networking gravity so great people and opportunities come to you
•  

Speaker Info

Liz Lynch, Founder, Center for Networking Excellence & Author

As founder of the Center for Networking Excellence, and a top networking strategist and speaker, Liz Lynch has taught tens of thousands of professionals and entrepreneurs worldwide how to get 24/7 networking results WITHOUT the 24/7 effort. She's the author of Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person and Online (McGraw-Hill, 2008) and has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, ABC News, Fox Business News, CNBC.com, Forbes.com and Businessweek.com. Liz holds an engineering degree from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Stanford University. To download your free Smart Networking toolkit, visit SmartNetworking.com

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: Smart Networking: Attract a Following in Person & Online
• Location: Room #4 - Social Media
• Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Seminar Description

Social Media 101: Get Your Business Noticed

Is embracing social media a necessity or a choice for your company? How much is a Facebook friend worth to your business? According to AdWeek, the average value of an individual Facebook fan is $3.60.

Today social media has emerged as the most cost-effective method to promote your company, increase lead generation and reach target customers. Join our panel of expert strategists as they provide you with the critical information necessary to kick-off an impactful social media campaign! Learn about the basic sites and services you can leverage to benefit your organization. Spend the morning identifying best practices and how they apply to YOUR existing business models. Share strategies and insights for saving time while connecting and growing your professional networks. This seminar is perfect for those who are aware of social media, but require additional guidance to determine the best use of these tools.

Essentially social media is a giant forum where people talk, exchange and network online. Attend this workshop to understand how "joining the conversation” will help your business increase revenue and gain a competitive advantage.

Moderator Info

Patrick O'Malley, Professional Speaker

Patrick O'Malley loves and lives Social Media, and can show you how to utilize them to improve your business. You can see a sample video of his bizarre excitement about it at http://www.617-patrick.com/

He is a nationally recognized expert on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Google SEO, and is a regular contributor to Fox TV news in Boston.

Previously, he was the VP of Operations for the search engine that was tied with Google for "best search engine” in the year 2000 (Northern Light).

His phone number is actually 617-PATRICK, which he thinks is cool.

Panelist Info

Jeff Cutler, Content Creator & Social Media Journalist

Jeff Cutler is a social media journalist with 21 years experience in traditional and new media. He is also the Social Media Trainer for the Society of Professional Journalists nationwide. Jeff harnesses the power of social media in his job as a journalist and content creator. He also advises clients on the best way to reach their audiences through the use of various media and content.

His video program - NomX3.com - connects restaurants and related consumer goods companies with an online audience; and the show is proof of concept that social media marketing can bring buzz and exposure to organizations, brands and products.

Jeff is a published author; has written for WBUR (NPR Boston), the Boston Globe, AutomotiveRhythms.com, New York Post, Gatehouse Media, MobileMag.com, Technology Review, and other publications. You can find Jeff at jeffcutler.com.

Panelist Info

Ja-Naé Duane, Speaker, Strategist, Social Entrepreneur & Author: How to Start Your Business w/$100 & How to Create a Revolution

One-woman revolution Ja-Naé Duane stormed into the limelight at age 13 as an award-winning public speaker. Since then, the intrepid speaker, strategist, social scientist, artist, creative economist, and author of How to Start Your Business with $100 has captured the media’s attention, appearing in The Associated Press, NPR, Classical Singer Magazine, The Boston Globe, and Business Week. Her impressive skill set and unwavering commitment to improving the quality of life for the global community garnered Ja-Naé a nomination as one of New England’s Most Innovative Leaders of 2007. Ja-Naé spearheads a plethora of ventures as CEO of Wild Women Entrepreneurs, CEO of Ja-Naé Duane Ventures, Co-Founder of the Massachusetts Artist Leaders Coalition, and Founder of The Leaders. Additionally, Ja-Naé is a professional opera singer, a social media strategist, and a faculty member at Northeastern University. Her upcoming book, "How to Create a Revolution: A Step-by-Step Guide to History’s Social Influencers” is due out in the fall.

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: Social Media 101: Get Your Business Noticed
• Location: Room #4 - Social Media
• Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Seminar Description

Social Media Marketing Made Simple

Come learn the strategies and best practices to get the most out of your social media activities. We will talk about what social media marketing really is, how to incorporate it into your business life without losing productivity and look at how other businesses are using these tools to gain visibility, develop relationships, and drive sales and response.

In this seminar, you will learn:

These are the essential elements of transforming new prospects into passionate customers, in turn growing your business using the power of social media marketing.

Speaker Info

Ellen DePasquale, Regional Development Director, NY Metro, Constant Contact

Ellen is a well-known software expert and marketing advisor to small businesses, nonprofits, and associations in the New York Metro area.  She is a passionate entrepreneur with 20 years of experience helping companies of all sizes, from solo practitioners to big corporations, implement customer relationship management programs and email marketing campaigns that deliver winning results.  Her technology best practices and business efficiency advice has helped small organizations better understand how automation can assist them in building customer relationships that grow their businesses.  A sought-after international speaker/moderator on marketing and software topics related to small business success, Ellen has been invited to present to audiences by the Financial Women's Association, Symantec Corporation, National Association of Professional Organizers, Inc. Magazine, and Microsoft Corp., and has been a speaker and moderator at Sage software’s  Insights conference and the Toy Industry Association’s American International Toy Fair. Author of It’s About Time: Time Management Tips From The Software Revitalist™, Ellen’s practical small business advice has appeared in numerous publications, including Crain’s New York Small Business, The New York Enterprise Report, Small Business Computing & Communications, Success, Worth, Accounting Technology, Working Woman, Inc. Technology, and PC Magazine.

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: Social Media Marketing Made Simple
• Location: Email Marketing - Room #5
• Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Seminar Description

Power of E-mail Marketing

In today’s world, marketing is about building relationships and sharing value with people online. Through easily accessible and cost-effective tools, you can turn your for-profit or not-for-profit business into a powerful and trusted resource.

In this seminar, you will learn:

Come learn how to build strong relationships that will lead to more business and growth through the power of email marketing.

Speaker Info

Ellen DePasquale, Regional Development Director, NY Metro, Constant Contact

Ellen is a well-known software expert and marketing advisor to small businesses, nonprofits, and associations in the New York Metro area.  She is a passionate entrepreneur with 20 years of experience helping companies of all sizes, from solo practitioners to big corporations, implement customer relationship management programs and email marketing campaigns that deliver winning results.  Her technology best practices and business efficiency advice has helped small organizations better understand how automation can assist them in building customer relationships that grow their businesses.  A sought-after international speaker/moderator on marketing and software topics related to small business success, Ellen has been invited to present to audiences by the Financial Women's Association, Symantec Corporation, National Association of Professional Organizers, Inc. Magazine, and Microsoft Corp., and has been a speaker and moderator at Sage software’s  Insights conference and the Toy Industry Association’s American International Toy Fair. Author of It’s About Time: Time Management Tips From The Software Revitalist™, Ellen’s practical small business advice has appeared in numerous publications, including Crain’s New York Small Business, The New York Enterprise Report, Small Business Computing & Communications, Success, Worth, Accounting Technology, Working Woman, Inc. Technology, and PC Magazine.

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: Power of E-mail Marketing
• Location: Email Marketing - Room #5
• Time: 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Seminar Description

Accessing International Markets – Available Financing, Guidance and Support

President Obama has recently announced a new and ambitious agenda to double the country's exports by 2015. The plan recognizes the importance of enhancing our nation's global competitiveness not only for overall economic development and job growth, but also to help lead the U.S. economy into recovery. If you have considered expanding your sales internationally or how to access overseas markets but don't know how to start, this seminar can help! The program will provide information on assessing your export readiness and will introduce you to resources and programs that can help you along the way. Walk away with a better understanding of global opportunities for your business and the resources that can help you to succeed.
Learn How To:

Speaker Info

William J. Davis II, Senior International Trade Specialist, U.S. Export Assistance Center

Bill Davis is the senior trade specialist with, The Commercial Service, the worldwide field organization of the U.S. Department of Commerce. He assists members of the business community develop market strategies in order to expand their businesses overseas. Through hands on one on one counselling, he along with other professional staff from the U.S. Export Assistance Center in Boston foster the expansion of exports throughout the New England Business Community.

A native of the Chicago area, Bill graduated with an undergraduate degree from MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois and a graduate degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. His career includes 10 years of private sector experience working in both the telecommunications and welding industries in international marketing & sales. Bill has worked for the Commerce Department for the last 29 years, moving to New England in ‘92 after tours of Duty in both North Carolina and Tennessee. He has also been an Acting Principal Commercial Officer at the American Consulate in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Acting Commercial Counselor at the American Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela and Acting Commercial Counselor in Athens, Greece. He was the National Team Leader for the Commerce Department’s Trade Americas (Western Hemisphere) Team in 2004 and is still active with the Team.

Speaker Info

John Joyce, Regional Manager, SBA Export Finance Program, U.S. Export Assistance Center

John Joyce is responsible for directing SBA's international trade assistance program in the six New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. As a member of the U.S. Export Assistance Center, John adds export finance assistance to the extensive export marketing programs offered by the Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce. He has more than 25 years experience in international business. Previous to joining SBA, he served as an International Trade Specialist with the U.S. Department of Commerce and has worked in international sales and marketing for several corporations including three years working in Europe. John earned a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a M.B.A. from the Boston University Graduate School of Management.

Speaker Info

Paula Murphy, Director, Massachusetts Export Center

Paula Murphy is founder and director of the Massachusetts Export Center, part of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network. She has over twenty years of international business experience in both the public and private sectors. Paula helps exporters through counseling, technical assistance, training, market research, and publication development. In addition, she has organized several overseas marketing activities, such as trade shows and trade missions. In 2008, clients reported over $190 Million in export sales as a direct result of the Massachusetts Export Center’s assistance.

In addition to her role at the Export Center, Paula teaches graduate-level international marketing and export/import operations at Boston University. Previously, she served as international trade counselor for the Commonwealth, and was an international marketing consultant with Hagan & Company, where she served as the New England agent for a number of foreign government agencies, including the Irish Trade Board (now Enterprise Ireland), the Australian Trade Commission and others.

Paula has published numerous articles and publications on international trade. She has led the Massachusetts Export Center to receive numerous awards – in 2008, the Export Center was named the national winner of the SBA’s Small Business Development Center Excellence and Innovation Award. In 2008, the Export Center also received the Presidential E Award – the highest honor the federal government can give to American people, firms or organizations that have made significant contributions to the increase of American exports. Paula was also named the 2005 and 2008 Massachusetts State Star by the Association of Small Business Development Centers. She has served on the boards of several non-profit international trade organizations, including the British American Business Council of New England. She is currently President of the Greater China Business Council of New England and serves on District Export Council of Massachusetts. She is a graduate of Suffolk University, received an advanced certificate in international trade from the American Graduate School of International Management – Thunderbird, and is a Certified Global Business Professional.

Seminar Details

Seminar Description

Selling to the U.S. Government (City, State, Federal): How to Win Business & Beat Your Competitors for the Most Stable Source of Revenue in the World

What would happen to your business if all of your commercial customers stopped spending money? Today most companies would be forced to close, although there is an alternative source of income for survival.

The United States government purchases more products & services annually (Over $780 billion in 2010) than any other private company in the world from businesses of all sizes and industries. Chances are your existing competition already conducts business with the federal government, so how would your business go about beating your competitors for government sales if you are new to the government marketplace?

Join Scott Orbach, author of "Getting a GSA Schedule: A Step By Step Guide,” for an hour long roundtable discussion with government procurement experts from the public and private sector as they help you identify existing opportunities to do business with federal, state and local government entities, while taking back revenue from your competitors in the process.

Moderator Info

Scott Orbach, Co-Founder & President, EZGSA

Scott Orbach is the author of five books about government contracting, including his latest, "Getting a GSA Schedule: A Step by Step Guide,” Mr. Orbach is also the occasional host of "Gateway to Government Sales” on WFED radio in Washington DC, former municipal council member and co-founder and President of EZGSA.

Mr. Orbach is often a featured speaker at the New York Business Xpo, New England Business Xpo, NeoCon Chicago, Midwest Security & Police Expo and Greater Washington Procurement Conference.

He also leads over 30 informational seminars annually throughout the US, on topics including GSA Schedules, federal procurement and government contracting and sales.

A graduate of American University’s Kogod College of Business, Mr. Orbach has more than 20 years of experience in the business consulting federal sales and contract management arenas. He has made his home in the Washington, DC area since 1980.

Panelist Info

David Polatin, Assistant District Director for Business Development, Massachusetts Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration

Responsible for marketing SBA’s programs and services, government contracting, and the 8(a) Business Development Program, Mr. Polatin is in his 17th year working for the SBA. Prior to joining the SBA, he spent five years in government contracting with the US Army. Mr. Polatin holds a BA and an MBA degree from Boston University and a Masters in Education degree from the Boston State College (predecessor to UMass Boston).

Panelist Info

Kendra Turner, Director of Industry Relations, GSA Public Buildings Service

Kendra has 19 years of federal service, including 16 years within PBS. Her real estate background includes portfolio and asset management, capital planning, financial analysis, property management, leasing, strategic planning and performance measurement.

PBS is the landlord for the civilian federal government, acquiring space through new construction and leasing, and acting as a caretaker for federal properties across the country. PBS owns or leases 8,600 properties, maintains an inventory of more than 354 million square feet of workspace for 1.1 million federal employees, and preserves more than 480 historic properties.

The PBS Industry Relations Division seeks to strengthen PBS relationships with potential and existing vendors, promote participation and outreach through professional organizations and associations, and support the achievement of Federal small business goals.

Seminar Details

Seminar Description

Master Your Website: Cutting-Edge Strategies to Beat the Competition

Small business owners are faced with numerous challenges in today’s marketplace, specifically online where increased competition, ever-evolving technology and associated higher costs are impacting daily business. It’s become more critical than ever to make the right online choices, helping drive communication and sales strategy while increasing revenues and cutting down the administrative upkeep that most business owners have come to accept.

Learn key strategies around developing a successful website that marries strategy, technology and organizational objectives. Discover the importance of planning, best of breed technology platforms, online marketing and other critical tactics to become an online leader.

Seminar Highlights:

• Web Strategy and Planning (Users and Business Requirements)
• Best of Breed Web Technology - Content Management, Customer Relationship Management, Email Marketing, Ecommerce and Analytics Tools.
• Search Marketing and Measurement
• Maximizing Budget and Time to Market

Speaker Info

Joe Zarrett, President & Founding Partner, Verndale

A respected web technology strategist, Joe sets the overall direction of the company. As an advocate for the development and maintenance of a healthy SMB environment, Joe has served on the board of The Smaller Business Association of New England (SBANE) and on the Mayor of Boston's New Leadership Committee. Within the broader business community, he is frequently tapped to speak about the importance of web technology adoption in a competitive marketplace.

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: Master Your Website: Cutting-Edge Strategies to Beat the Competition
• Location: Room #7 - Business Development Fundamentals
• Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Seminar Description

6 Steps to Small Business Results...that will rock your business world

Whether you are currently running a business or planning to start a business, three of the major issues for business owners and entrepreneurs are isolation, feeling overwhelmed and lack of a revenue based model. It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations of business and wear the sales, marketing and finance hat. Therefore, it is challenging to remain focused, to grow and to expand the business in the right direction. In this program you will be given the tools and systems to learn how to grow your business. As a result business owners and entrepreneurs will gain more skills, focus, structure and revenue to take their business to a new level of success!

Speaker Info

Seminar Details

Seminar Description

The Importance of a Solid Business Plan in this Continuing Challenging Economic Environment

Historically 80% of all new businesses fail within 3 years of inception. With the current uncertain economic environment those odds have grown even larger and have added more threats to all businesses. The recovery is slow and there is a possibility it could stall because of the fiscal challenges facing the country. Our financial system has, and continues to undergo significant changes. Consumers are changing their spending patterns, perhaps on a permanent basis. All of this will effect business revenues and consequently the ability of businesses to raise capital. This session will address these issues and the importance of of a solid business plan to mitigate their effects. The session will address the most important elements of a business plan, provide practical and informative guidance on how to use a business plan day to day and how to employ this as a valuable tool in raising capital that meets the needs of the business , today and in the future.

Speaker Info

Bill Zadrozny, SCORE Advisor & Consultant on Strategic/Financial Issues

Until retirement in October, 2005 was President and Chief Executive officer of Siemens Financial Services, inc., responsible for the North American operations of Siemens Financial Services, Gmbh. Served in that capacity for ten years, growing the organization from a monoline equipment financing company with less than $100 million earning assets, to a diversified commercial lender with over $4 billion earning assets, $375 million revenues, and a pre tax return on invested capital that exceeded 15%.

Prior to this was a founding senior officer of AT&T Capital Corporation, a diversified lender that grew from -0- earning assets to in excess of $15 billion earning assets during his tenure, generating in excess of $1.5 billion revenues. Served in various capacities including Group Vice President Operations, responsible for all credit and processing functions, Group Vice President Corporate Development, responsible for the company’s merger and acquisition activity and strategic planning, and President and Chief Operating officer of two divisions, the last being the Business Finance division which was engaged in SBA lending, structured financing, and insurance of products leased by the entire organization.

Prior to AT&T Capital Corporation served as Vice President, General Manager of the Vendor Finance division of First Chicago Credit Corporation, Vice President, Operations for John Hancock Financial Services, and Vice President, Regional Manager, Chase Manhattan Leasing Corporation.

Member of the board of advisors of a start up asset management company. Former member of the board of directors of several small business finance companies, former member of the Global advisory committee of the graduate school of business of Colorado State University, served on the board of directors of the Equipment Leasing and Financing Association, and a prior lecturer in finance for Northeastern University.

Entire career associated with providing and obtaining capital for commercial businesses, with an emphasis on small and medium size companies.

Received a B.A. Economics from Queens College, City University of New York, and a MBA from Babson College. Completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: The Importance of a Solid Business Plan in this Continuing Challenging Economic Environment
• Location: Room #8 - Business Ownership
• Time: 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Seminar Description

Speak Like a CEO: Secrets for Commanding Attention and Getting Results

To become successful, hard work and experience are important, but they can take a person only so far. To lead in an industry or profession, a leader must be ready to assume a speaking role. In survey after survey, the numberone skill determined to be indispensable to leaders is communication.
In the program on Speak Like a CEO, based on the best‐selling book by Suzanne Bates, participants find out that developing a compelling speaking style isn't something that comes naturally ‐ anyone can do it with some practice and effort! Whether they're in the corner office or the Oval Office, at the dining room table or before an audience of millions, participants will find a blueprint to speak like a leader and get results.

The audience will learn:

• The secrets, strategies and solutions to speaking like a leader
• Stories from successful executives on what it took them to become a powerful speaker
• Clear and wise advice on how to find their authentic voices
• How to instantly command the room with a powerful presence
• Tips for developing audience‐focused speeches and presentations that win buy‐in

Speaker Info

Suzanne Bates, CSP and CEO, Bates Communications

Suzanne Bates is an executive coach, author, Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), former award-winning television news anchor, and CEO of Bates Communications, Inc. She launched the firm in 2000 after a successful career in major market television. Today, Bates Communications has a team of seasoned consultants who improve their clients' businesses by transforming leaders into powerful communicators who get business results. The firm offers strategic communications consulting, executive coaching, workshops, and keynote speeches. Clients include Dow Chemical, Merck, Fidelity, Mellon/Bank of NY, Habitat for Humanity, John Hancock, VF Outdoor, Raytheon, EMC, Deloitte, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, The North Face, and Stop and Shop.

Suzanne is author of Speak Like a CEO: Secrets for Commanding Attention and Getting Results (McGraw Hill), which became a bestseller on amazon.com in 2005. The book has also been published in Chinese, Russian and Indonesian.

Her second book, Motivate Like a CEO: Communicate Your Strategic Vision and Inspire People to Act!, was published in January 2009, also with McGraw Hill. Within weeks of its release, the book became a #1 bestseller in books on communication skills, and a business bestseller on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. The book has received accolades from highly regarded business authors such as Ken Blanchard (The One Minute Manager), Marshall Goldsmith (What Got You Here Won't Get You There), and Charles H. Green (The Trusted Advisor). Her other products include the Speak Like a CEO Toolkit, the Speak Like a CEO Home Study Course, and a course on How to Make a Name in Business.

For 20 years, Suzanne was an acclaimed on-air personality with major market television stations WBZ-TV Boston, WCAU-TV Philadelphia and WFLA-TV Tampa-St. Petersburg. She won an AP News Award and over her career, interviewed thousands of political leaders, CEOs, authors and celebrities. As a nationally recognized expert in business communications and leadership, Suzanne has appeared in hundreds of publications including the New York Times, Forbes Magazine, Business Week, Investors' Business Daily, the New York Post, and CNNMoney.com. Suzanne has also appeared as a guest expert on Fox Business Morning, New England Cable News, CBS Radio, and dozens of other television and radio programs. She routinely publishes articles on leadership and communication in her organization's monthly newsletter, The Voice of Leadership, and on her blog: ThePowerSpeakerBlog.com

Suzanne pioneered an executive coaching program model focused on leadership and communication. The program includes proprietary tools including the 40-Point Leadership Communications Assessment and 360 Feedback Questionnaire, which guides the professional development of leaders. This coaching model has been used with high potential leaders who must master the ability to communicate effectively in order to move their organizations forward.

Suzanne also developed the Quick Prep Method, the Audience Agenda System, and other tools that are taught in the firm’s boot camps and workshops. She has developed more than a dozen workshops including The 7 Elements of Executive Presence, Powerful Presentation Skills, Leading Great Meetings, Your Communication Style, and How to Give Great Media Interviews.

Suzanne is an active member of many organizations. She is currently President-Elect of the New England Chapter of the National Speakers Association, a member of the CEO Club of Boston College, and a member of the Women's Presidents Organization. She is past president of the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus. Suzanne earned a B.S. in Radio-TV Journalism from the University of Illinois. She lives in Wellesley, Mass. with her husband and daughter.

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: Speak Like a CEO: Secrets for Commanding Attention and Getting Results
• Location: Room #8 - Business Ownership
• Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Seminar Description

CEO Success Stories: Learn From the Best in Business

Theme: Entrepreneurship & Social Responsibility – People / Planet / Profit

Join an esteemed panel of world-renown CEO’s as they share their best practices on building a profitable business. Gain first hand wisdom from industry experts as they delve into their inspiring journeys of success. The panel will discuss how to emerge as a market leader using socially responsible business practices as well as address the specific financial, marketing, HR, technology and sales challenges faced in business ownership today. Hear about the specific trials and tribulations every company experiences amidst corporate competition. Attend this dynamic discussion and let us help you transform your small business into a thriving enterprise.

Moderator Info

Peter Howe, Business Reporter, NECN

Peter Howe has been NECN's Business Reporter since April 2008, reporting each night for NECN Business and other NECN news programs. Each Sunday he joins NECN's This Week in Business with co-hosts Mike Nikitas, NECN anchor, and Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce president Paul Guzzi. Peter serves as interim host of NECN's CEO Corner and has also reported extensively on education reform and economic development for NECN's ongoing public-affairs series with The Boston Foundation.

He came to NECN after two decades with The Boston Globe, where he was editor or co-editor of The Globe 100 for four years and covered the Massachusetts State House, Big Dig, Boston Harbor cleanup, Boston City Hall, and business beats including airlines, energy, telecommunications, and technology. His work has won awards from groups including The Associated Press managing editors and Society of American Business Editors and Writers.

Howe, 45, of Newton, Mass., is married to the novelist Holly LeCraw Howe (The Swimming Pool) and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1986.

Peter Howe has been NECN's Business Reporter since April 2008, reporting each night for NECN Business and other NECN news programs. Each Sunday he joins NECN's This Week in Business with co-hosts Mike Nikitas, NECN anchor, and Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce president Paul Guzzi. Peter serves as interim host of NECN's CEO Corner and has also reported extensively on education reform and economic development for NECN's ongoing public-affairs series with The Boston Foundation.

He came to NECN after two decades with The Boston Globe, where he was editor or co-editor of The Globe 100 for four years and covered the Massachusetts State House, Big Dig, Boston Harbor cleanup, Boston City Hall, and business beats including airlines, energy, telecommunications, and technology. His work has won awards from groups including The Associated Press managing editors and Society of American Business Editors and Writers.

Howe, 45, of Newton, Mass., is married to the novelist Holly LeCraw Howe (The Swimming Pool) and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1986.

Panelist Info

Mike Dreese, CEO & Co-Owner, Newbury Comics, Inc.

Mike Dreese is Chief Executive Officer of Newbury Comics, Inc. He co-founded the company in 1978 with his M.I.T. roommate, John Brusger. Start-up capital was $2,000 and a comic book collection.

The original Newbury Comics store, a converted studio apartment, was located in Boston's Back Bay area. As an early specialist in the burgeoning "new wave/punk" music scene in the 80’s, the chain grew rapidly during that time. He also founded Boston Rock magazine and co-founded Modern Method Records, an imprint to Boston’s emerging punk scene in the early 80’s. Newbury Comics now operates 29 stores throughout New England, including the Hootenanny clothing concept, along with three web based e-commerce platforms. Newbury Comics recently launched PUNK.COM, a street fashion website.

The company is privately held, and employs over 450 people.

In 1995, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008, the National Association of Recording Merchandisers named Newbury Comics "Retailer of the Year/Mid-Size Category”.

Dreese serves on the Boards of The Berklee College of Music, The American Repertory Theatre, New France Corporation (L’Espalier and Sel De La Terre Restaurants), and The Waltham Boys & Girls Club.

He also runs a start-up investment fund "Wicked Good Angels” and is a frequent speaker on the topics of social media and entrepreneurship.

Panelist Info

Bill Jacobson, Partner, WorkBar Boston

Bill Jacobson is a co-founder of WorkBar, Boston’s premier collaborative office alternative for small businesses, start-ups, freelancers, consultants and at-home workers. Bill is also a partner in the start-up consultancy firm, Techpoint Ventures. Through Techpoint, he is actively involved with emerging Boston area mobile and Internet companies. Two of these companies include, MuseTrek, a social network for cultural travelers to share their experiences, and PickupZone, a way for people to pickup packages at their local retailers.

With many years of business, technical and early stage start-up experience, what Bill enjoys the most, is finding and growing seed stage concepts. Prior business successes include co-founding InterStep Inc., Boston based start-up that Bill helped developed into a profitable Internet database marketing company. Recognizing industry consolidation, Bill led InterStep through a series of acquisitions, leaving the company’s investors with over 25 fold gains within five years.

Bill holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan, where he graduated with honors.

Seminar Details

Seminar Description

Show Me the Money! Accessing Capital & Securing Adequate Financing for Your New Business

To succeed, most small businesses and start-ups require a blend of equity capital and borrowed funds. Where can the business owner and entrepreneur turn for his or her capital requirements? This seminar will give you the answers and identify valuable opportunities to secure sufficient intermediate as well as long-term capital.

Find out how to navigate your way through the loan process and where your business can apply for assistance with our panel of experts ready to show you the money!

Part 1: Legal Designation

How is your business structured? Do you know your legal obligations?

Different legal designations exist and it’s important to know the right company "label” to help your business prosper. Learn the advantages and disadvantages of structuring your business as a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, corporation or non-profit.

Part 2: Finance & Capital

Undercapitalization is one of the major catalysts for a failed business. Panelists will address equity issues and identify various funding sources (i.e. SBA loan), current fundraising realities, and practical strategies for operating in a tumultuous economy.

Questions Answered:

• What is the best way to legally present my company to financing sources & investors?

• What are my financing options?

• What is the evaluation process?

• What role can the Small Business Administration (SBA) play?

• Who makes the decision and what does a lender want in a Business Plan?

• How much is usually required to invest in my start-up?

• Can minorities or women obtain special assistance seeking a business loan?

Moderator Info

Joseph B. Bator, Senior Vice President and Director – Business Banking, Eastern Bank

Joseph Bator is the senior vice president and director of Business Banking at Eastern Bank, where he oversees the bank’s portfolio of business clients with revenue up to $10 million and or lending needs up to $3 million. He served as a commercial real estate team leader at Eastern Bank prior to stepping into his current roll in 2006.

Prior to joining Eastern Bank in 2002, Joseph served as Managing Director; New England Region at O’Neill Properties L.P. Previously Joseph spent seven years at Keybank National Association, primarily within the Commercial Real Estate Division financing in excess of $1 Billion in commercial loans.

Joseph is a Boston District Council executive board member and Treasurer for the Urban Land Institute. Additionally, he serves on the Board of the Women’s Lunch Place and chairs its Events committee. He also is Treasurer of the Board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Middlesex County and serves on the executive committee, as well as the Flutie Foundation Board of Directors.

In addition, Joseph belongs to several triathlon and running related organizations and has completed numerous marathons and an Ironman Triathlon as well as raises money annually for the Perini Cancer Institute in a Boston Harbor relay swim for Swim Across America, where he also serves on the organizing committee.

Joseph earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Syracuse University, where he majored in Finance and Law and Public Policy, and his Masters in Business Administration (Finance and Marketing) from LeMoyne College. Joseph also completed a 1 year University of Massachusetts Boston Emerging Leader Fellowship in 2008 and currently serves as Chair of its Alumni Board.

Panelist Info

Mark Allio, Regional Director, MA Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) Network at UMass Boston

Mark R. Allio is the Regional Director of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center (MSBDC) Network’s Boston Regional Office & Minority Business Center at UMass Boston, an SBA-sponsored business assistance program representing a three-way partnership between the federal government, state economic development authority, and academia providing entrepreneurs with free business advisory services, educational programs, and financing assistance, as well as specialized services supporting government contracting and international trade. As a former entrepreneur, Mark co-founded two business ventures, TracRac, a Fall River-based manufacturer of automotive accessories, and Virtuous.com, an e-ticketing service provider serving the arts and entertainment industry. Previously, he held a number of senior posts in greater Boston’s non-profit sector, and served as Managing Principal for a strategy consulting firm. He holds an MBA from Babson College of Wellesley, MA, a BA from York University in Toronto, Canada, and a NASBITE certification as a Global Business Professional.

Panelist Info

Robert Nelson, District Director, Massachusetts Small Business Administration District Office

Robert H. Nelson was appointed district director of SBA’s Massachusetts District Office on November 26, 2007. The district office is located in Boston with a branch office in Springfield, Massachusetts. Prior to his appointment as district director, Mr. Nelson served as branch manager of the Springfield, Mass. office.

Mr. Nelson began his SBA career in 1998 as a loan specialist for the Connecticut District Office in Hartford, Conn. He joined the Massachusetts District Office in 2000; first in the capacity of lead loan specialist/chief of portfolio management and later as branch manager.

As district director, Mr. Nelson is responsible for the effective delivery of SBA’s financial and business development programs with a mission to counsel, assist and protect the interest of small business statewide in order to maintain and strengthen the economy.

Mr. Nelson, together with a staff of 15 permanent SBA employees, will work to help entrepreneurs to start, grow and build their businesses. On the financial side, Mr. Nelson is responsible for increasing delivery of the popular 7(a) and 504 loan programs which help small businesses obtain access to capital. He is also responsible for SBA oversight of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center’s (MSBDC) statewide network, the seven Massachusetts chapters of SCORE: Counselors to America’s Small Business and the Massachusetts Women’s Business Center – the Center for Women & Enterprise.

Before joining the SBA, Bob spent a number of years with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as section chief of the medium/other assets division in the Franklin, Mass. consolidated field office. He also has a number of years of banking experience having been a commercial lender for several New England area banks. He was a Vice President at Shawmut Bank, R.I.

Mr. Nelson holds a BA degree in Economics from Hobart College in Geneva, New York. He and his wife, Debbi, have three sons, Brad, Mark and Christopher.

Seminar Details

Seminar Description

Raising New Capital to Maximize Your Business Growth

There are many reasons why a business requires outside capital. As a company grows the need for funding increases, especially when it’s used to sustain hiring demands, product launches, market expansion, facility growth or the purchasing of new equipment. Corporate finance is a fascinating topic, since it provides businesses with the critical fuel necessary for continued value creation.

Although raising capital can be challenging, acquiring sufficient growth financing is easier than securing start-up capital because your company already exemplifies a demonstrable history of success.

Today, existing businesses have a variety of accessible capital options. Many resources are also available to help guide a business owner to the best source of financial growth. However, your financing fate will depend on: (1) Business objectives; (2) Ownership structure; (3) Corporate Health; (4) Ability to plan; (5) Budget, etc.

This workshop will discuss several capital sources and identify access programs available to current business owners & entrepreneurs. Attend this free seminar and hear about the most suitable finance options for your business.

Topics:

• Bank lending

• Alternative financing sources

• Factors lenders base their decision on

• How capital access adds to business strength when negotiating future contacts or acquisitions

• Identifying & clarifying business assets

• How to improve your terms and further expand your access to capital over time

Moderator Info

Charles Smith, Vice President, SBA Specialist

Bio & Headshot Coming Soon!

Panelist Info

Nancy Gibeau, Loan and Investment Officer, BDC Capital

Nancy M. Gibeau, Loan and Investment Officer, covers the state of Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Nancy has over fourteen years of experience in banking and lending. She most recently served as the Senior Manager of Lending Services for the New Bedford Economic Development Council. Prior to that, she was a Small Business Lender for Compass Bank for Savings. Nancy graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth with a B.S. in Management.

Panelist Info

Anne Rice Hunt, Assistant District Director, U.S Small Business Administration

Anne Rice Hunt, Assistant District Director, has been employed by the U.S Small Business Administration since 1981. Ms. Hunt currently manages the Agency’s financing programs for the state of Massachusetts. Over the past five years, the Massachusetts office provided more than $1.5 billion dollars in loan guarantees to close to 10,000 Massachusetts small businesses in participation with over 144 lending institutions.

Ms. Hunt had worked as a loan officer for 12 years before assuming the position of Finance Chief in 1995.

Ms. Hunt received an MBA degree from Salem State College as well as a BA degree in Sociology from the Massachusetts School of Liberal Arts.

Panelist Info

Andre Porter, Executive Director, Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Andre M. Porter has been Executive Director of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’s Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (OSBE) since May of 2008.  Mr. Porter is responsible for managing, coordinating and monitoring the state's overall small and micro business development efforts. He is also responsible for developing ideas and to improve small business competitiveness and for monitoring legislative and administrative policy changes for potential impact to small businesses.  The primary objective of OSBE is to support the efforts of entrepreneurs and small businesses in creating and maintaining jobs in Massachusetts.

Mr. Porter also spent fourteen years in the banking industry where he was a commercial real estate lender, asset manager, and workout specialist for several Boston-based banks. He received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees from Tufts University.

Seminar Details

Seminar Description

Connecting Your Business to the Commonwealth

This workshop is designed for businesses who are interested in learning how to do business with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This workshop includes: Where to find bidding opportunities; Bidding process for Statewide Contracts; Where to find ARRA - federal stimulus procurement & grant opportunities; Comm-PASS Overview; Marketing to public entities; How to become SDO Certified; How to Participate in the Small Business Purchasing Program; How the Supplier Diversity Program supports SDO Certified businesses. Visit www.mass.gov/osd for more information.

Speaker Info

Seminar Details

Seminar Description

Winning the Future: Small Business Innovation & Federal Contracting

Speaker Info

Ben R. Manzano is the Procurement Center Representative for the Office of Government Contracting, Area I of the U.S. Small Business Administration. As Procurement Center Representative Ben’s main responsibility is to assist small businesses to increase their market share of government contracts and participation in subcontracting opportunities through counseling and advocacy.

A retired Coast Guard officer with 23 years of military service, LT Manzano retired in April 1994 and started his second career as a Contract Specialist at Hanscom AFB. Ben then worked for a number of federal agencies in an effort to fully understand and master the global and federal landscape. His previous departments include; Department of Transportation, Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Contract Management Administration, Department of Labor, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense (Air Force). Ben believed that by constantly challenging himself and refusing to homestead, that he would be able to better appreciate the full scope of the contracting arena.

Mr. Manzano has been in the contracting and acquisition field for more than 15 years; he is a Certified Level II Program Manager and DAWIA Certified Level III Contracting Officer. He graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts with a dual concentration in Business Management and Management Information System, has completed a Masters degree in Government Contracting at George Washington University out of Washington DC, and has a Masters degree in Acquisition Management from American Graduate University in Covina, California.

Ben currently resides in Randolph Massachusetts with his wife, Teresita and their three children, Venessa, Ben, and Abenee.

Speaker Info

Jerry D. Smith Sr. Director, GSA New England Region, Office of Small Business Utilization (OSBU)

Jerry D. Smith Sr. assumed the position of Director, GSA New England Region, Office of Small Business Utilization (OSBU), in December of 2007.
Director Smith joined the GSA team in May 2005, as an IT Project Manager. In Dec 2005 he was re-assigned as the Manager of GSA’s Regional Network Services Operations, Director Boston Defense Metropolitan Area Telecommunications System (DMATS), and Regional Coordinator for Emergency Communications. He is a Veteran with 24 years of active Air Force service as a Communications Systems Manager and Engineer. He also served as a NATO Emergency Management Trainer, and a United Nations Emergency Communications Planner. After retiring from the Air Force, he worked in the wireless communications industry as an Advance Wireless Technology Trainer for SPRINT Mobile Communications. He later spent time in the IT Start-Up Industry as a Project Manager, Training Consultant, Value Added Reseller (VAR) Relations Manager, Business Line Developer, and a Special Events Coordinator.

In his current capacity as Director, He manages GSA’s small business outreach and educational programs throughout the region. He acts as an advocate for small socio-economic disadvantaged businesses presently doing business, or interested in doing business, with GSA and other Federal agencies. He acts as a liaison to the Small Business Administration (SBA), the New England States’ Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs), and Congressional Representatives’ Economic Development staffs located throughout the New England states.

Director Smith holds an AAA in Electronic Systems Technology; a BAAS in Electronic Engineering Technology; and a MS in Human Relations. From 2005 to 2009, he served as the GSA New England Regional EEO Officer. He holds advance training certificates in Process Improvement, Quality Assurance Management, Federal Contract Administration, Program Management, Federal Workplace Mediation, IT & Telecommunications Operations Management, Network Design Engineering, Academic Instructor, and National Security Agency (NSA) Cryptographic Systems Installation-Maintenance Team Chief.

Director Smith is a Life member of Blacks In Government (BIG) and currently serves as a member of the BIG’s National Board of Directors. He holds memberships in several organizations including Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc and currently serves as a college alumni recruiting point of contact for Texas State University and Oklahoma University.

Seminar Details

Seminar Description

Sustainable Purchasing - Initiatives, Practices, & Opportunities

Green purchasing is consistently gaining momentum and promises to represent the wave of the future for many reasons. Learn how the Commonwealth of Massachusetts uses its purchasing power to reduce the environmental and public health impact of state government and foster markets for environmentally preferable products (EPPs). Learn about the Commonwealth’s Environmentally Preferable Products Procurement Program; obtain information about the benefits of EPPs, statewide EPP contracts, guides, tools, and more. Visit www.mass.gov/epp, www.mass.gov/osd and www.massrecycle.org to learn more.

Businesses interested in understanding how and why the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is greening its procurement contracts and what suppliers need to do to gain a ‘green advantage’ in the bidding process should not miss this session.

Speaker Info

Marcia Deegler, Director, Environmental Purchasing, Commonwealth of MA

Marcia Deegler is the Director of Environmental Purchasing for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The primary goal of the Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) Procurement Program – which is based in the state’s Operational Services Division - is to use the Commonwealth's purchasing power to reduce the environmental and public health impact of state government and foster markets for EPPs. Marcia has been with the EPP Program since its inception in 1995 and has been instrumental in growing the success of this interagency effort on many levels, including the issuance of over three dozen statewide contracts that contain EPPs and tracking over $250 million in EPP procurements during Fiscal Year 2010. The program is the recipient of five national awards, and Marcia was a 2009 recipient of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ highest honor for Executive Department employees, the Manuel Carballo Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service.

Speaker Info

Dmitriy is the President of the Massachusetts Recycling Coalition (MassRecycle) & a Procurement Manager at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Operational Services Division. As President of MassRecycle Dmitriy oversees a statewide coalition of individuals, governments, businesses, institutions and non-profits dedicated to promoting & to realizing the vital environmental, social & economic benefits of recycling. As a Procurement Manager for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Dmitriy was instrumental in the development of the Environmentally Preferable Products Procurement Program and creating over three dozen statewide contracts that contain environmentally preferable products.

Seminar Details

Seminar Description

Best Practices to Achieve Networking Results

Speaker Info

Diane Darling, Founder & CEO, Effective Networking, Inc.

As principal consultant for Effective Networking, Inc., she founded the company on the premise that everyone can learn to network, they just need to find their own style. Combining interactive training, strategic planning and an exploration of the natural fears of networking, Darling demystifies the process by providing techniques that can be immediately implemented. She has received rave reviews for her seminars and speeches and is increasingly sought after as an expert resource on the subject of networking.
McGraw-Hill commissioned her to write the definitive book on networking called The Networking Survival Guide which was published in April 2003 and went into a 2nd printing just 90 days after the book hit the shelves. The book has been translated into Korean and Taiwanese. In 2005, McGraw-Hill published her 2nd book, Networking for Career Success which has since been translated into Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Portuguese, and Thai. She has appeared on NBC Nightly News, in The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, and The Boston Globe. She is a member of the CEO Club. Darling is also a blogger and random columnist for a variety of publications. She's a former columnist for the Boston Business Journal. She recently taught in the MBA program at Boston University. Her hobbies include watching football, reading, and attempting to play tennis. In order to overcome her fear of public speaking, she took acting and standup comedy classes.

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: Best Practices to Achieve Networking Results
• Location: Best Business Practices – Room #9
• Time: 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Seminar Description

I’m a Small Business, Is the Cloud for Me?

Each day businesses are moving to the cloud due the power, pricing and agility. This seems easy for large companies to do with their vast resources, but what about smaller companies where each person wears so many hats? With materials drawn from Rackspace’s year-long education program, CloudU, you will learn about the key features of cloud computing and how to move to the cloud in small, simple steps.

Speaker Info

Adam Hansen, Rackspace Small Business Advocate

Adam Hansen is Rackspace’s Small Business Advocate. He has helped small to medium sized businesses move to cloud for the last 4 years. Recently Adam moved to the Rackspace Cloud Marketing team to help drive awareness around the benefits of cloud computing for small and medium businesses. Having owned, run and sold several companies that he has helped to build, Adam still holds on to a few that are near to his heart. An entrepreneur at heart, Adam is passionate about helping small to medium sized businesses thrive through the smart use of technology.

Seminar Details

Seminar Description

Entrepreneurial DNA : Why 75% Of Guru Tips and Strategy Will Not Work For Your Company - And How To Find the 25% That Will

Every guru out there wants you to buy their book, follow their blog, attend their seminar and pay them thousands of dollars to "coach you to success". Business opportunity promoters also want to wine and dine you to buy into their business opportunity and "make millions".

But here's a dirty little secret the consultants and business opportunity promoters won't tell you.

Not every social media strategy, marketing campaign, networking tip or business opportunity will work for you!

Just because it worked for someone else does not mean that you have the same "DNA" as that person. Just like when it comes to food, some foods work well for you and other foods don't. Some businesses (and strategies) are good for you and others are not.

This session is designed to help you discover what "type" of entrepreneur you really are. Start by taking the free test available at http://www.bosidna.com to generate your Entrepreneurial Profile. Then in our session through case studies, you'll learn which businesses and strategies are best suited for your Entrepreneurial Profile. You'll walk away confident to make better decisions on which business to start, how to run that business, who to surround yourself with and how to maximize your success in the process.

Speaker Info

Joe Abraham, Founder & CEO, BOSI and Author, Entrepreneurial DNA

Joe is a serial entrepreneur who has been involved in the startup and growth of over 30 companies since he started his first business at age 23. He has served as founder, executive or advisor to companies in industries ranging from SaaS (IT) and wellness to consumer goods and motorsports. He has launched products and companies in the US, UK, Europe, S. Korea, Japan, Australia and India to name a few. To date, companies he was involved in starting up have grossed in excess of $250 million in revenues.

In 2008, Joe made the game-changing discovery of the BOSI Quadrant - a behavioral map that can literally predict which business is best suited for an entrepreneur and which strategy and teams they should employ when building that business. His breakthrough book Entrepreneurial DNA (McGraw Hill 2011) is already one of the most talked-about books in the business community - and it has only been out for a few weeks.

Today, Joe is founder and CEO of BOSI Inc - a venture-backed "dot-connection portal" for entrepreneurs that just released its free beta at http://www.bosidna.com. While other online communities and social networks feed one-size-fits-all mumbo jumbo, BOSI is the only place entrepreneurs can get connected with people, content and solutions best suited for their unique DNA.

Seminar Details

• Seminar Title: Entrepreneurial DNA : Why 75% Of Guru Tips and Strategy Will Not Work For Your Company - And How To Find the 25% That Will
• Location: Best Business Practices – Room #9
• Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Seminar Description

I’m a Small Business, Is the Cloud for Me?

Each day businesses are moving to the cloud due the power, pricing and agility. This seems easy for large companies to do with their vast resources, but what about smaller companies where each person wears so many hats? With materials drawn from Rackspace’s year-long education program, CloudU, you will learn about the key features of cloud computing and how to move to the cloud in small, simple steps.

Speaker Info

Adam Hansen, Rackspace Small Business Advocate

Adam Hansen is Rackspace’s Small Business Advocate. He has helped small to medium sized businesses move to cloud for the last 4 years. Recently Adam moved to the Rackspace Cloud Marketing team to help drive awareness around the benefits of cloud computing for small and medium businesses. Having owned, run and sold several companies that he has helped to build, Adam still holds on to a few that are near to his heart. An entrepreneur at heart, Adam is passionate about helping small to medium sized businesses thrive through the smart use of technology.

Seminar Details

Seminar Description

Roadmap to Entrepreneurship – A Comprehensive Guide to Building Your Dream Business!

Abstract Coming Soon!

Moderator Info

Jeremy Halpern, Partner and Head of Business Development, Emerging Companies Group at Nutter, McClennen & Fish LLP

Jeremy Halpern, is a Partner, and the Head of Business Development, Emerging Companies Group, at Nutter, McClennen & Fish LLP, a large Boston-based law firm. Mr. Halpern concentrates on connecting with and supporting the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in New England, working with entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, corporate strategic partners, trade organizations and local, State and Federal agencies. Concurrently, Mr. Halpern serves as the Chairman of The Capital Network (TCN), a Boston-based non-profit that provides education to entrepreneurs seeking early stage capital, and as an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurial Leadership at Tufts University. Mr. Halpern is also a Connector in the Boston World Partnership, and the founder of JETPAC, a grant program assisting entrepreneurs with access to learning and networking opportunities.

Previously, Mr. Halpern was the Managing Director of Evolution Advisors LLC, a Boston based strategic transaction advisory firm, and the Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Business Development for MobileTek Corporation, a developer of PC based applications enabling smarter mobility for consumer mobile devices. Prior to that, Mr. Halpern practiced corporate law with Goodwin Procter LLP and Bingham McCutchen LLP in Boston, and with Irell & Manella LLP in Los Angeles.

Mr. Halpern received his B.A., summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of California, Berkeley, and his J.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles. Prior to law school, Mr. Halpern spent two years as the Executive Chairman of a concert and special events production company.

Panelist Info

John Harthorne, Founder & CEO, MassChallenge

John Harthorne is the Founder and CEO of MassChallenge, a startup competition and accelerator designed to catalyze a startup renaissance by connecting high-impact startups from around the world with the resources they need to launch and succeed. The first annual competition launched in April 2010 and 16 winners split a prize pool of $1 million in cash in October 2010. In January of 2011, President Barack Obama identified MassChallenge as one of America’s most effective startup accelerators and announced MassChallenge as an inaugural member of the Startup America Partnership to promote high-growth startups across the country and around the world. The 2011 MassChallenge competition received over 730 applications from 34 states and 24 countries.

Seminar Details

Seminar Description

Don’t Be A Victim! Protect Your Customer's Financial Data & Avoid Identify Theft

Abstract Coming Soon!

Speaker Info

Julie Gershon, Legal Plan & Identity Theft Specialist and Managing Partner, Unique Benefits Group LLC

Julie Gershon is a Managing Partner and legal plan and identity theft specialist with Unique Benefits Group, LLC. She is also the Vice President of Group Marketing for Massachusetts and Rhode Island for Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. (Independent Associate). For over ten years, she has been offering pre-paid legal plans and identity theft monitoring and restoration programs nationwide to individuals, families, and companies as voluntary employee benefits.

Due to the rapidly growing crime of identity theft and the subsequent lack of knowledge that many people have about their exposure to identity theft, she has become very involved in educating consumers through Identity Theft Awareness Seminars. She has presented her seminar to dozens of companies and social organizations throughout New England.

Ms. Gershon is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate with a B.A. in Legal Studies and a Minor in Criminal Justice Studies from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. She has worked in the legal industry for over 20 years. She can be reached at 978-658-4235 (direct) or 800-320-3220. E-mail: gershons3j@cs.com; Website: www.onlyonemeonline.com

Speaker Info

David Perkins, Senior Vice President, S.H. Smith Insurance Agency of Massachusetts, Inc.

David S. Perkins is a Senior Vice President of S.H. Smith & Company, Inc., the largest independent wholesale insurance brokerage located in New England. He has been in the insurance business for over 20 years. Prior to joining S.H. Smith & Company in 1994, he worked for a wholesale insurance broker specializing in the placement of insurance products for financial institutions.

Mr. Perkins is responsible for the Professional Liability Department of S.H. Smith & Company in the Massachusetts office. He is also responsible for the placement and negotiation of Directors & Officers Liability, Professional Liability (both medical and non-medical), Employment Practices Liability, Cyber/Security/Privacy Liability Insurance and related coverages. He has expertise in the following areas:

Mr. Perkins has completed his designation for the Registered Profession.

Seminar Details

Seminar Description

Business is Great, Except for the People

Surrounding yourself with creative, supportive and smart people is essential for achieving true business success. The most successful business owners love their customers, clients and employees.
This interactive session provides practical strategies for tackling your toughest people problems. It is based on the People section of Jane's best-selling book, 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business..

Seminar Highlights:

• How recruit and retain great employees

• How to instantly eliminate toxic clients and customer from your business and professional life

• What every business owner needs to know about managing employees, vendors and customers

• Cross-training and time management tips for busy business owners

Speaker Info

Jane Applegate, Author, Columnist & Consultant

Jane Applegate is America’s most respected small business management expert. A popular keynote speaker and commentator, she’s author of four books on small business success, including 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business and The Entrepreneur’s Desk Reference. On April 16, 2011, John Wiley & Sons published the third edition of 201 Great Ideas as a trade paperback and in all eBook formats for Kindle, Nook, Adobe Digital Editions and iPad.

Applegate is a popular keynote speaker who spoke at more than 20 events in 2010 sponsored by business associations, chambers of commerce and companies serving business owners. In 2011, she is scheduled to speak at more than a dozen events sponsored by the National Association of Women Business Owners, Virtual CFO (vcfo.com, Elance.com, HubSpot.com.

In 2011, Applegate launched The Great Ideas Network, a small business video network devoted to sharing great business, marketing and management ideas via www.201greatideas.com.

A former syndicated small business columnist for the Los Angeles Times, Applegate writes a bi-monthly small business blog for Amex’s Open Forum.com and exclusive monthly columns for Cox Communications, Pitney Bowes and Montecito Bank.

When she left the Times, she created, produced and co-anchored Bloomberg Small Business for the USA Network. She also wrote and produced a daily radio show. Succeeding in Small Business radio report aired on hundreds of CBS stations in the 1990s.

The Applegate Group, founded in 1991, provides strategic marketing and video production services to big and small companies. (www.theapplegategroup.com).

• Revive & Thrive: Strategies for Growth in 2011

• Clear the Way to Unlimited Success: Six Steps for a Successful Life and Business

• Seamless Marketing: Integrating Online and Offline Strategies

For information please contact: Jane@theapplegategroup.com
802.763.7098 (office)
914.830.5115 (mobile)

Seminar Details