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1. The People
Smart. Accomplished. Nice. Our attendees are your people! Over 70% of B2SMBI event attendees have C-suite/VP titles for business-to-small-business enterprises and advocacy orgs – sans sales people – so this is truly a LEADERS’ event!
2. The Agenda
We continuously refine our highly curated content, mixing a dynamic blend of interactive keynotes, breakout workshops, and segments with a heavy emphasis on activation of SMB customers.
3. The Networking
We create meaningful, long-lasting connections between the very best B2SMB practitioners. We foster peer-to-peer partnerships that advance enterprise and individual goals.
4. The Awards
It began at our first event in October 2017 – a featured recognition of the best in Business-to-Small-Business. We not only celebrate, we illuminate what the best think, do and believe.
5. The Fun
Funny thing – when you get a bunch of smart, accomplished and nice people together, and mix in a great venue and great food you get a damned good time for all! Come see for yourself!
BONUS It’s Nashville!
We intend to squeeze the most out of our time deep in the heart of Country! Barbecue, bourbon, cowboy boots and honky-tonk, Music City is ready for the Best in B2SMB!
DAY 1- LIVE PM
Partnerships Circle Meet-up
We’ll meet-up live in Nashville with an intense focus on winning SMBs collaboratively. Our format will encourage one-on-one and small group connections to foster co-marketing, co-development and co-growth opportunities between the wide variety of enterprises & offerings that make up the Institute’s 5000+ Member-base.
Keyword: ACTIVATION!
DAY 2- LIVE AM
Small Business Advocacy Workshops
B2SMBI’s partnership with Small Business Advocacy Orgs continues to grow, and we’re taking a next critical step – creating IMPACT. Led by Members of our SMB Advocacy Council, the morning of Day 2 features key leaders on how to really help Small Business, then impact-driven workshops to brainstorm collaborative SMB Advocacy Playbooks for 2024.
Keyword: IMPACT!
DAY 2- LIVE PM
Best2SMB Awards & Playbooks
Centered on our 2023 Best2SMB Awards Luncheon, you’ll connect you and your peers in Business-to-Small-Business Leadership: powerful keynotes, interactive breakouts and as always, lots of opportunities to link face-to-face. It’s all to learn from your B2SMB counterparts what it takes to be the best!
Keyword: NETWORKING!
PRE-CONFERENCE
Maxing Your Meeting
From our exclusive “warm intros” to fellow Member attendees, to weekly virtual meet-ups of our Partnerships Circle leading up to our event, we make sure you’re prepped for maximum networking, targeted learning and business opportunities found nowhere else. Join our Private Slack channel now to get connected to your B2SMB peers, resources and more.
Keyword: PREPARATION!
DAY 1 VENUE
The Country Music Hall of Fame:
BMI Hall
Welcome to “The House that holds the Music!” We’ll meet in the historic BMI Hall with a broad view of downtown Nashville. With over 2.5 million country music artifacts surrounding us, we’ll be inspired to create our own duets between B2SMBI Partnership leaders!
DAY 2 VENUE
Ole Red: The Hall & The Lookout Rooftop
Inspired by Opry member Blake Shelton’s hit, “Ol’ Red,” Ole Red is a restaurant, live music venue, and event space located at 300 Broadway. We’ll hold our full series of keynotes and breakouts in this expansive space, as well as our 2023 Best2SMB Awards luncheon.
Our Theme for the 2023 B2SMBI Best2SMB Awards & Conference
ACTIVATE!
Playbooks to Win Small Business
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IT'S ALL ABOUT NETWORKING
All of our events drive an unrivaled level of peer-to-peer intros – connections with Leaders who share a common mission: to win, keep, and grow SMB customers at scale. Our events make intros, foster exchange and build relationships that last.
IT'S ALL ABOUT SHARING
We believe that Leaders learn best not from ‘Experts’ or Consultants, but from each other. So we crowd-source the collective skills, experiences and advice of our Members and put it on stage for ALL to benefit.
IT'S ALL ABOUT PARTNERING
From co-marketing and shared customer lists, to co-development and co-distribution to resource sharing, our events offer intros, collaborations and breakthroughs between our attendees. Meet your next Partner here.
IT'S ALL ABOUT UNITING
Since the onset of Covid, our events have served to gather ALL stakeholders in the B2SMB ecosystem. You’ll meet (likely for the first time) the Advocates and Agencies who seek our partnership to aid SMBs. United we stand!
AN EXCLUSIVE HUB FOR B2SMB LEADERS
Our Member Driven Mission:
The B2SMB Institute ensures that B2SMB Professionals – those whose jobs depend on winning, keeping and growing Small Business customers – succeed.
We serve B2SMB leaders, practitioners, brands, enterprises, resources, investors and educators as an exclusive destination for critical information exchange, peer-to-peer networking and specialized skills development.
We champion Small-Business-centric thinking, focusing on what reaches, engages, wins, keeps and grows SMB customers, delivering meaningful insights, important connections and valuable opportunities from a trusted platform.
Finally, we unite B2SMB Leadership as “Stewards of the Small Business ecosystem,” elevating our Members from Sellers to Stakeholders.
What They Said
“I am so incredibly impressed on who you’ve gathered together to talk about how we better support the SMB community.”
– Erik Day, SVP/GM – Small Business, Dell
“You guys are building something super cool and INCREDIBLY valuable.”
– Jill Nelson, Founder, Ruby
“The events are first class, from the people, the connections and the take home value.”
– Sean Cohen, COO, AWeber
What They Said
“Great connections, great networking.”
– Carrie Jacobson, VP Technology & Services, Office Depot
“There was this great energy in the room and lots of good opportunities to network.”
– Kelly Thomas Nojaim, VP Partner Development, Microsoft
“I found a lot of value connecting with leaders in the space and learning how different companies are approaching the SMB segment.”
– Dip Ghuman, Strategic and Product Partnerships, Indeed
What They Said
“My team and I learned so much from all the folks who are serving SMBs. Overall, truly inspiring.”
– Liz Yoon, Partnerships Management, LegalZoom
“Definitely think you’ve put Lorem on the radar for a lot of important partners – lots of great content from other innovators in the SMB space, too”.
– Sam Wilcoxon, Founder, Lorem
“It was great to hear the experiences of other Members. We found some immediate points of optimization for our go to market process.”
– Joanna Knox, BD Lead, Fundbox
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
DAY 1 REGISTRATION: OCT 11
The Country Music Hall of Fame
BMI Hall - 4th Floor
222 Rep. John Lewis Way
Downtown Nashville
2:30 pm - 5:30 pm
The B2SMBI Partnerships Circle Best2SMB Meet-Up: 3 Full Hours Focused on B2SMB Partnership Success
We'll dive into Partnership Playbooks and forward plans from Best2SMB Nominees, then work together across 3 different tracks focused on 3 differing forms of Partnerships. Our single objective for the afternoon? To sell more to more Small Business.
SIGN-UP IN OUR FREE B2SMBI PARTNERSHIPS CIRCLE IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND!
Partnership Leaders from...
Wells Fargo
Salesforce
Alignable
Visa
Wave
Wix
and more!
2:30 pm - 2:35 pm
INTRO OF DAY 1
Dave Walker, Co-Founder of B2SMBI, introduces the the theme of the conference, and the intense focus on B2SMB Partnerships for Day 1's agenda. And he'll talk about getting the most out of the day.
B2SMB Institute
2:35 pm - 2:45 pm
INTRO OF PARTNERSHIPS CIRCLE MEET-UP
Partnerships in 12 Forms - A Primer: As a kickoff to our afternoon focused on collaboration between our B2SMB enterprises, we'll define and describe 12 different forms that partnerships can take. Using illustrations and demonstrations, we'll talk form, function and features for each as we elevate our collective knowledge of the possible and proven.
B2SMB Institute
2:45 pm - 3:00 pm
Best2SMB Partner Playbook #1
Team Verizon talks about their ongoing Partnership successes and future opportunities, updating us on their plans for Verizon Days in 2024.
B2SMB Institute
3:00 pm - 3:15 pm
Best2SMB Partner Playbook #2
If you've been following the progress of Alignable, you know that their organic network of over 8 Million SMBs in the US has become unrivalled in both scale and scope. Eric Groves talks about the carefully evolved and evolving opportunities for partnership with major B2SMB offerings.
B2SMB Institute
3:15 pm - 3:25 pm
Best2SMB Partner Product Launch
B2SMBI is proud to host the announcement of new Member WriteforMe's latest product, Composer. Co-Founder and CMO Andy Steuer gives us a high-level overview of their offering, and the opportunity for partnerships across multiple fronts.
B2SMB Institute
3:40 pm - 3:50 pm
Break
3:25 am - 3:40 pm
Pitch for Partners
Back by popular demand: we'll invite 5 Attendees to stand and introduce their company, their partnership opportunities and what they're looking for.
4:00 pm - 4:00 pm
PARTNERSHIP BREAKOUT PODS
Introduction: Past attendees agree: very small groups afford the best chance to network, to collaborate, and to maximize partnership opportunities. So we'll divide into 12-15 small groups, or "pods," of 6-8 attendees each as we rotate three different 20-minute workshops. Our objective is to give every attendee the chance to explore different forms of partnership and how we might apply them to our own enterprise objectives. Each small group will be facilitiated by a Member of the Partnerships Circle Advisory Board.
B2SMB Institute
4:00 pm - 12:00 pm
Partnership Breakout Pod #1
Marketing Partnerships: We'll get into to how partnerships can deliver greater reach and engagement with SMB customers and prospects. We'll include different forms of marketing partnership, from direct lead referrals, to joint content creation and delivery, to collaborative events.
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Partnership Breakout Pod #2
Selling Partnerships: There's nothing easy about qualifying and closing an SMB customer, so we'll examine how partnerships can ""open the door,"" fast-track trust, and multiply the value proposition. We'll include different forms of cooperative selling, from affiliate or agent to bundling or straight referral.
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Partnership Breakout Pod #3
Distribution Partnerships: Our Members are selling at scale to thousands of SMBs every day, but how do we develop coverage across the millions of potential SMB customers out there? The answer might lie within the distribution footprint of a partner, and that's what we'll explore. We'll exchange what's possible in leveraging each other's distribution networks, channels, or retail outlets.
5:00 pm - 5:15 pm
RECAP OF PARTNERSHIPS CIRCLE MEET-UP
We'll end Day 1 with summary take-aways and a commitment to meet within 14-days with prospective partners we've identified during the time together.
B2SMB Institute
5:15 pm - 7:00 pm
LEADERS' LEAGUE VIP RECEPTION & DINNER
Get your boots on ‘cause we’d like you to line-dance your way to our exclusive Leaders’ League VIP Reception and Dinner to end Day 1 of our event! We’re taking a big bite out of Music City at the legendary destination, The Valentine, a short walk from the Country Music Hall of Fame. The Valentine is “a four-story bar and restaurant located in the heart of Nashville’s famous Lower Broadway district. Unlike any other live music venue on Broadway, its New Age Eclectic SoHo theme puts a vibrant twist on the standard honky-tonk.” We’ll hold our VIP Reception and Bourbon Bar on the Valentine’s Rooftop (voted #1 in Nashville), with a terrific twilight view of Broadway’s party street. Then we’ll move inside for dinner overlooking the Valentine’s main music stage. The food? It’s a deep dish of Tennessee, from Fried Green Tomatoes to Hot Chicken to Brisket and Ribs. Join us, y'all!
We Are Business-to-Small Business
If your job depends on winning, keeping, and growing SMB customers at scale, we invite you to join thousands of your B2SMB peers who count on the Institute for critical information, actionable insights, and the skills needed to succeed.
Join Our Growing Network
With over 3000 Members and growing, the Institute provides a network of Leaders exclusively focused on our unique $500Bil marketplace, providing opportunities to partner, share, learn, and ultimately help millions of SMBs by helping our Member-brands.