Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
12/20/00
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rachel Adams, (515) 282-7145
Innovative National e-Business 4 Small Business Conference -- A Ticket to Success for Small Businesses
LAS VEGAS, NEV. , Dec.18, 2000 -- Business leaders will get the edge on e-Business during the e-Business 4 Small Business Conference to be held Monday, Jan. 15, through Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2001, at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. Conference tracks include: Keynote Speakers, Small Business Success Stories, Communities and Outreach, Nuts and Bolts, Basics, "How To" Sessions and Trends. More than 45 speakers will address conference attendees during 40 sessions. The two-day conference will enlighten, educate and connect small and medium size enterprises with opportunities available in the digital economy.
Attendees will learn how to apply e-Business, the use of new electronic and Internet based technologies -- to current business practices. Through expert presentations, personal success stories and real world applications, small business leaders will learn how to participate in the global economy. Attendees will have the opportunity to network with small business leaders, e-Business innovators, speakers, and exhibitors during the information-packed two days, as they step ahead of the competition by discovering the latest trends. Conference sessions will explore specific business niches and dig into special sessions for everyone from e-commerce novices to small business people already engaged in e-Business.
Charter sponsors of the e-Business 4 Small Business Conference include: Iowa State University; U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Small Disadvantaged Business Utilization; Regional Rural Development Centers; U.S. Department of Commerce Technology Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP); U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA); and Small Business Development Centers (SBDC).
The complete conference program, additional information and conference registration form can be found online at www.eb4sb.org.
Speakers from Canada, Germany and across the United States will offer tips to succeed in e-Business. Featured speakers include:
"Welcome to the Experience Economy"
James H. Gilmore, co-author of The Experience Economy: Work Is Theatre and Every Business a Stage and co-founder of Strategic Horizons LLP
Jim Gilmore's headlining presentation will outline keys for designing compelling online experiences and share specific recommendations for small businesses pursuing electronic commerce. His innovative ideas have been published in many of the world's leading business publications, including The Wall Street Journal, the Harvard Business Review, and Investor's Business Daily. Most recently, he served as editor for Markets of One: Creating Customer-Unique Value thorough Mass Customization.
"Small Business Success Stories &endash; Business-to-Business Sales"
Jim Adelman, Insty-Prints of San Diego
Take one look at the Web site for Insty-Prints of San Diego and you'll know Jim Adelman's service philosophy, "we specialize in impossible deadlines!" Adelman and his staff have catapulted Insty-Prints San Diego into an award winning printing business. Adelman's business is on the cutting-edge of printing technology -- this success story will show how this business has used e-Business to become the "#1 Store in California."
"Managing Channel Conflict"
Joseph Saluri, J.D., Vice President of Business Development, Stine Seed Company
Joseph Saluri will present the success story of the Stine Seed Company, one of the first non-regional seed companies to offer seed via the Internet. Saluri is responsible for business development at Stine Seed with a focus on establishing collaborative marketing and research alliances with domestic and international agribusiness and biotech corporations. He has developed and implemented the e-Commerce policy and program for Stine Seed Company.
"How to Get Found on the Web"
Lilly Buckwitz, Manager, Portal Web Sites, Sprint Canada Inc.
"Getting found" by search engines continues to be the Holy Grail of Webmasters -- but should it be? Realistically, no matter how well your site ranks with the search engines, you'll never generate a significant amount of traffic that way. That doesn't mean a well-planned search engine submission shouldn't be a part of your online marketing program &endash; it just shouldn't be all of it.
Registration is $395 until Dec. 29, 2000, and $495 after that. The Riviera will offer a special room rate of $79 to conference attendees.
For more information about attending the e-Business 4 Small Business Conference, check out the conference Web site at www.eb4sb.org or contact Janet Gardner, Extended and Continuing Education, 102 Scheman, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1112, phone (800) 262-0015, or e-mail jrgard@iastate.edu.
Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.