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© 2009 Detroit Regional Chamber
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Over 350 professionals joined us for Business InSight 2009, a brand new event that delivered clear results for businesses. Business InSight took the traditional conference experience and transformed it into a vibrant connection of people, business and ideas with without the traditional speeches.

Conference Takeaways:

• Conference-goers met and interacted with 300 CEOs and decision-makers.
• Networking session participants left with new introductions and contacts.
• New relationships were forged and businesses marketed through posting on our electronic referral.
• Attendees were part of a conversation about how to improve business in Michigan and creating Michigan's small business agenda for success.
• Everyone walked away with inventive tactics and ideas to stay ahead of the economic curve.
• Peers discussed the challenges they face with leaders from the Michigan Economic Development Corportation and U.S. Small Business Administration and heard how these government agencies can help.

• Local business owners, operators, managers and employees were inspired by the success stories and tips given by local entrepreneurs that have grown their Michigan-based businesses and expanded them around the country and globe.

Keynote speaker was:

Keith Ferrazzi is author of the best selling business books "Who's Got Your Back?" and "Never Eat Alone," which have both been number one on the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Amazon.com best seller lists. Ferrazzi is also a frequent contributor to CNN and CNBC and is founder and CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight. Watch Keith in action on YouTube.

Ferrazzi discussed how to surround yourself with the right people to position you for success in his keynote presentation, "Who's Got Your Back." View the full agenda

Other speakers included:

Mary Ellen Sheets, founder, Two Men and a Truck
Known for her entrepreneurial spirit, in less than 20 years, Sheets has taken Two Men and a Truck from a local Lansing-based moving service to an international corporation with more than 1,300 trucks, 200 locations worldwide and $193.3 million in annual revenue.

Sheets talked about cultivating "The Spirit of Entrepreneurship" in one of five concurrent sessions during "Inside the CEO Mind." View the full agenda

Robert (Bob) Fish, co-founder and CEO, Biggby Coffee
Robert (Bob) Fish, better known to many coffee aficionados as “Biggby Bob,” is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Biggby Coffee, a Lansing, Michigan-based chain of more than 100 cafes located in nine states.  The first Biggby Coffee franchise was sold in 1999, and the company has virtually doubled in size every two years since then. When he’s not in a Biggby Coffee shop, you can find him talking about Biggby Coffee on Facebook and Twitter or in his blog “Where’s Bob” at biggybob.com.

Fish discussed "Extreme Customer Service" as a business development tool during "Inside the CEO Mind." View the full agenda

Marianne O'Brien Markowitz, region V administrator, United States Small Business Administration
Markowitz oversees SBA programs and services in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Markowitz recently served as the Chief Financial Officer for Obama for America and was previously a financial operations consultant for the campaign.

Markowitz was on hand during the morning town hall entitled, "Reinventing the Times: A New Vision for Business in Michigan" to answer any question conference attendees may have about small business development in the state of Michigan. View the full agenda

Jeff Spilman, managing partner, S3 Entertainment Group LLC
S3 Entertainment Group is the leading provider of services to the film industry in Michigan. With offices in Ferndale and Los Angeles, S3 Entertainment has focused on building infrastructure in Michigan that can help productions maximize the benefits of the Michigan Film Incentive. S3's wide variety of direct services include production services, film finance, gear rental, tax incentive consulting, travel and more.

Spilman talked about how to break into "New Markets and New Opportunities" in Michigan's growth industries during "Inside the CEO Mind." View the full agenda

Chris Holman, small business advocate, Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Holman hosts a statewide radio show, Michigan Business Beat, through Michigan Talk Network. In early 2006, Gov. Jennifer Granholm appointed him Michigan's Small Business Advocate. He serves as a liaison between the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and small business owners across the state, working closely with the Michigan Business Ombudsman's office. He is also involved with several other business ventures and serves on numerous community boards.

Holman was on hand during the morning town hall entitled, "Reinventing the Times: A New Vision for Business in Michigan" to answer any question conference attendees may have about small business development in the state of Michigan. View the full agenda

Michael Finney, president and CEO, Ann Arbor SPARK
SPARK is a public-private partnership whose mission is to advance innovation-based economic development in the greater Ann Arbor region. SPARK recently merged with the Washtenaw Development Council to form one integrated flagship economic development group to assist businesses at every stage, from those that are established to those working to successfully commercialize innovations.

Finney talked about the role of SPARK in development of the region's businesses and how Business InSight attendees can get engaged in making southeast Michigan the shortest distance between innovation and opportunity for entrepreneurs. View the full agenda

Philip Power, founder and president, The Center for Michigan
For more than forty years, Philip H. Power was founder, owner and chairman of the board of HomeTown Communications Network, Inc., a group of 62 community newspapers and 24 telephone directories throughout Michigan and around Cincinnati, Ohio. Best known among this group was the Observer & Eccentric Newspapers, serving suburban communities in the Detroit metropolitan area.

In January 2006, Power founded The Center for Michigan, a think-and-do tank aimed at improving the policy and political environment in Michigan by developing a series of very far-reaching, broadly acceptable reforms in taxing, spending and the priorities of state government. The Center sponsors a public engagement campaign, Michigan's Defining Moment, that will by the end of 2010 engage several thousand Michigan leaders and citizens in community conversations and ignite a citizen movement for change.

Power discussed how conference attendees can get engaged in uplifting the business climate of Michigan. View the full agenda

Susan Mosey, president, University Cultural Center
The unique character and resources of Midtown Detroit inspired the leaders of Wayne State University, the College for Creative Studies, the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Engineering Society of Detroit to form the University Cultural Center Association (UCCA). The UCCA was organized to support the physical maintenance and development of the area and to enhance public awareness, appreciation and use of Midtown Detroit.

Mosey talked about the 15 by 15 initiative that aims to bring 15,000 young, educated people to Midtown Detroit by the year 2015 and how you can get involved in helping to bring the talent our region needs to our cities. View the full agenda

Florine Mark, president and chair, The WW Group, Inc. / Weight Watchers
As President and Chair of the Board of The WW Group, Inc., Florine Mark uses her influence, energy and resources to improve the lives of others. A multifaceted entrepreneur and marketing expert, Florine is the largest franchise holder of Weight Watchers International, currently operating Weight Watchers meetings in regions throughout Michigan and Ontario. Florine comes from meek beginnings, having built her internationally recognized weight-loss enterprise from the ground up. Perhaps the most telling story of her success in the business arena was when Weight Watchers International acquired a majority of her franchises in regions throughout the Midwest, East Coast and Mexico in early 2003.

Mark talked about how the business community needs stand up, be active and select responsible leaders in the upcoming 2010 gubernatorial elections that will help provide the tools and opportunities Michigan businesses thrive. View the full agenda

Nolan Finley, editorial page editor, The Detroit News
Finley directs the expression of the newspaper's editorial position on various national and local issues and writes a Sunday column for the paper. Finley also served as the newspaper's deputy managing editor, business editor and in various editing positions on the city, state and metro desks. He has been with The Detroit News for more than 30 years, starting as a copy boy in the newsroom while a student at Wayne State University.

Finley moderated the closing session of Business InSight 2009 entitled, "How to Get Involved in Shaping the Future of Michigan Business." View the full agenda

Nancy Kaffer, reporter, Crain's Detroit Business
Nancy Kaffer is an award-winning reporter at Crain's Detroit Business. Nancy's work has taken her across the country, covering stories like Iraqi expatriate voting in Michigan in 2005 - work for which she was honored by the Michigan Press Association - to Mississippi, where she covered Hurricane Katrina recovery. At Crain's, Nancy covers small business in southeast Michigan and politics in Detroit and Wayne County, which means she rarely has a dull moment.

Nancy moderated the "Insider" session at Business InSight 2009. View the full agenda

For more information, call member relations at 866.MBR.LINE.

Business InSight 2009 was sponsored by: