Workshops Block 1

1. Financing Your Business: Challenges and Solutions for Developing and Expanding Your Enterprise

This session is designed to educate LGBT business owners and entrepreneurs about financing options to start or grow their enterprise. Whether you are looking for start up capital or for capital investment to expand existing operations, this session will benefit you.

Mark Ng, Diverse Growth Segments, LGBT Segment, Wells Fargo
Marielle Dupéré, President, Canaztec, CCGQ Board Member (Québec, Canada)
Lord Waheed Alli, Businessman & member of the House of Lords (United Kingdom)

Chair: Walter Schubert, CEO, Gay Financial Network, NYSE Member, NGLCC Board Member (United States)

2. Developing Valuable Services and Expanding Business Opportunities for Your Members         

Delegates will use this opportunity to share program and event ideas with one another and share best practices. This session will allow attendees to capitalize on one another’s successes and help ward off potential failures.  If you are part of a chamber or business organization that is attending this session, be sure to plan ahead and bring your materials and resources to share!

Louise Chernin, CCBO National Chair, Executive Director, Greater Seattle Business Association
Joyce Marieb, CCBO Pacific Regional Chair, Executive Director, Greater San Diego Business Association
Martin Blanke, Global Information Solutions at IMS, Chief Internet Commission at Network

Chair: Kate Karasmeighan, Manager of Affiliate Relations and the Women’s Business Initiative, National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)

Room:
511-E
Language:

English
French

3. Corporate Social Responsibility and the LGBT Equality Agenda

This session will give a global perspective on what multinational corporations are doing to ensure equality in the workplace. Find out what companies are doing to support the LGBT equality movement as a part of good corporate citizenship though partnerships and organizational involvement. You will also hear how companies mesh their corporate LGBT diversity philosophies with laws and social mores in the various countries in which they do business.

Joseph Bertolotti, Business Development Executive, GLBT Segment, IBM
Darryl Herrschaft, Director, Human Rights Campaign WorkNet (invited)
Mark R. Bruneau, Vice President Executive & Chief Strategy Officer, Bell Canada Enterprise, CCGQ Governor

Chair: Patricia Vivado, NGLCC Board Chair, Vice President for Global Diversity and Inclusion, Lehman Brothers

English

Workshops Block 2

1. Making a Difference: Why Being OUT in Life and in Business Is Critical

This panel explores why being OUT and visible as an LGBT person is critical to the equality movement. Panelists will discuss how being a role model for future generations can make a positive impact. Learn what you can do as LGBT business owners and professionals to see that the world sees the multiple dimensions of being an LGBT person.

Darren Royer, President, Impact Training Innovations
Benjie Nycum, President & founder, YGA Magazine
Michelle Burkart, Founder & President, Think Business!

Chair: Bruce Goudy, Partner, Ernst & Young

English

2. The Value of Your LGBT Business Organization: Collaborations and Sponsorships

Understanding how to gain sponsorships is extremely important to organizations. This session brings together representatives from corporations as well as leaders from chambers and business organizations to discuss the right and wrong ways to establish partnerships and ask for sponsorship dollars.

Al Ramsay, Manager, Community Relations & Business Development, TD Bank Financial Group
George Carrancho, National Sales & Marketing Manager for GLBT Community, American Airlines
Louise Chernin, CCBO National Chair, Executive Director, Greater Seattle Business Association

Chair: Sam McClure, CCBO Midwest Chair, President, Quorum: Twin Cities GLBT Chamber of Commerce
 

English

3. From Small Businesses to Multinational Corporations: Setting the Standard for Workplace Equality

This panel will provide differing, yet connected views of how workplace equality is being shaped in today’s global economy. Hear what is being requested of corporations and small businesses as well as what the law is requiring of them. You will also gain insights of LGBT women and men as they transition into the workforce and look to ensure their future employer – large or small, is keeping up with workplace equality issues.

Michelle Phillips, Partner, Jackson Lewis
Eric Bloem, HRC WorkNet
Gregg Blachford, Director, McGill University Career and Placement Services     

Chair: Adam Mongodin, Founder & President, G-Force

English

1. Making Your Community a Desirable LGBT Destination (1 of 2)

What are you doing to see that your community is accessing the multi-billion dollar LGBT travel market? This two part session will explore what you can do to see that your community is vying for LGBT meeting and leisure travel dollars. You will learn from experts what needs to be done to compete.

Tom Roth, Community Marketing Manager
Jerry Terp, Greater Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association
John Tanzella, Executive Director, International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association

English

2. Successful Strategies for Building and Growing Your LGBT Chamber or Business Organisation

This session gives chamber delegates the opportunity to hear, share and discuss strategies for starting and growing an LGBT chamber of commerce. The session will be interactive and sharing and comparing information is encouraged. Board development, committee structure and the overall operations of a chamber will be discussed.

Louise Chernin, CCBO National Chair, Executive Director, Greater Seattle Business Association
Roz Shakespeare, Founder, Vibrant Group, LGBT Diversity Training Company.
Sandra Gibbs, Board Director, Gay & Lesbian Business Association of Greater Vancouver (GLBA) (Canada)

English

3. LGBT Supplier Education: Get Certified - Get Connected!

Are you missing out on the millions of dollars that are 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 the top multi-national corporations.  Come hear perspectives from top corporate decision makers and discover how you can expand your business by becoming a certified LGBT supplier.

Irwin Drucker, Director, IBM of LGBT Supplier Diversity
Lupe Barto, Vice-President, JPMorgan Chase Supplier Diversity
Nanette Kelley, Manager, Motorola Supplier Diversity

Chair: Lourdes Diaz, Vice-President, Corporate Relations/Procurement Council Director, National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

English

1. Reaching the LGBT Market (1 of 2)

Hear from the most renowned experts in LGBT marketing during this first of a two-part panel discussion designed to educate attendees about the “dos” and “don’t” of attracting this exciting market.

Wes Combs, President, Witeck-Combs Communications
Matt Skallerud, CEO, Hyperion Interactive Media (H.I.M.)
Gabriele Neroni, CEO Chief Executive Officer, Manaround (United Kingdom)

English

2. Making Your Community a Desirable LGBT Destination (2 of 2)

Part II of this discussion allows attendees the first-hand opportunity to see what various communities have done to target this exciting and ever-growing travel segment. Learn how local chambers, convention and visitors’ bureaus can team up for success.

Gérard Spatafora, Project Leader / Marketing & Internet Strategy, Jonview Canada Inc, OutByView, Air Transat Division
Steve Adkins, Executive Director, Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
Honourable Charles Lapointe, P.C., President & CEO, Tourisme Montréal (invited)  (Canada)

English

3. Make the Connection

If you are looking to become a supplier to some of the top corporations in the world, you do not want to miss this opportunity! This event will allow certified LGBT businesses or those businesses considering certification as an LGBT enterprise 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. Time is money and this will be time well spent!

English

Cocktail & President Diner 

1. Reaching the LGBT Market (2 of 2)

This is Part II of an exciting discussion on reaching the LGBT market. During this session, you will see campaigns that have been successful in reaching the LGBT market and hear from those professional that are responsible for them. Hear first hand how ideas go from concept to full blown ad campaign and what you need to do to ensure it resonates with LGBT consumers.

Howard Buford, CEO, Prime Access
Alana Haberman, Advertising Sales Manager, Out in America
Travis Pagel, Co-Founder, Osmosis Medialab Inc.

English

2. Political Clout and the LGBT Business Lobby

This panel will discuss the politics of LGBT business. Hear from current and former LGBT elected officials on how best to approach decision makers at all levels of government. You will also learn what the panelists have done to push equality measures in their respective countries.

The Honourable Barney Frank, US House of Representatives (invited)
Claude Janiak, President of the Switzerland National Council
Jean-Luc Romero, Regional Councillor, Founder & President, ELCS (Élus Locaux contre le Sida: Politics against Aids)

Chair: Justin Nelson, Co-Founder and President, National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce

English

3. Minority within a Minority: Women, Ethnicity and Disability Issues in LGBT Business

The provocative panel will explore rewards and challenges of being what some call a “double minority.” Panelists will give a candid view of how being LGBT and an ethnic minority, woman or person with disabilities has affected career paths and life choices. You will also gain valuable perspectives on how you can incorporate what you lean into your own diversity business practices.

Cordey Lash, National Account Manager - International & GLBT Strategic Partnerships
Wyndham Worldwide
Colleen Dermody, Vice President, Witeck-Combs, Disability and Healthcare Segments
Eva Kreienkamp, Managing Partner, FrischCo. Sales Marketing Controlling

Chair: Yvette C. Burton, Ph.D., Business Development Executive, LGBT Segments, IBM

English