2015 Business Conference & Annual Meeting
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Minneapolis Marriott Northwest, 7025 Northland Drive North, Minneapolis
A Zero Waste Event
Building for the Future: Taking your business to the next level
BUSINESS CONFERENCE AGENDA
7:00-8:00 a.m.
Registration/Continental Breakfast/Exhibit Booths Open
8:00-8:10 a.m.
Welcome
Rick Trontvet, vice president human resource, Digi-Key Corporation
2015-2016 chair, Minnesota Chamber Board of Directors
8:10-8:55 a.m.
Opening Speaker
Sarah Richards, president and CEO, Jones Metal Products
8:55-9:15 a.m.
Networking Break
Time to introduce yourself to a member you have never met and
learn about their business. Tour the trade show and visit with our
exhibitors.
9:15-10:15 a.m.
Educational Tracks
Choose the track that fits your business needs. Participants are
invited to choose a different track at 10:30 a.m. to experience
various programs.
ADVOCATE
Tax Competitiveness: Plan to stay instead of go
Tax competitiveness perennially ranks as a top concern for Minnesota businesses and
cited by businesses as a barrier to growing within Minnesota. Learn how Minnesota’s
business climate compares to other states and what legislative solutions are proposed to
improve our tax competitiveness.
Panel:
Eric Gibson, president, UMC, Inc. (pass-through income taxes)
Mark Haveman, executive director, Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence (property taxes)
William K. Horn, partner, McGladrey (estate taxes)
Moderator:
Beth Kadoun, director, tax and fiscal policy, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
CONNECT
Deliver Great Customer Experience
Christa Heibel, owner, CH Consulting Group
Laureen Peltier, partner/consultant, CH Consulting Group
Meet the every-changing demands of customers by understanding what it takes to
deliver great customer experience. This session addresses the difference between
customer service and customer experience and what it takes compete in today's
business. Understand why type of technology and strategies are needed to serve the
modern customer, and how the Millennials are changing the way you do business.
GROW
A Saintly Opportunity – How to build sustainability into your business from the
ground up. Building a new stadium seems to be the trend in Minnesota lately. But
how many have built it a new stadium totally around sustainability? Hear from the
organizers behind the new CHS Field and discover why they built one of the greenest
stadiums in the country and how are they educated their fans in the process.
Panel:
Joel Andersen, grant administrator, Ramsey County/Biz Recycle
Tim Farnan, principal planner, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Mike Weitekamp, program manager, Minnesota Waste Wise
Tom Whaley, EVP, St. Paul Saints Baseball Club
10:15 – 10:30 a.m.
Networking Break
Visit the trade show while grabbing a snack before switching
tracks.
10:30 -11:30 a.m.
Educational Tracks
Choose the track that fits your business needs.
ADVOCATE
Employee mandates: Do they affect your business growth?
With all of the latest employee mandates coming from local, state and the federal
government how is a business supposed to keep track? Are the mandates driving
business out of Minnesota? What options do businesses have to comply with potential
local mandates such as paid family leave, sick leave and scheduling mandates? How
can businesses keep growing with all of the uncertainty? Learn from a panel of experts
how you can comply with the mandates while growing your business and take away
some best practices from a small and large company perspective.
Panel:
Grant Collins, attorney, Felhaber Larson (National Labor Relations Board changes)
Jarrod Peterson, owner, Touching Hearts at Home (small business)
Michael Wilhelm, attorney, Briggs & Morgan, P.A. (state and local mandates)
Moderator:
Heidi Gunderson, president, Woody’s Rebar Company(invited)
CONNECT
Bring Your Brand to Life Online for Business Success
Anne Pryor, Online Visibility Strategist, Meaningful Connections
Anne Pryor, nationally recognized personal and online brand expert, will share her
proven tips and techniques on how to really leverage LinkedIn for business success.
She will provide proven insights on building a branded LinkedIn profile and company
page to get noticed, new marketing opportunities on LinkedIn and how to search, find,
and connect meaningfully for business success.
GROW
Rising to the challenge: Putting the right talent at the top
Lisa Brezonik, chief talent officer, Salo
What do you do when you realize the person who got you where you are won’t get you
to the next stage of growth? This is one of the toughest dilemmas business owners
and
leadership teams face and a question Lisa Brezonik, chief talent officer, Salo
LLC, is frequently asked. Her experience working with hundreds of evolving businesses
will help you determine whether you have the right people at the helm, and how to
manage when it’s time for a change.
11:30 a.m.
Trade show and seating for lunch
12:00 p.m.
Annual Meeting Luncheon
12:35 p.m.
Luncheon Keynote: “Navigating in today’s complex world”
David MacLennan, president and chief executive officer, Cargill
At 150 years old, Cargill is still the largest family-owned business in
Minnesota and one of the largest privately held companies in the world.
Today, the global company operates in 67 countries and has 153,000
employees around the world. On a daily basis, Cargill is focused on
moving food, agriculture and energy products from areas of surplus to
areas of demand. Join Cargill President and CEO David MacLennan to
hear how Cargill navigates in today’s complex world, while keeping
a focus on achieving its goal of being the global leader in nourishing
people and operating responsibly across the markets it serves.
1:30 p.m.
Adjourn