First-Ever Hawai‘i Small Business Conference Set for May

The theme of this year’s conference is “DESIGN, PROTECT, ENGAGE: Small Business Strategies for Success. Small business owners, start-ups and entrepreneurs interested in taking their business to the next level are encouraged to attend. Photo Courtesy

The Maui Economic Development Board in collaboration with the County of Maui Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, will present the first-ever Hawai‘i Small Business Conference at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center on May 3 and 4, 2017.

The theme of this year’s conference is “DESIGN, PROTECT, ENGAGE: Small Business Strategies for Success.” Small business owners, start-ups and entrepreneurs interested in taking their business to the next level are encouraged to attend.

“It’s easy to get caught up in running a business and miss out on networking and training to keep ahead of the competition,” said Teena Rasmussen, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development. “This new conference was created to provide our small businesses with the rare opportunity to sharpen their professional acumen on a variety of topics all in one forum.”

During the full-day Conference on Day 1 (Wednesday, May 3, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.), attendees will have an opportunity to network face-to-face with innovative business leaders and hear their insights, best practices, and tricks of the trade on various topics – customer service, marketing, data security and risk management. Presenters will include:

Maggie Bayless, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of ZingTrain which helps companies improve their bottom line through the Zingerman’s Bottom Line Training® approach for more than two decades.

Petra Marquart, President of Petra Marquart and Associates which helps businesses unlock The Power of Service: Keeping Customers for Life, and addresses service from all aspects: structural, interpersonal, and systemic.

Albert Samuelian, Managing Director at OMD West and Strategy is a strategic minded marketing professional with 20+ years of experience leading high-profile businesses and developing data-driven, multi-media global communication strategy and plans.

Edward Arias, Special Agent with the FBI and a member of the Cyber Crime Squad in Honolulu since 2006 investigates internet-related crimes.

Michael Miranda, Director for Information Security at Hawaiian Telcom manages the Corporate Information Security team responsible for the company’s network, systems and data.

On Day 2 (Thursday, May 4, 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.), workshops led by experts in customer service, tax mitigation, human resources and marketing will be offered.

The Conference on Maui coincides with National Small Business Week, an opportunity to recognize the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners.

“Today, the importance of providing small businesses with tools and resources needed to succeed has never been greater,” said Jeanne Skog, President and CEO of Maui Economic Development Board. “It is especially important in Hawai‘i, where small business dominates our state’s economic landscape making up over 90% of the business community and employing half of our state’s employees. For our local business owners and entrepreneurs, the time spent at this Hawai‘i Small Business Conference will be an investment in themselves, their career and company.”

The cost is $85 per person for the full-day Conference on May 3 which includes a luncheon and exhibits. The May 4th Workshops are $45 per workshop. Attendees can also save $10 by registering for the Conference plus one or both workshops, or by registering for both workshops.

Register online here. For additional information, email smallbiz@medb.org or call (808) 875-2300.