Friday, August 1, 2008

11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

International Trade 102: Trade and Foreign Investments Risks and Rewards
Presented by Daniele Longo, Anthony Parkes, Virginia Quinetro Rosell, CMM, CMP, and Abby Shapiro

What will—or could—the economic impact of international trade be on your chamber and community? What’s at stake for U.S. businesses? Learn how you can become savvy about protocol and cultural traditions. Attendees will be provided with case studies of chambers that have built successful international programs to see what works and what doesn’t. You’ll discover where the traps are and what kind of commitment it takes to build a successful international program. Session Handouts 

How to Meet Your Workforce Needs
Presented by Mike Edwards and Parminder Jassal, Ph.D.
Moderated by Ralph Hejlik

You hear it everywhere: businesses are struggling to find enough workers at all levels of the skills spectrum. So what can chambers do to make sure employers’ human capital needs will be met now and in the future? Discover a variety of innovative approaches chambers are taking to face this challenge head on. Session Handouts (1)    Session Handouts (2)

Young Professional Programs
Presented by Sheila Curley, Emmy Jordan, and Sarah Klamo

Congratulations, you have created a successful Young Professionals program! But now you are finding it difficult to keep the group in the chamber fold. How do you integrate them or reel them back in? Some chambers provide mentor programs, education on business models and exposure to other industries in the community. Discover the different ways you can ensure that this innovative group is fully connected to your chamber’s culture.

Contagious Issues in Employee Relations
Presented by Steven Law

Health care policy concerns are both contagious and chronic. Contagious issues are like mandated health insurance coverage—once they appear in one state, they have a tendency to show up in other parts of the country. Chronic issues, such as cost inflation, never seem to go away. Learn what other states have done to address issues such as the uninsured, and find out if anyone has found the solution.

Economic Development Marketing
Presented by James Hizer, CEcD, Richard Seline, and Bradford Tocher
Moderated by Terry Cusack

When people talk about economic development, they’re usually thinking about attracting new businesses to their communities. But, as the economic development field has expanded and evolved, global competition is forcing chambers to examine the ways and the whys of marketing their community more heavily. This session will focus on three aspects of economic development marketing: how to work your economic development website, how to create an effective cluster-based strategy, and how to market on a limited budget.

Social Media: How to Engage Your Business Community in the Global Online Conversation That Is Social Media
Presented by C. David Gammel, CAE

You’ve heard of social media, but what is it and how can these tools work for you? Learn how your chamber can benefit from this revolutionary communications trend. This session is a must attend for executives who want to explore how this exciting new media can transform their relationship with their members and community. Session Handouts 

Affinity Programs CAN Work For You, Too!
Presented by William Holman

Affinity programs can have a positive affect on your chamber, and yet, questions abound: How are chambers determining which affinity programs to offer? What is the best way to market these programs? How are conflicts of interest handled when several members have the same product? When done properly, affinity programs can drive non-dues revenue as well as assist with retention. Gain a better understanding of the dos and don’ts surrounding these key partnerships. Session Handouts  

Aligning Budgets to Strategic Planning
Presented by Mike McDowell, CPA and Dina Unrath, CPA, SPHR

We all know the budget is the foundation of a healthy organization. But keeping that budget aligned with your strategic plan and mission is critical, too. This session will provide fresh ideas on how you can make this necessary alignment. Session Handouts 

Business-to-Business Expos
Presented by Kathy Elliott, Kimberly Vann, and Amy Vaughan Niemann

For this year’s business-to-business expo, you decided to raise your booth price, and despite the increase, you’ve already managed to sell out your booth space. Not bad! So what are some other things you can do to continue growing this revenue generating event? Get inspired when you learn how to give your event’s bottom line a boost with adjacent education programming, partnerships and more.