| · Trade Expo Day 1 - September 29 | |
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After the morning session of the Opportunities in Retail is over, we will have a luncheon that will feature a senior executive from one our retail corporate members. Details are still being worked out. The GNEMSDC board of directors and our senior advisors will be holding their meetings on Wednesday as well on Wednesday afternoon. Also in a twist from previous years, there will be an opening night welcoming reception. This will be a great place for some high level networking. | |
| · Trade Expo Day 2 - September 30 | |
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After breakfast, we have the mega successful business author and consultant Jeff Fox. Mr. Fox is the author of several best selling business books including "How to Become a Rainmaker" and his latest book, "How to be a Fierce Competitor". This session will engage both MBEs and corporate representatives in a workshop that will change how they approach their businesses and their jobs. After Mr. Fox's session, we will have our MBE Honorary Co-Chair Luncheon. Beth Williams, President and CEO of Roxbury Technology Group this year's Honorary Co-Chair. At lunch we will have a panel discussion with Beth Williams and Shelley Stewart, the Senior Vice President of Operational Excellence and Chief Procurement Officer for Tyco International. This high level panel will focus on the changing realities of corporate procurement and it impact on MBEs. The afternoon session after lunch will feature the wildly successful One on One meetings. Last year we arranged over 700 meetings between MBEs and corporate members. I know from speaking with a few MBEs that these meeting have led to some significant contracts. Again the One on Ones will be based on what our corporate members are looking to buy over the next 12 months. The more corporate members we have participating the better. There will be more information on the logistics of the One on One meetings in coming weeks. And after this busy day of seminars, workshops and meetings, it will be time to celebrate with our Shining Star Reception. We are asking all of our past Shining Stars to come this year once again as we honor new inductees into this elite group. | |
| · Day 3 of the Trade Expo - October 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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After breakfast and the ceremonial ribbon cutting, the Trade Expo will begin. Last year we had over 120 booths at the program and we expect even more this year. Corporate members use this show to meet MBEs and other corporate members. MBEs use the show to market their goods and services in an environment that is the next best thing to having a corporate member visit them in their own place of business. The Sponsors' Luncheon will follow the morning session of the Expo. We are fortunate this year to have as our Keynote Speaker for the luncheon, Murray Martin, the President and CEO of Pitney Bowes. Celebrating its 90th year of innovation, Pitney Bowes is a $5.6 billion company that employs 33,000 worldwide and provides software, hardware and services that integrate physical and digital communications channels. "Long known for making its customers more productive, Pitney Bowes is increasingly helping other companies grow their business. Every connection is a new opportunity™." We look forward to hearing a message from the leader of one of the most respected corporations in the country. After lunch, we will be back for the afternoon session of the Expo. In Jeff Fox's book, How to be a Fierce Competitor, he tells a story that captures the advantages of staying late. It is a case of a salesman who makes the largest sale in his company's history simply because he was there until the end of the day. I think MBEs and corporate exhibitors and attendees should remember this with regards to the afternoon session of the Expo. And our Expo would not be complete without a great raffle. MBEs and corporate members are encouraged to donate items that we can raffle off. The proceeds from this raffle go to the educational fund that allow us to provide executive education for MBEs. This year we have already funded four MBEs to attend executive education at Tuck and Kellogg. We would like to fund more. Give Jerilyn Clarke in the GNEMSDC office a call to make your tax deductible donation. One on One Meetings What Goods and Services do MBEs Offer? We are very pleased with the overwhelming response we have received from our corporate membership on One on One participation. The One on One meetings are fifteen (15) minute meetings that we schedule for certified MBEs to meet with corporate representatives on Thursday afternoon September 30 at the GNEMSDC Trade Expo. All participants in the program must be registered for the event. All MBEs participating in the program must be certified with the GNEMSDC. The meetings are "demand driven", meaning that we are scheduling appointments based on the requirements and requests of the corporations not the requests of MBEs. So currently we are collecting those requirements from the corporate participants. After we have compiled a complete lists of requirements, we will begin scheduling appointments for MBEs signed up for the show. If you are an MBE and you do not want to be overlooked, please register because it is from this list of certified MBEs registered for the show that we will draw on to schedule appointments. Last year we scheduled over 700 meetings between our corporate members and our certified MBES. For corporate members, here is a list of the types of services MBEs can offer:
Next week we will list the corporate members who have signed up to particpate in the One on One program.
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