7:30A.M. - 8:00A.M.  
REGISTRATION/NETWORKING


8:00A.M. - 9:15A.M.  
BREAKFAST
The Current Economic Crisis: An excuse to Fail or the reason to Succeed
Economic conditions can play a leading role in the fate of a business. However, history has taught us  that some of the most successful companies today were founded or flourished during the worst economic times. These companies shared special characteristics that made the difference between failure and success.

Speaker:
   •  Julie Stav, sponsored by State Farm.

9:15A.M. - 9:30A.M.
Break

9:30A.M. - 10:30A.M.  
Breakout Sessions (Block 1) 

LEADERSHIP LESSONS TRACK

Strategic Thinking Session:  Participants of this session will benefit from the powerful knowledge of entrepreneurs and business owners who have become highly successful in their own industries utilizing strategic thinking.  

Panelists:
    •    Reynaldo Lopez, RMI
    •    Betsey Franceschini, Accurate Traffic Count
    •    Michael and Karina Pastrana, Happy Paws

Moderator: Tom Martinez, Delta Performance Group


Sponsor: Katzman, Garfinkel, Berger


DIVERSITY AND MULTICULTURAL TRACK:
Learn from visionary, resourceful and professional decision-makers who shape the leadership and executive development of women of all races, cultures and backgrounds for the business community.

Panelists:
    •    Adriana Comellas, State Farm
    •    Yolanda Londoño, Tupperware
    •    Dr. Antonia Novello, Florida Hospital
    •    Yvonne Sweeney, Disney

Moderator: Giorgina Pinedo-Rolon, Gio Communications Group

Sponsor:  Florida Hospital



PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRACK:

Attention small businesses!  Do you want to become a minority vendor and potentially do business with Darden, Disney, Orange County, OUC, and Wyndham? Join our Minority Business Development panelists to learn the secrets of doing business with these and other corporate and government entities in Central Florida.   Learn about how you can get a seat at the table and become a minority supplier in a competitive market.   


Panelists:
    •    Jose Nido, Wyndham Worldwide Corporation

    •    Matt Thursam, Disney

    •    Bridget Lee, OUC

    •    Errick Young, Orange County

    •    Marisol Romany, M.Ed., Orlando Health

Moderator: Augusto Sanabria, President of HBIF

Sponsor:  Florida Technical College




MARKETING STRATEGIES TRACK:

How to Friend, Like, Follow and Check into Success:  A panel of social media strategists and enthusiasts will cover the basics of using social media in the small business realm.  This will include an overview of some of the popular platforms such as Facebook, Yelp, Blogs, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. The discussion will touch on topics such as; defining goals, strategic planning, tools for implementation, and how to engage your social audience. 

Panelists:

    •    Colleen Burns, Community Manager, YELP

    •    Ian Suarez, Graphic Designer & Social Media Coordinator, HCCMO

    •    Susan Lomax, VP of Publicity, Visit Orlando

Moderator:  Carlos Carbonell, Echo Interaction Group

Sponsor: Visit Orlando

10:30A.M. -10:45A.M.  
Break

10:45A.M. -11:45A.M.  
Breakout Sessions (Block 2)


LEADERSHIP LESSONS TRACK:

Build Strong talented leaders and learn practical insight, tools and skills that will help decision-makers create a more effective team.

Panelists:

    •    David Ruiz, UPS
    •    Julio Suarez, Darden
    •    Cesar Calvet, CNL Bank

Moderator: Linda Landman-Gonzalez, Orlando Magic

Sponsor: Katzman, Garfinkel, Berger


DIVERSITY AND MULTICULTURAL:

The demographics of the United States are changing rapidly and to reach increasingly affluent Blacks, Latinos, Asians and Native Americans, you need employees who can relate to them. It´s important to have a work force that reflects ALL your customers.

Panelists:  

    •    Tony Jenkins, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida
    •    Angela Lagos, Universal Orlando
    •    Janet Eckels, Court Certified Translator, movitational speaker and Author
    •    Kathy Llamas, Asian American Chamber

Moderator:  Allie Braswell,  Central Florida Urban League

Sponsor: Florida Hospital



PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRACK:

Conflict Resolution: Conflict in the workplace can be a chief contributor to low morale, low productivity, high turnover, and customer dissatisfaction. Understanding what drives and perpetuates workplace conflict is key to resolving and eliminating this damaging behavior. In this presentation, participants will discover 7 major causes of workplace conflict and learn strategies and tactics for resolving conflict in a positive way.

Panelists:
    •    Sherri Merbach, Sherri Merbach & Associates
    •    Debbie Zmorenski, LSA Partners

Sponsor:  Florida Technical College



MARKETING STRATEGIES TRACK:

"3 Steps to International Sales" simplifies the process. We´ll help you prepare your website for international sales, discuss social media tools to communicate with customers worldwide, and explain e-commerce strategies to help you get paid. We´ll also discuss ways to research which countries buy what you sell, and how to handle foreign-language customer support.


Speaker:

    •    Rafael Gerena, Instruxo LLC

Sponsored by:  Visit Orlando

11:45A.M. -12:00P.M.  
Break

12:00P.M.-1:30P.M.    
Conference Luncheon

Conference Luncheon Keynote Speaker: Governor Rick Scott