Are you missing out on the millions of dollars that is being spent with certified LGBT suppliers? This session will give LGBT business owners and entrepreneurs the background and understanding on how to become a certified LGBT vendor to some of America's top corporations. Come hear perspectives from top corporate decision makers and discover how you can expand your business by becoming a certified LGBT supplier.

Panelists:  Jeffrey Espiritu - Motorola, Brent Friedman - Merck, and Stephanie Blackwood - Double Platinum.


Session II

Take the Next Marketing Step -- Prove Return on LGBT Investment 

Help your company take the next step in equality by integrating LGBT into the marketing and advertising mix.  Learn the importance of proving results and how to design tracking and measurement into LGBT programs.  Leading American brands are discovering that if you treat LGBT like a true business segment, it will perform like one.  Proving the return is the best way to assure LGBT its fair share of investment in your company. 

Featured Presenters:  Dawn Meifert and Matt Savage - Merge Media Group.

Session III

LGBT Supplier Diversity 360^o

Have you wondered what might be missing from your business plan that is hindering you from achieving the success you know you should have? This intimate workshop is designed to help you identify tools you can use to close the deal. The certified businesses that attend this session should expect meaningful insight into the corporate procurement world, including the RFI and RFP processes. This session will also discuss strategic alliances, collaborating with Strategic Sourcing teams, building business opportunities in a business to business capacity and more.

Panelists:  Irwin Drucker - IBM, Lisa A. Johnson - UPS, and Theresa Harrison - Ernst & Young

CCBO Session: Chamber Sustainability

In this challenging economic time, have you worked out a strategy to help your organization survive?  Diversify your chamber's revenue for long term strategic growth through member dues, corporate partnerships and programs. Participants will explore new ideas for revenue and learn to develop and manage organizational budgets.

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12:00pm - 2:30pm

Lunch on your own

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2:30pm - 3:45pm

Business Sessions

Session I

Cash Flow Solutions: Business Financing in a Challenging Market

Whether you've just opened the doors, are in your fifth year of business, or are looking to expand, almost every business has encountered cash flow issues. This session will take a detailed look at potential problems for business owners and offer solutions to break the cash flow log jam and help you get or grow to the next level. The session is ideal for any business owner that is looking for solutions to keep their business on track in a bull or bear economy.

Featured Presenter:  John Thwing - Wells Fargo


Session II

LGBT Supplier Diversity 201

This panel discussion will cover how to market your certification and effectively brand your company as an LGBT Business Enterprise. This workshop will present how to ensure you are a registered vendor with NGLCC Corporate Partners and provide a wealth of other information that will help get your business to the next level. Join NGLCC certified LGBT businesses and major corporations as they share valuable tips, insights and tools for selling to America's top corporations. Certified LGBT businesses and those LGBT businesses considering certification will benefit from this intermediate session on how best to pitch your product or service and how to maximise marketing opportunities through pleasant persistence.

Panelists:  Jay Forte - American Language Technologies (Moderator), Gail Snow - Hanlon Brown Design, and Sean Montgomery - Integrity Staffing


Session III

Completing the Circle of Corporate Diversity: A "How-To" Plan for Selling Participation Internally

Are you championing your company adding certified LGBT businesses to its list of diverse suppliers? Do you want to learn how to get your company involved? Then this session is for you! Attendees will hear from the members of the NGLCC Procurement Council on their process for adding LGBT supplier diversity. You will learn why it is critical for your company to complete the circle of corporate diversity and how it can do so by bringing parity to its diversity practices through LGBT supplier diversity.

Panelists:  Chris Crespo - Ernst & Young, Mark Ng - Wells Fargo and Cordey Lash - Wyndham Hotel Group.


CCBO Session: Organizational Stuctures for Chambers

What is your non-profit status? What bylaws does your organization have in place? Do you have an effective Board of Directors and are your committee teams performing? Participants will explore how to best utilize status, staff, volunteers and interns.

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5:00pm - 6:00pm	B2B Networking Reception - Open to NGLCC Certified Suppliers
	Are you an NGLCC certified supplier or are you in the process of certification? If so, this is a premier opportunity for you to network with other certified and potentially certified businesses in an exclusive setting to develop B2B relationships.
5:00pm - 7:00pm	Welcome Reception in the NGLCC Marketplace
7.30pm	Dine Out Minneapolis
	Enjoy Dinner at one of the many OUT or ALLIED restaurants in Minneapolis while networking with colleagues and friends - old and new. Conference attendees will receive special discounts at participating restaurants.

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Friday, June 6, 2008

8:00am - 5:00pm	Registration (Symphony Ballroom Promenade)
9:00am - 10:30am	Keynote Breakfast and Awards Presentation (Symphony Ballroom)

Join the NGLCC as we recognize excellence in the LGBT business movement. 2008 honorees will include the NGLCC Chamber of the Year, Rising Star Chamber and Corporate Chamber Champion.

10:30am - 5:00pm	Marketplace Expo
10:30am - 3:00pm	"Make the Connection" in the Marketplace Expo (Conrad Rooms and Foyer)

If you are looking to become a supplier to some of America's top corporations, you do not want to miss this opportunity. This event will allow certified and potentially certified LGBT businesses the opportunity to meet one on one with top decision makers from corporations and government entities. Use this time to gain valuable insights on bidding for contracts and to build a relationship with the supplier diversity professionals. As we all know, time is money and this will be time well spent!


10:45am - 12:00pm       CCBO Session: Chamber Communications and Marketing

Communicating with your members, the media and the larger community. Using tools such as newsletters, electronic communications, your website, speakers' bureau and other tools to create and maintain effective messaging about the work and value of your chamber.

12:15pm - 1:15pm

CCBO Luncheon: Getting Connected: How to Effectively Build       and Nurture Relationships with Local and State Elected       Officials

Learn skills to help you develop and nurture relationships with elected officials to facilitate effective lobbying for your business concerns.  This presentation will offer tips about how to get in front of elected officials and how to best ensure your message is heard and considered.

Panelists: Ellin McInnis - Wells Fargo, Lee Anderson - General Mills, and Justin Nelson - NGLCC. 


1:15pm - 2:45pm         CCBO Session: Maximizing Your Chamber's Use of Technology

Stay ahead of business trends and use technology to add value to your member benefits. In addition to understanding the potential of a well designed website, participants will discuss the use of blogs, podcasting, streaming and online newsletters. 

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3:00pm - 4:15pm

Business Sessions

Session I

NGLCC WBI Women Leaders Roundtable

NGLCC Women's Business Initiative (WBI) members and other interested attendees will have the chance to hear from top women in business and politics about what they have done to shatter the lavender ceiling. Panelists will share compelling insights about what it takes to succeed in today's competitive world and how they have become leaders in their respective industries. The right mix of entrepreneurs, corporate leaders and elected officials promises that this roundtable will be one of the top "must attend" sessions of the conference again this year.

Panelists:  Deborah Graves - Regency Hospitals, Judy Dlugacz - Olivia (invited), and Karen Clark - Minnesota State Representative (Invited)


Session II

Furthering LGBT Leadership and Employee Resource Group Development

While business has laudably come a long way in its support of the LGBT workforce sector, are there disconnects between what organizations are doing today to support retention and development of LGBT employees, and the retention/development experiences of current LGBT leaders?  This session will open a dialogue among the attendees regarding the presenters' reserach on pivital circumstances LGBT leaders have found in becoming leaders, what organizations can do to help, and what they can do to further support professional development of LGBT staff.

Featured Presenter:  Steve Salee - Corporate Counseling Associates

 

4:30pm - 5:30pm

Film Screening: Freeheld

Join conference registrants at the screening of Academy Award winning film: Freeheld. Cynthia Wade, conference keynote speaker and Director of Freeheld, will follow the screening with a Q&A session.

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6:00pm - 7.30pm	Wells Fargo Reception
7:30pm	Dine Out Minneapolis

Enjoy Dinner at one of the many OUT or ALLIED restaurants in Minneapolis while networking with colleagues and friends - old and new. Conference attendees will receive special discounts at participating restaurants.

8:00pm - 10:00pm

Hilton Reception (The Marquette - 701 Marquette Avenue, Invitation Only)

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Saturday, June 7, 2008

9:00am - 10:00am	Registration
10:00am - 1:00pm	Procurement Council Meeting
10:00am - 11:15am	Business Sessions

Session I

State of the Movement: Insight from National LGBT Organizations

This session will give an update on the State of the LGBT Movement in this critical election year and what national organizations are doing to affect change at the ballot box as well as major initiatives.

Panelists: Darryl Herrschaft - HRC, Russell Roybal - National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Session II

Web 2.0

Are you striving for the business of tomorrow, but using the technology of yesterday? This session explores how to take your 2.0 office and make it a 5.0 enterprise. Learn about solutions that can save you money and streamline your process without busting your budget. Hear what steps you can take to be more competitive in your industry by upgrading your equipment.

Featured Presenter:  Matt Skallerud - Pink Banana Media with Parker Ray - GLEE.

CCBO Session: Leader Development

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