Free virtual BizExpo is this week

In a time of social distancing as Americans continue to live through the COVID-19 pandemic, opportunities for businesspeople to come together to learn and to network are scant.

In an attempt to address that need, BizTimes Media will host its 16th annual BizExpo conference on Wednesday, Aug. 19, and Thursday, Aug. 20, providing a free and virtual networking and business education opportunity. BizExpo will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday. Click here to register.

Those who register to attend BizExpo need to accept the Hopin invite that they receive in their email inbox.

Highlights of the virtual BizExpo 2020 will include the Bravo! Entrepreneur and I.Q. (Innovation Quotient) Awards program, on Thursday, Aug. 20, featuring Lifetime Achievement Award winner Valerie Daniels-Carter, co-founder, president and CEO of Milwaukee-based V&J Holding Companies Inc., and Regional Spirit Award winner, Dr. John Raymond Sr., the president and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin, in recognition of his community leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to see a list of the other Bravo/IQ award winners. Citizens Bank is the sponsor for the Bravo!/I.Q. Awards program. Vistage is an event partner.

The annual Women in Business program will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 19, and will feature Woman Executive of the Year Award recipient Patty Cadorin, a senior advisor at BMO Harris Bank.

The Women In Business program will also have a panel discussion, moderated by Beth Ridley, CEO of The Brimful Life, and featuring panelists: Julie Granger, executive vice president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce; Nadiyah Johnson, founder of Jet Constellations; Gina Stilp, executive director of the Zilber Family Foundation and Denise Thomas, president of The Effective Communication Coach. The Women in Business program is sponsored by SVA. Supporting sponsor is Summit Credit Union. Event partners include

BizExpo will also include 16 free strategy seminars. The strategy seminars (click here for a full schedule) will include: Milwaukee Women inc., Professional Dimensions and TEMPO Milwaukee.

• The Secrets to Building a World-Class Cold Call Script, presented by Paul Neuberger, president, Cold Call Coach
• Effectively Communicating VIRTUALLY in the Workplace, presented by Denise Thomas, president/owner, The Effective Communication Coach, LLC.
• Marketing in the Fog, presented by Chad Rittterbusch, owner and president, TRG Marketing
• The Missing Ingredient for Authentic Diversity & Inclusion, presented by Alonzo Kelly, president, Kelly Leadership Group LLC
• Busting Your Prospect’s Status Quo Bias, presented by David Wallace, chief status quo prosecutor, Bay Ridge Consulting Group LLC
• Keeping Your Data Safe With a Remote Workforce, presented by Mark Schafer, chief information security officer, and Anna Bennett, senior security engineer, SVA Consulting
• Transform Your Culture With Positive Psychology, presented by Beth Ridley, owner, The Brimful Life
• Unwrapping Google’s Secrets to Rule the World, presented by Christina Steder, executive vice president, and Cassy Richardson, search marketing director, Trivera
• Best Paid Media Options for Filling the Top of the Funnel, presented by Joe Martinez, director of client strategy, and Michelle Morgan, director of client services, Clix Marketing
• Discover Your Superpower – Solve a Workforce Crisis in 5 Minutes, presented by Steve Miller, owner, Harmony Works
• The Art and Science of People-ing, presented by Donna Flynn, president/CEO, SkillsMastery Group Inc.
• Leading People in the “Next Normal,” presented by Kelly Renz, president and CEO, The Novo Group
• Leveraging Technology to Optimize a Virtual/Hybrid Workforce, presented by David Stamm, CEO, Stamm Media & Stamm Technologies
• Use Content to Find Prospects, Build Trust & Grow Business, presented by Eric Shanfelt, founding partner, Nearview Media
• There’s No Training After Toilet Training, presented by John Howman, trusted advisor, Allied Consulting Group, LLC/Vistage
• Why Digital Advertising is the Fastest Growing Marketing Tactic, presented by Ryan Calzavara, account manager, and Addy Earles, director of sales, Adcellerant

Acuity is the seminar room sponsor for the 2020 virtual BizExpo.