Business-to-small-business leaders from Google, Dell, Comcast Business, LegalZoom, IBM, Indeed, G2 Crowd and more to discuss strategic and tactical approaches for advancing the business relationship with millions of small businesses.

CHICAGO, Aug. 21, 2018 – The B2SMB Institute, the first professional organization focused on advancing excellence in the business-to-small-business (B2SMB) ecosystem, today announced keynoters, featured speakers and agenda highlights for the B2SMB Institute Global Conference, the second-annual gathering of B2SMB leadership executives, taking place Oct. 1-3, in Chicago’s innovation hotbed, the West Loop.

“The program for this year’s Global Conference reflects the strategic and tactical demands B2SMB leaders face – not just how to better reach, engage, qualify and close SMBs, but how to change the business relationship they have with their millions of small business customers,” said Dave Walker, CEO and Cofounder, B2SMB Institute. “We are gratified with how our fast-growing community of B2SMB execs has encouraged, supported and contributed to an absolutely killer line-up for this event.”

B2SMB leaders will present their successes and lessons learned during two and a half days of Ted-Talk-like keynotes, engaging panel discussions, topical breakouts and a workshop-styled hackathon with small business owners.

DAY 1 KEYNOTES & SMB INFLUENCERS

The conference leads off with instructive and inspiring keynotes by B2SMB leaders, including:

- Todd Rowe, Global Managing Director, Google Marketing Solutions

- Michael Fauscette, Chief Research Officer, G2 Crowd

- Christal Bemont, Senior Vice President and GM of SMB, SAP/Concur

- Jill Nelson, Founder and CEO, Ruby Receptionists

Day 1 concludes with a meet-and-greet reception featuring over a dozen nationally recognized small-business experts - bloggers, authors and thought-leaders who collectively influence millions of SMBs. These influencers include John Jantsch, bestselling author of “Duct Tape Marketing” and Carol Roth, national media personality and author of the New York Times bestseller, “The Entrepreneur Equation.”

HOT TOPICS ON TRANSFORMATION, PLAYBOOK BREAKOUTS & ENTREPRENEURS’ HACKATHON

Day 2 of the Global Conference will feature subject matter experts examining a number of transformational changes impacting the B2SMB marketplace, including:

- AI and Machine Learning - Brett Tolbert, VP of SMB Marketing and Data Science, Comcast Business

- Blockchain Business Models - Nitin Gaur, Director, IBM Blockchain Labs

- GDPR and Data Protection - Christian Ward, Principal & Cofounder, DataSmart Consulting

- Digital’s Next Wave - Scott Gifis, President, AdRoll 

Dual afternoon breakout tracks will focus on Sales & Marketing and Product Development & Delivery, offering playbooks shared by top B2SMB practitioners, including:

- Brian Bar, Founder and CEO, Victory Lap, who will share how he built the Groupon sales juggernaut.

- Joe Malcoun, CEO Nutshell, who will discuss his company’s successful convergence of marketing and sales across 50-plus countries.

- Matt Bostwick, Product Director, Indeed, who will talk about adapting an SMB product to be “best fit” for millions of users.

Day 2 will also feature the B2SMB Institute’s first-ever Entrepreneurs’ Hackathon, in which attendees will have the chance to discuss real small-business challenges, needs and solutions with dozens of local small business owners, in a casual and constructive face-to-face setting.

PARTNER NETWORKING, INNOVATION SHOWCASE AND MOCK SMALL BUSINESS OFFICE TOURS

The final day of the conference focuses on partnership, innovation and market education. The day begins with the first-ever “Partner-Palooza,” a networking event designed to bring attendees together to explore a variety of means of working together. Then a showcase of the newest and hottest B2SMB companies and solutions opens, with simultaneous sessions built around mock “SMB Office Tours,” hosted by member experts who will detail what’s inside a small-business front office, back office and infrastructure.

Tickets for the B2SMB Institute’s Global Conference are available now with prices set to increase on September 4. For the full agenda, speakers list and registration details, visit https://b2smbi.com/global-conference/. 

About the B2SMB Institute

The B2SMB Institute is the first professional organization focused on advancing excellence in the business-to-small-business ecosystem. B2SMB leaders, practitioners, brands and enterprises rely on the Institute for critical market intelligence resources, peer-to-peer networking, best-practice guidance and specialized skills development. The B2SMB Institute champions small-business-centric thinking and practice, with a focus on how to reach, engage, win, keep and grow SMB customers. The member-driven organization serves as a dynamic, daily destination to find, meet and network with B2SMB decision-makers who share common needs, challenges and goals. Visit https://b2smbi.com/ for details on resources, benefits and membership opportunities.