NGLCC National Business and Leadership Conference 2014

At this year’s conference you will be joined by over 700 LGBT business owners, corporate decision makers, affiliate chamber leaders, and government partners all interested in helping you grow your network and positively impact your business. View the preliminary agenda now and see some of the exciting sessions taking place at this year’s conference. American Airlines will again serve as Presenting Sponsor.

NGLCC National Business and Leadership Conference 2014

11th Annual NGLCC National Business & Leadership Conference

More than 700 attendees are expected to attend the 2014 NGLCC National Business & Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, NV at Caesars Palace. NGLCC’s conference will offer robust programming designed to meet the interests and needs of our corporate partners, Certified LGBT Business Enterprises, LGBT entrepreneurs, allied companies, and NGLCC affiliate chambers from across the country and around the world.

Packed with educational sessions, world-class networking, and unbelievable special events, the conference will offer incredible exposure and opportunities for LGBT-owned and -allied businesses to build relationships with more than 140 corporations, federal government agencies and each other. This is one conference you—and your business — can’t afford to miss!

2014 NGLCC National Business & Leadership Conference Preliminary Agenda

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

8:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Registration

8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

NGLCC Council of Chambers & Business Organizations (CCBO Leadership council members, by invitation)

10:00 AM – 12:30 PM

NGLCC Procurement Council Meeting (by invitation)

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

NGLCC U – B2B Boot Camp for LGBT Certified Business Enterprises

Presented by: United Airlines

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM

NGLCC Corporate Advisory Council Meeting (by invitation)

2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

NGLCC U – Local Chamber Staff Academy

NGLCC U – Local Chamber Board of Directors Academy

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Welcome Reception

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Corporate/Supplier Walk & Talks

7:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Registration

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Continental Breakfast

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Opening Plenary

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM

Break

10:45 AM – 12:00 PM

Breakout Sessions

The $100 Billion Opportunity: How You Can Become a Contractor to the Federal Government

The NGLCC has been hard at work opening doors for your business to bid on federal contracts. What are you doing to ensure you can access the more than $100 billion dollars the federal government spends every year with small businesses? In this session you will gain valuable tools to help you get registered as a federal contractor. You will hear from top agency decision makers about how to position your business for success. You will also gain valuable insights from LGBTBEs that are current federal contractors as they share their success stories.

I’m Certified, Now What?

NGLCC corporate partners spend millions of dollars with certified LGBTBEs annually and are actively looking for competitive, creative, and certified LGBT Business Enterprises. Did you also know that there is a vast network of potential LGBT customers and clients all around you looking for the same qualities in their vendors and partners?

This panel will explore how to leverage your certification on the local and national level, with both NGLCC corporate partners as well as other LGBTBEs and business entities. Whether you’re seeking opportunities with other LGBTBEs, pitching a corporate contract for the first time, or taking your game to the next level an experienced prime contractor, don’t miss this opportunity to gain powerful insights on expanding your enterprise.

Doing Business With Corporate America

LGBT-owned businesses seeking to connect with America’s top corporations in the financial services industry will learn the ins-and-outs of contracting in today’s competitive financial services environment. Attendees will gain deep insights and practical knowledge on how to leverage the NGLCC’s national corporate partners and their supply chains in the financial services industry to grow your business.

What’s the ROI on SDI: Strategies for Increasing Engagement with LGBT Suppliers

More than 140 major corporations work directly with NGLCC to access certified LGBT suppliers. These companies are leading their industries forward and are leveraging diverse supply chains to gain customer loyalty, market share, top talent, and the most competitive suppliers. Learn the strategies of NGLCC’s Best of the Best corporate leaders in LGBT supplier diversity as they share insights on realizing the return on investment of diversity and inclusion.

Introduction to Corporate Supplier Diversity

Corporate leaders working outside of procurement or those new to supplier diversity will receive a solid foundation of how and why supplier diversity works. Specific attention will be given to the NGLCC Supplier Diversity Initiative and certification available to LGBT-owned businesses. Get up to speed on corporate procurement in this introductory session to fully inclusive supplier diversity.

CCBO Session

12:00 PM – 12:15 PM

Break

12:15 PM – 2:00 PM

Luncheon Plenary

2:00 PM – 2:15 PM

Break

2:15 PM – 3:30 PM

Breakout Sessions

Going for Growth: How to Scale Your Business Regardless of Size or Industry
If growth can be predicted with the proper tools, insight and goals, why is it so few companies are able to master it successfully? This session will take a look into the people, processes and structures you need to bring your business success, regardless of size or industry. Explore the tools for making better decisions, working more cohesively as a team and learning a clear action plan for bringing your organization to a pace of profitable, sustainable growth.

Connecting the Dots: Employee Resource Groups and Supplier Diversity
This session, specifically designed for corporate representatives will provide insight and guidance on how to best engage and leverage your company’s employee resource groups (ERGs) to support the mission and impact of supplier diversity. Learn how this panel of experts has connected the dots between their ERG and supplier diversity program and how ERGs play a vital role in the NGLCC Supplier Diversity Initiative, expanding opportunities for LGBT businesses as well as your employer.

CCBO Session

3:30 PM – 3:45 PM

Break

3:45 PM – 5:00 PM

Breakout Sessions

LGBT Market Research Latest Trends Revealed

When reaching out to the $800 billion spending power behind LGBT consumers, equip yourself with the right comprehensive research, marketing avenues, and communication tactics. Learn from experts about what you should know before striking out on your own.

Diversity in the Legal Profession: Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credit

This interactive, moderated panel discussion will explore ways corporate in-house counsel, attorneys at large law firms, and LGBT-owned firms can each play a role in increasing diversity and inclusion within the legal profession. Attendees will learn how corporations can create and maintain effective business relationships with diverse-owned law firms, as well as outside counsel, by embracing supplier diversity initiatives.

Accessing the Global Market: The How, Where, and Why

Are you overlooking 95% of your potential customers? If you’re not thinking about exporting, you are! Ninety-five percent of the world’s consumers live outside the U.S. borders. NGLCC has teamed with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Export-Import Bank of the United States to educate and prepare you to export your products and services to the global market. This session will explore export financing, how to find importers, strategic partners and end users as well as accessing U.S. Commercial Services assistance in identifying markets that are right for you. You will also hear about NGLCC’s upcoming government certified trade mission and how you can participate.

Tiered Contracting: Identifying Opportunities at Every Level

In order to be successful, supplier diversity is crucial throughout all levels of the supply chain. Hear from companies of all sizes that found their niche and consider where your business can fit into your industry’s value chain, whether you’re the prime supplier, direct subcontractor, or critical supplier further down the line.

CCBO Session

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Opening Reception

Thursday, July 31, 2014

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Morning Group Yoga

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Corporate/Supplier Walk & Talks

8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Registration

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Continental Breakfast

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Morning Plenary – Spotlight on Achievement
Presented by: Southwest Airlines

The essential compliment to NGLCC’s LGBTBE certification is membership in a local LGBT chamber of commerce. Take a moment to engage in our time-honored tradition as we recognize and celebrate our influential network of local chambers and present this year’s Chamber Excellence Awards

10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Marketplace Expo
Presented by: Toyota Financial Services

10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

NGLCC Matchmaker Meetings (by appointment)

These pre-scheduled meetings allow certified LGBTBEs the opportunity to meet one-on-one with decision makers, purchasing representatives, and supplier diversity professionals from NGLCC corporate partners. Use this time to gain valuable insights on bidding for contracts and to build direct relationships with potential clients. As we all know, time is money and each of these 15-minute meetings is time well spent!

10:45 AM – 12:15 PM

CCBO Session

12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

Luncheon Plenary – A conversation with Marcus Lemonis of CNBC’s “The Profit”

Have you ever wanted to hear from a self-made billionaire on how he did it? Do you want to know how you can take your business from struggling or mildly successful to stratospheric? Now you have the chance to have both questions answered! NGLCC is pleased to have Marcus Lemonis, American businessman, investor, television personality and philanthropist, as keynote of this plenary. Lemonis, chairman and CEO of Camping World and Good Sam Enterprises, is also the star of CNBC’s Primetime hit reality series “The Profit,” where he lends his expertise to struggling small businesses and helps turn them around. He is now bringing that expertise to you at this year’s conference!

2:00 PM – 4:30 PM

Marketplace Expo Resumes

Presented by: Toyota Financial Services

2:00 PM – 4:30 PM

NLGCC Matchmaker Meetings Resume (by appointment)

2:15 PM – 4:15 PM

CCBO Session

4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Breakout Sessions

Collaboration Across Communities: The National Business Inclusion Consortium

Spearheaded by the NGLCC and launched in 2011, the mission of the National Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC) is to expand opportunities for diverse-owned businesses and enhance access to resources, contracting, education, and mentoring for entrepreneurs representing diverse communities. Together, these collaborating organizations represent diverse communities that account for more than nearly nine trillion dollars in consumer spending power and significant contributions to the marketplace and workplace.

This session will take a close look at cross-segment diversity and collaborative work among the leading charter members of the NBIC. The NBIC is a coalition of the nation’s leading business organizations representing diverse communities.

The NBIC includes the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), the United States Business Leadership Network: Disability at Work (USBLN), and the United States Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAAC).

Better Together: Industry Cluster Meeting Series

With over 500 certified LGBT Business Enterprises, you are part of powerful network of business leaders. Your fellow LGBTBEs are potential strategic partners, vendors and clients. Building on last year’s successful teaming workshop, this year business owners will have an extended opportunity to engage with their colleagues in similar commodity areas. These industry clusters are a forum for sharing best practices, building referral networks and identifying opportunities for teaming on large projects. Corporate officers with upcoming opportunities in these commodity areas will also be invited to join the discussion.

CCBO Session

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Presenting Sponsors Reception

Friday, August 1, 2014

7:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Morning Group Yoga

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Continental Breakfast

8:00 AM – 8:45 AM

NGLCC Mentorship Meeting (by invitation)

9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Registration

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Morning Plenary – Roll the Dice

Business can be a gamble! Exclusively available to LGBTBEs, entrepreneurs from three companies will be selected to give their best 15-minute presentations on their company, a new or existing product, market, or other innovation with the purpose of gaining valuable feedback from an expert panel of angel investors, venture capitalists, and other business experts. All participants have the potential to continue their dialogue with the judges and one winner will be awarded a cash prize on stage.

10:30 AM – 10:45 AM

Break

10:45 AM – 12:00 PM

Breakout Sessions

SBA Toolbox: From A to Z

Were you aware the U.S. Small Business Administration and the NGLCC signed a historic memorandum of understanding last year that identified key areas of collaboration to benefit your company? These include access to capital, business counseling, federal contracting, exporting preparedness, technical assistance grants, and entrepreneurial development, among other points. In this session you will learn about all the tools SBA has to help you grow your businesses, most of them available free of charge to you as a U.S. taxpayer. Come learn about the SBA and this important partnership that will positively impact your enterprise.

CCBO Session

12:00 – 1:30 PM

Lunch On Your Own

1:30 – 2:45 PM

Breakout Sessions

Strategies for Smart Growth

Trying to take your business to the next level but can’t seem to get past that first hurdle? This session will give you the tools to formulate a growth strategy that can help grow your business at the rate you want. Whether you want to reach the next level in your business or scale up to the fast track, this session will examine various opportunities for growth and which strategy is in line with your goals.

Business Financing: Challenges and Opportunities in Today’s Economy
All businesses face challenges from time to time. This session will focus on traditional small business finance, with emphasis given to the state of current credit markets. Presenters will discuss how to secure capital to enable the continued growth of existing small business and options for structuring financing while facing the economic rollercoaster.

How to Respond to an RFP and Negotiate the Contract You Always Wanted

Building a breakout client proposal is a challenge, but it can also be a canvass for demonstrating how your enterprise is uniquely suited to deliver exceptional solutions. Get tactical advice for creating proposals and tips for negotiating contracts what will accentuate your core strengths, impress potential clients, and create new business.

CCBO Session

2:45 – 3:00 PM

Break

3:00 – 4:15 PM

Breakout Sessions

Company Culture Matters

Developing and keeping track of a company culture is essential to the success of any business at any size. The difficulty, often times, is keeping it true to your business acumen, beliefs and original vision. This session will explore how to tap into the type of entrepreneur you want to be and what culture accentuates your goals. Learn how to find talent to support and maintain your culture and make your workplace as unique as you are.

Civic Engagement for LGBT Entrepreneurs
Position yourself as a powerful constituent in your community by leveraging your entrepreneurial impact. Emphasize your company’s role in job creation and community reinvestment when lobbying on behalf of small business and LGBT rights issues.

How to Navigate the Media Minefield

Feeling lost when it comes to dealing with the media? Interested in generating media attention for your organization or product? This session will teach you how to think lie a PR pro, stock your PR toolkit, communicate with the media, write press releases and build an effective, results-riven public relations campaign.

CCBO Session

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Host Affiliate Reception

After 7:00 PM

Enjoy all that Las Vegas has to offer and be a patron at our Las Vegas affiliate chamber’s partner restaurants and bars.

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