The biggest local show for business returns
The 2008 Business Conference & Showcase (BC&S) will take place Tuesday, March 18, at the Holiday Inn Select Executive and Expo Centers. This year’s event, titled “A Day for Everyone,” will feature five seminars and more than 100 exhibitors, with an expected attendance of more than 2,000 people.
“This is a great opportunity for businesses to network. Very few times do so many businesses come together like the Business Conference & Showcase. With the chamber being so big, this is a chance to get to know your neighbors,” said Cara Christianson, BC&S co-chair. “Whether you’ve been with your company for 15 years or 15 days, you’ll walk away with something.”
As part of an effort to expand the event and make it more inclusive, EPIC, Emerging Professionals in Columbia, will hold a seminar there for the first time.
“We needed an outlet for young professionals in Columbia,” said Chris Lunn, EPIC executive board member. “Ed [Lamont] was doing two seminars, so we thought it would be a great idea to bring him on for a third.”
Ed Lamont, president of Lamont Consulting Group, Inc., leads the EPIC-sponsored seminar “Experts in Training: Taking it to the Streets.” A mixer follows, enabling the young professionals to network.
The conference draws businesspeople from outside Columbia as well, with the Missouri Core (Connecting Our Regional Economy) partnership.
“The Missouri CORE roundtable is a little different than what we’ve done in the past as well because it’s bringing outside chambers and communities into the event,” said Christianson. “Our chambers work closely, so we believe it’s important to include them.”
“Why Economic Regionalism? A Missouri CORE Partnership Roundtable Discussion” will run from 3 p.m. 4 p.m.
The day’s agenda starts with the Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s quarterly member breakfast, which will take place from 7:15 a.m. to 9 a.m. Next is “Watching the Gauges: A Proactive Approach to a Profitable ’08” from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., led by Dave Mattson, a BC&S veteran and CEO of Sandler Training.
The Keynote Luncheon with the 14th Annual ATHENA Award presentation will take place from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., during which the chamber’s Women’s Network honors an individual who has made contributions to promoting women in business. Lamont presents “Positioning Yourself as an Expert: Part 2,” from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., followed by the EPIC seminar from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Seminar costs range from $15 to $30, and all include free showcase admission. Businesses can register online at bcs.columbiamochamber.com with $3 off each event for those who register before March 13