Contact
Allison JacksonBank of New Hampshire
603.466.3352 Ext. 6695
coosbusinessexpoandconference@gmail.com
Event Sponsors
Fiscal Sponsors
Diamond - $1,000
Sapphire - $500
Ruby - $250
Law Offices of Roland E. Olivier, PLLC
Coos County Business Expo and Conference November 13, 2013
Sign up to be an exhibitor and take advantage of professional networking opportunities at our Expo featuring businesses from Coos County and beyond. Exhibitors and participants alike can also enjoy seminars held throughout the day on strategies for building more successful and prosperous businesses. A delicious sit-down lunch in the T&C's lovely dining room is included.
This collaboration between the 5 Chambers of Coos County (Androscoggin Valley Chamber, North Country Chamber, Northern Gateway Chamber, Twin Mountain Chamber, and Umbagog Chamber), NH Grand, Bank of NH, White Mountains Community College and WREN stems from a desire to merge the highly successful Northern New Hampshire Tourism Conference with a county wide Business Expo. We hope you will join us!
Keynote Speaker
Jamie Trowbridge, President and CEO of Yankee Publishing
As a grandson of the founder of Yankee Publishing, Jamie is committed to keeping it a successful and independent family-owned business. Yankee, located in Dublin, has a healthy base of business in New Hampshire. It publishes Yankee magazine and The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the Official New Hampshire Visitors Guide for the state’s Division of Travel and Tourism and Ski NH magazine for the Ski New Hampshire association. One year ago Yankee acquired McLean Communications in Manchester, publisher of New Hampshire Magazine, New Hampshire Home, New Hampshire Business Review, and Parenting New Hampshire.
After graduating from Dartmouth College, Jamie moved to Seattle where he began his career in publishing and met his future wife. When the east coast drew Jamie and Laura back, they landed in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for two years until they moved to New Hampshire and Jamie joined Yankee. Before becoming President in 1999, he served as Production Director, Director of New Business Development, and Publishing Director.
Jamie is a member of the Board of the Independent Magazine Group of Magazine Publishers of America. He also serves on the Boards of the NH Travel Council, The MacDowell Colony, America’s premier artist residency program, and Monadnock Community Hospital. He and Laura live in Peterborough, New Hampshire. They hike and ski all over the Granite State.
Conference Speakers
Rob Barry, NH International Trade Resource Center
Rob Barry is the Export Finance Officer at the New Hampshire International Trade Resource Center in Portsmouth, NH. Under the New Hampshire Office of International Commerce, Rob works to provides assistance to New Hampshire companies in identifying export finance options available to them. He is involved in promoting federal working capital programs offered by the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) through its city-state partnership and through the Small Business Administration (SBA). Previously, Rob worked in global investment banking and global custody services at State Street Bank and Brown Brothers Harriman in Boston MA.
Rob earned a B.A. in political science from Merrimack College in North Andover, MA, and an M.B.A. with a concentration in international business from Suffolk University in Boston, MA.
Marilyn Bogue, U.S. Small Business Administration
Marilyn is Lead Economic Development Specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration. She has worked in finance, lender relations and economic development for over 30 years. Marilyn brought SBA assistance to thousands of homeowners and businesses throughout the country and U.S. Territories as part of SBA’s Disaster Assistance team. She has worked with SBA guaranty loans, counseling and government contracting in New England and New Hampshire. Marilyn has a special focus on assisting woman owned businesses and exporters get financing and grow. She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
Warren Daniel has been the Seacoast Regional Manager for the NH SBDC since 2000. Warren, a Certified Business Advisor, brings over 30 years of experience in growing and managing an independent quick service restaurant chain. His areas of expertise include access to capital, turnarounds, financial projections and analysis, as well as assisting independent restaurants. Over the past 3 yrs., Warren led assistance on behalf of clients accessing over $30 million in capital.
Warren is an SBA Certified Export Business Advisor trade advisor. He meets with entrepreneurs in one-on-one, confidential sessions to help them assess whether or not they should export and advise them on how to develop strong exporting plans. He also assists businesses that are already exporting and whose owners wish to strengthen their operations or expand into new markets. The SBDC advisor focuses on helping entrepreneurs to improve their company’s financial position so that they can successfully compete in an international arena.
Warren has worked extensively with the UNH Whittemore School internship program. Clients of the Seacoast office get expertise from the students and the students learn about different areas of entrepreneurship. Warren also serves as a lecturer in the Paul School of Business and Economics at the University of NH.
Tina Kasim, New Hampshire Office of International Commerce, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development
Tina Kasim has more than ten years experience in international economic development programs. Tina started her career with NH Division of Travel and Tourism Development before moving to Jordan and the D.C. metro area working on internationally funded economic development programs in the Middle East North Africa Region. The diverse range of expertise has led Tina back to New Hampshire as part of the state’s Economic Development Division.
The Office of International Commerce and International Trade Resource Center is a unique alliance of state, federal and private sector organizations all which offers NH companies a full spectrum of information, programs and customized services.
Laura Jamison, Women's Rural Entrepreneurial Network
WREN’s own Berlin Farmer’s Market Coordinator Extraordinaire. Laura’s passion for supporting the local economy matched with her skill for grassroots networking have helped the Berlin Farmer’s Market grow into a thriving weekly event. She also works as a marketing consultant to small businesses in northern New Hampshire. In January, 2013, the Union Leader selected her as one of their 40 under Forty, distinguishing her further as an up and coming leader in the state committed to community enrichment. In addition, Laura is a Guardian ad Litem/Child Advocate/Mediator. Laura serves on the boards of the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, the Medallion Opera House, NH GALA and HEAL NH.
Carl Lindblade, White Mountains Community College
Carl began his hotel career at the Balsams Resort in Dixville Notch and for the past 40+ years has operated 3 and 4 diamond hotels and resorts. In addition to years of hands on experience he brings a commitment to community and industry service. Among his assignments he was a delegate to the 1995 White House Conference on Travel and Tourism, Interim Director of the NH office of Travel and Tourism Development, Innkeeper of the Year, Travel Person of the Year, Past President of the NH Lodging and Restaurant Association and American Hotel and Lodging Association Volunteer of the Year. He is currently a lecturer in the hospitality management department at the University of New Hampshire where he enjoys teaching as it affords him the opportunity to share experiences with students. In 2009, as a volunteer, Carl coached the Conway New Hampshire Kennett High School's Lodging Class to a national championship in a competition sponsored by the American Hotel and Lodging Association. Working with White Mountains Community College, Carl has had extensive experience evaluating service sector companies and designing and delivering training programs for them.
Justin Olowski, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Commercial Service
Justin has been with the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Commercial Service, since 2000. During this time, he has worked in the Nashville, Tennessee and in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania offices as an International Trade Specialist. In June 2007, Justin joined the office in New Hampshire as its new director.Justin currently specializes in assisting safety and security, defense, aerospace and environmental technologies companies in expanding international sales. As an International Trade Specialist, he has worked extensively with many U.S. Embassies and Consulates in order to aid local companies in achieving success in export sales. Temporary assignments have included writing market research at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines and acting as a Commercial Attaché for the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece.Justin attended the University of Pittsburgh for his undergraduate studies in Political Science and History. Justin graduated Magna Cum Laude and received membership in the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Justin pursued and received a master's degree in Public and International Affairs from Pitt before joining the U.S. Department of Commerce.Prior to joining the U.S. Department of Commerce, Justin was an intern for Congressman Mike Doyle (PA-12) and worked in Mellon Financial's Global Security Services.
Pam Sullivan, Sullivan Creative
Pam is the owner of Sullivan Creative and the marketing consultant for New Hampshire Grand. She has more than 30 years of experience in creative management, communications strategy development, design, and direct marketing. Under her leadership, Sullivan Creative has won dozens of awards for creative, communications, and design excellence, including the prestigious Direct Marketing Association ECHO Award. Sullivan Creative also won the New Hampshire Travel Council’s 2006 Advertising and Public Relations Award for dedication and excellence in the travel and tourism industry. She is a past president and active member of the New England Direct Marketing Association (NEDMA). In 2006, she was named NEDMA’s Direct Marketer of the Year. She has been named as one of New Hampshire’s top Women Business Owners of the Year by the US Small Business Association.
Expo and Conference Schedule
Town and Country Inn and Resort - Gorham, NH
8:00 am-9:00 am: Registration and Expo Set-Up – Shelburne Room
9:00-12:00: Tour the Expo and connect with business owners sharing products, services and solutions.
9:30 am: Welcome
10:00 am -11:15 am: Morning Seminars
Session 1: Managing Social Media for Business – Laura Jamison – Women’s Rural Entrepreneurial Network – Gold Room
Is managing all of your business’s social media sites getting a little overwhelming? Wouldn’t you like to know how to best utilize your time on these platforms? In this workshop we will discuss best practices for managing all of your social media and how to make your time more useful. Bring your Wi-Fi capable laptop or contact Expo/Conference organizers.
Session 2: Front Line Customer Service – Carl Lindblade– White Mountains Community College – Gold Room
Franchising and branding, at their most basic, create consistency so guests are attracted to a business and return to a business having experienced a reliable, pleasurable time. The goal of this seminar is to offer simplified workforce training so that employees can deliver our product in a professional, friendly, competent and consistent manner.
12:00-1:30: Expo is Closed
12:00: Address from Conference Organizers - T&C Dining Room
12:00-1:00 pm: Lunch
Enjoy a delicious full service luncheon of a stuffed chicken entre or vegetarian option in the dining room of the Town and Country Inn and Resort.
1:00- 1:30 pm: Key Note Address - Jamie Trowbridge will share stories from Yankee Magazine's development into a premiere media outlet and on the locations across the northeast that have been featured within Yankee Magazine’s pages.
1:30-4:00pm: Explore the Expo
1:45-3:00 pm: Afternoon Seminars
Session 3: Building Simple Dashboards to Measure Your ROI – Pam Sullivan – Sullivan Creative – Gold Room
Are your marketing initiatives working for you? Are you overwhelmed by how to measure your results? This session will share some basic tools on how to create a simple dashboard to track and refine your marketing efforts.
Session 4: Grow your International Customer Base – SBA – Rose Room
The NH International Trade Resource Center, the US Commercial Services, the NH Small Business Development Center, and SCORE will help you to determine your best foreign markets, how to market to them with social media, websites and trade shows, nuances of serving foreign guests (cultural preferences, duty free limits, passport requirements, etc.). SBA will explain financing options available to support your expanded international effort.
3:15-4:00 pm: All Group Session – Gold Room - Pam Sullivan, Kim Moore, Phoebe Backler and Eileen Alexander
“Crazy for Coos” – NH Grand Team will roll out the new NH Grand initiative and work with small groups to cook up ways to use promotion across Coos County!
4:00-5:00 pm: Social and networking hour - Stick around for a chance to win one of our great giveaways! - Lounge