Looking for fresh ideas for ways to grow business? How about advice that will help you become a more effective leader? Or maybe you need help grooming a young executive for greatness at your company.
Experts will speak on a wide array of subjects during two days of free seminars for businesspeople at the third annual Wisconsin Business & Technology Expo May 2-3. The Expo will take place at Wisconsin State Fair Park.
The seminar speakers will include several prominent experts, including Steve Kaplan, author of the New York Times bestseller “Bag the Elephant: How to Win & Keep Big Customers.”
Kaplan, a consultant who is known as “The Difference Maker,” has recently written a sequel, “Be the Elephant: Build a Bigger, Better Business.” He will lead a seminar on May 3 at 1:45 about the tenets of his new book. Copies of the book will be available.
Kaplan’s clients have included Procter & Gamble, Visa, General Electric, Wal-Mart, Ford, AOL, Pfizer, Unilever, Nickelodeon, Sprint, Merrill Lynch and the U.S. Army.
Another seminar headliner at the Expo will be U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Bruce Jones, who will speak on “Leadership: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina.” Jones oversaw the rescue of more than 33,000 of the disaster that struck New Orleans. He is now stationed in Milwaukee. He will discuss strategies for establishing an empowering culture of leadership in organizations during a seminar on May 2 at 3:45 p.m.
The seminar lineup also includes author and consultant Susan Marshall, founder of Executive Advisor LLC. Marshall is the author of the book, “How to Grow a Backbone: 10 Strategies for Gaining Power and Influence at Work.” Her clients have included General Motors, Nestle, Subaru of America, Harley-Davidson, Apple Computer, Hewitt Associates, the Society of Automotive Engineers, Kmart and Sears. At the Expo on May 3 at 2:45 p.m., Marshall will lead a seminar titled, “Young Executives: You are the Future. What Does it Look Like?”
In addition to the free seminars, the Wisconsin Business & Technology Expo will feature a strong presence devoted to the commercial real estate industry. The Green Pavilion will be a dedicated exhibit and seminar area. Meanwhile, the Development Days area of the Expo will feature members of the Society of Office and Industrial Realtors (SIOR) and Commercial Association of Realtors (CARW).
The commercial real estate programming will culminate with the Development Forum, where 30 to 40 key representatives of municipalities, business improvement districts and development-related nonprofits will provide easel presentations to people in the commercial real estate industry. Confirmed participants in the Development Forum include: Richard “Rocky” Marcoux, commissioner of the Milwaukee Department of City Development; Robert Duffy, director, City of Oconomowoc; Dan Ertl, director, City of Brookfield; John Stibal, director, City of West Allis; Teig Whaley-Smith, executive director, Historic King Drive BID #8; and Brenna Holly, executive director, 30th Street Industrial Corridor Bid #37.
Admission to the Expo is free to pre-registered businesspeople. More than 200 companies and organizations have reserved booths for this year’s Wisconsin Business & Technology Expo, where they will be showcasing their products, services and staff. More than 5,000 people attended last year’s Expo.
For more information about the Wisconsin Business & Technology Expo, visit www.biztimes.com/expo.
