What is the Economic Summit?
The Winter Park & Fraser Chamber and the Grand County Office of Economic Development have teamed together to bring a full day of the economic information that you need to know along with hands-on workshops to continue to grow your skill set.
This is a ticketed event that includes a light breakfast, lunch and snacks.
Workshops
Based on your feedback to our Business Climate Survey, we are delivering six hands-on workshops over three learning tracks; Marketing, Business Development and Finance.
Marketing Workshops
Stand-Out and Grow UP! The Advantages of Becoming a Consumer Destination: 10 - 10:50 am - NAVAJO ROOM
Jon Schallert returns after his keynote speech for a breakout presentation that goes into more depth on his trademarked 14-point Destination process. In this presentation, attendees will learn how their businesses, regardless of their location or the size of their community, can turn their business into a place that consumers will want to see, shop at, and repeatedly return.
Attendees will leave with a list of immediately-implementable suggestions on how to turn their businesses into dominant consumer magnets, capable of pulling both locals and out-of-town customers from hours away. Attendees will understand why location, location, location no longer matters for independent business success, as they learn from actual examples of successful Destination Businesses that Jon has studied over the last 3 decades.
Attendees of these workshops will also learn:
· How to target and attract the most profitable customers, and literally multiply your top spending customers with one simple tool
Digital Marketing with Google Tools: 11 - 11:50 am - NAVAJO ROOM
Cassidi Peterson has been on the leading edge of digital marketing as the head of 10 Pound Gorilla. This workshop will provide a look marketing opportunities with Google Tools, how to capture and re-market to your clients digitally.
Cassidi founded 10 Pound Gorilla and has been working with clients world-wide since 2003. She frequently speaks at DNN World and National DNN Conferences. As a leader in the DNN & online marketing community, she leads a team of professionals that understand all aspects of web development. Cassidi excels in online marketing and client management. She will guide you in identifying and crafting your key messages and works outside the box to find unique opportunities to save you money and maximize your return.
Business Development Workshops
Give Your Business Functions Some SaaS: 10 - 10:50 am - SHOSHONE ROOM
If moving to the cloud gives you altitude sickness or you are looking for a roadmap to assist you with cloud-based possibilities and decisions, come for a fast-paced session that will help make your cloud journey celestial. Come get some practical tips for moving communications, storage, productivity, collaboration, disaster-recovery, and business functions to the cloud. Not sure what the cloud is exactly? Not techie? No worries, you will leave cloud-savvy and equipped for your business’s cloud journey.
Shelly Kilgas is passionate about helping small businesses and entrepreneurs with information technology. After 16 years of managing and implementing information technology services for the Grand County Library District and 10 years of teaching, she is venturing into the third act of her working career, IT consulting and services with Tend to Tech where she aims to care for customers by assisting them with IT projects and services. Shelly holds a Master’s Degree in Information Technology and has lived in Grand County for 21 years.
Leading for Success: 11 - 11:50 am - SHOSHONE ROOM
Running a small business requires a strong and lean team to keep all of the balls in the air and eyes on the prize. When the company culture is right, employees and customers can be the best marketing and strongest partners a small business owner can rely on. Come ready to talk about tools and techniques that you have tried and some new ideas to help you create a culture for success.
Katherine Correll Executive Director – Downtown Colorado, Inc.
Katherine works with downtown champions to choreographs dialogues and partnerships to increase access to information, resources, and services. She helps local governments, downtown merchants, urban renewal, and business districts, to shape financing strategies and programs for equitable and sustainable development. She has a broad range of experience spanning public-private partnership development, civil society initiatives, community policing, small business development, marketing and branding, and establishing volunteer management and professional training programs. Katherine received her Master's Degree in Public Administration for International Economic Development from Rutgers University and her Bachelor's Degree in Politics with a Minor in Urban Studies from New York University.
About Downtown Colorado, Inc. (DCI)
Downtown Colorado, Inc. (DCI) is a nonprofit, membership association committed to building better communities by providing assistance to Colorado downtowns, commercial districts and town centers. Established in 1982, Downtown Colorado, Inc., organization provides core services to organizations and individuals engaged in downtown and commercial district development: advisory teams, education, advocacy and program participation. Since 2000, DCI has leveraged funding from USDA Rural Development to provide training of trainer and small business support services to rural communities. DCI works to increase local capacity and broaden the economic vitality of all partners in rural communities.
Financial Planning
Develop Key Metrics for your Business: 10 - 10:50 am - APACHE ROOM
Grace Bohall, with DAPCPA Pope & Associates brings years of business planning experience with a wide variety of businesses along with Patrick Brower, Facilitator for the Grand Enterprise Initiative to help you plan for your business success. Learn why your financial statements are important, how to measure your success and plan for the future!
The DAPCPA group of CPA firms was developed by David Pope beginning in 1996. The firm started with three clients and today is a bustling group of three firms that serves Wyoming and Colorado, employing a dozen accountants and administrators. With over 2,000 clients located throughout the United States (and several foreign countries), the DAPCPA group has the opportunity to meet and help clients from all walks of life and in all socio-economic circumstances. Our mission is to give each client the respect, attention and expertise they need, regardless of how large or small their business.
The Grand Enterprise Initiative is a division of Kapoks. Kapoks is a Colorado based 501 (c)(3). Kapoks' mission is to empower and inspire communities of the Americas to reach their full potential through economic development and promotion of the entrepreneurial spirit.
Kapoks accomplishes their mission through the implementation of Enterprise Facilitation programs. Enterprise Facilitation is a form of community-driven economic development that supports the growth and sustainability of locally owned and operated businesses.
Access to Capital and Funding Panel: 11 - 11:50 am - APACHE ROOM
Join us for a panel of experts discussing access to funding from traditional outlets such as banks and loans along with alternative funding opportunities locally and within the region. This presentation includes navigating the funding landscape focusing on microloans, crowdfunding, and reputable online lenders. We also will go over traditional forms of financing such as credit unions, community banks and SBA-backed loans as well as alternative funding options.
Topics of discussion include:
An overview of alternative lending options including microloans, SBA's loan guarantee program and reputable online lenders
• 5 C’s of credit
• Key questions to consider when seeking funding
• Tips to help determine the best option for your small business
• The Small Business Borrowers' Bill of Rights
• Helpful tools and local resources
- Enterprise Zone Tax Credits
- Northwest Revolving Loan Fund
Panelists
Tim Gaudette
From our Denver office, Tim Gaudette directs Small Business Majority's outreach and development efforts in Colorado and other western states. Tim works to build and maintain relationships with small business owners, organizations and foundations. Before joining Small Business Majority, Tim worked at a small business in Denver and his background includes significant finance and investment-related work in the regulatory, research and sales areas in Denver, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. Tim also served as chairman and board member for the all-volunteer board of the Denver Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (DGLCC).
In 2016, Tim was honored as Business Person of the Year at the inaugural Power Gala, a joint awards event with Outfront Magazine and the DGLCC. This year, Tim was appointed by the Colorado Insurance Commissioner to the Consumer Insurance Council, where he provides insight on behalf of the small business community on health insurance issues in the state. Tim is a member of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Leadership Denver class of 2009.
Anita Cameron
Anita is the Director of Business Lending for the Northwest Council of Governments Revolving Loan Fund. The Northwest Loan Fund (NLF) offers business loans that will bring value to the local economy in the 9 Northwest counties we serve: Eagle, Garfield, Grand, Jackson, Moffat, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Routt, and Summit.
Over the past 2 years, the Northwest Loan Fund has loaned over $1,036,000 to 19 local businesses and entrepreneurs creating 46 jobs in our Northwest Territory.
Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado
The Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado (AGNC) is a council of governments representing cities and counties in northwest Colorado including the counties of Mesa, Garfield, Rio Blanco, Moffat and Routt and will speak about the Enterprise Zone of Northwest Colorado.
The Enterprise Zone program was established by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) to provide tax credits to businesses that locate to and/or expand in designated economically distressed parts of the state.
AGNC serves as the administrator for the Northwest Enterprise Zone, which includes Clear Creek, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Jackson, Moffat, Rio Blanco, and Routt Counties.
Key Note
Mom and Pop on Top: How to Be Small, But Play Large
Jon Schallert is the only business consultant in the world teaching independent businesses and communities how to turn themselves into Consumer Destinations. Schallert speaks to thousands annually on his trademarked 14-step Destination Business process which he developed over the course of thirty (30) years interviewing over 10,000 business owners in over 500 cities and towns.
In his signature keynote, Summit attendees will learn how Fortune 100 companies are now marketing themselves as Mom and Pop businesses because they understand that today’s consumers are choosing to spend more at independently-owned small businesses. Attendees will also see how the new nationwide emphasis on “shopping local” gives independent businesses a huge competitive advantage if they know how to market and position themselves correctly.
Attendees will come away with a new enthusiasm for being "small" and will know better how to leverage their independence to influence consumer spending in their favor. You’ll see why larger competitors, regardless of their financial strength or multiple locations, are going to have a hard time capturing the loyalty of today’s discriminating consumers.
State of Local Economy
Featuring Destimetrics
Join us for this informative presentation over lunch covering the state of our local mountain resort economy including key indicators, booking trends and destination guest information with guest presenter, Katie Barnes with Destimetrics, Lodging Market Intelligence as well as Jeremy Kennell, Economic Development for the Winter Park & Fraser Chamber presenting local econometrics.
Established in 2004, DestiMetrics is the leading supplier of lodging metrics and market intelligence for the North American mountain travel industry and has recently expanded to several warm weather U.S. destinations. Based in Denver, we pride ourselves on providing “what you ought to know” about destination-wide metrics, lodging performance benchmarking and resort intelligence to properties, destination marketing organizations, attractions and municipalities of premier destination resorts. Our clients rely on our comprehensive data collection and information services for everything from tracking and comparing reservation activity to making informed operational decisions and measuring the effectiveness of promotional campaigns and events.