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BUSINESS SUMMIT

The Business Summit will be a half day event held in April with the purpose of providing educational resources and professional development.  Each session is presented by a local leader or business professional.  Attendees can customize their own Summit Experience by choosing the courses that work best for each individual.

2024 Walla Walla Business Summit
April 24 | 10:00 am-2:00 pm

Gesa Power House Theatre
111 N 6th Ave
Walla Walla, WA 99362

 

Sessions will consist of Key notes and Tedx style presentations.  Lunch will be provided giving guests an opportunity to connect with other attendees.

More details to come.

For available sponsorship opportunities or interest in presenting contact:

Tawni Gama
tgama@wwvchamber.com

 

2023 PROGRAM

In-Person Sessions

Chamber Connect: State of the Cities and Port

Wednesday, April 12
12:00 pm- 1:00 pm

Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center
6 W Rose St
Walla Walla, Wa 99362

Join us to hear from the City of Walla Walla, the City of College Place, and the Port of Walla Walla as they review accomplishments, updates, and changes that have occured, are occurring or will be occurring.

Registration has closed for this event

ChatGPT and The Future of Business

Wednesday, April 19
12:00 pm- 1:00 pm

The Courtyard by Marriott
550 W Rose St
Walla Walla, Wa 99362

Presented By: Paul Bowen, WA SBDC

The new chatbot created by OpenAI has exploded over night, but has left many wondering how this will effect the future of business.  Join, Paul Bowen, as he provides some clarity on the subject:

• What is it?
• How does it work?
• How can I use it to help my business?

Registration has closed for this event

WorkHappy: Laugh More

Tuesday, April 25
3:00 pm- 4:00 pm

Gesa Power House Theatre
111 N. 6th Ave
Walla Walla, Wa 99362

Presented By: Greg Kettner, WorkHappy Nation

Laughter is the best medicine, even at work.  Greg will share fun stories and practical advice that will allow you to start working happy today.   You'll learn how to go from stressed to self-care, from lonely to a sense of community, and from being disengaged to productive with the WorkHappy Culture.

We invite participants to join us in the lobby at the conclusion of the event for a reception and an opportunity to meet some of our Business Summit presenters.

Registration has closed for this event

Virtual Sessions

Social Media for Lead Generation

Thursday, April 13
2:00 pm- 3:00 pm

Zoom Webinar &
Facebook Live

Presented By: Sarah Magill, The Reel Sarah

Social media is so much more than trending dances and cat videos. By leaning into strategies and channeling that traffic, businesses can gain the attention of their dream clients, build a community of raving fans and channel it all into their business. Many of us feel the pressure to keep up and produce volumes of content, but without a strategy to get those leads off social media and into our databases, the momentum fails to bridge the gap from the digital into the real world. This presentation showcases examples of businesses that have successfully adapted these strategies and covers some simple tactics businesses can use to pivot their social media strategy into a lead generation and nurturing piece of their marketing efforts.

Leadership Development That Leaves a Legacy

Friday, April 14
10:00 am- 11:00 am

Zoom Webinar &
Facebook Live

Presented By: Paul Casey, Growing Forward Services

Paul will discuss why it’s crucial to have a Leadership Development plan, what the essentials of leadership development are, and the 3-legged stool of leadership development: On-the-Job training, continuing education, and mentoring/coaching.

Business Continuity Planning

Tuesday, April 18
10:00 am- 11:00 am

Zoom Webinar &
Facebook Live

Presented By: Liz Jessee, Walla Walla County Emergency Management Department

After a disaster 43% of affected companies never reopen and 75% of affected companies without business continuity plans fail within 3 years. That’s why planning is so important. Continuity planning is about being prepared, whether it’s for man-made or a natural disaster. Having a continuity plan in place ensures that a business is prepared to react to and recover from a business disruption with minimal impact to their business.

The discussion will include information about:

  • What is business continuity planning?
  • Why is business continuity important?
  • Business continuity planning overview
  • What resources are available to help with business continuity planning

Get More Done... with Interns!

Thursday, April 20
10 am-  11 am

Zoom Webinar &
Facebook Live

Presented By: Nadine Stecklein, Whitman University

Internships allow companies and organizations to invest in their own future success and discover new talent and future leaders. We will discuss how internships can help employers develop a skilled, talented and diverse workforce. We will explore how employers can create mutually beneficial relationships with interns and employees through internships. We will also discuss how employers can create effective strategies to promote and support these programs and hear from employers who have successfully implemented these programs and gain insight into how to make them work for you.

Hey Neighbor Neighbor!

Wednesday, April 26
11:00 am- 12:00 pm

Zoom Webinar &
Facebook Live

Presented By: David Lopez, Walla Walla University

The Hey Neighbor Neighbor program was created to engage individuals in creating community solidarity based on intentional togetherness, next-step action, and meaningful connection. David will talk about where the idea for the program came from and how businesses can utilize it to help build stronger relations within the communities they do business and the potential for team building opportunities.

Experiencing Burnout? Tap it Away!

Thursday, April 27
10:00 am- 11:00 am

Zoom Webinar &
Facebook Live

Presented By: Tamey Greene, MBSFit Coaching

Is your life, health, and/or relationships suffering from burnout? Whether you’re feeling the effects of stress and burnout from your job or in your personal life, EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) can help. Join Tamey for this interactive workshop to learn a technique that is simple to do and you can take anywhere. You can even teach it to your family and friends!

DWWF Micro Sessions

In partnership with the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation, we are adding a "Mirco Sessions" series to this year's Business Summit.  Each week we will have one session that is specifically targeted to new and start-up small business.

Panel Discussion with Local Small Business Owners

Tuesday, April 11
10:00 am-11:00 am

Zoom Webinar &
Facebook Live

Moderated By: Paul Bowen, WA SBDC

Panelists:  Jess Portas, The Refinery
Annelise Page, Annelise Page Photography
Bill Weed, Walla Walla Beer Parlor

Paul Bowen will lead the conversation as we hear from three local business owners on challenges they faced at all stages of starting and running a small business, how they overcame those challenges, what they wished they had known when they started, and why they love being an entrepreneur.

How to be Bankable as a Small Business

Monday, April 24
1:00 pm-2:00 pm

Zoom Webinar &
Facebook Live

Presented By: Kim Heidenrich, Columbia Bank

Kim Heidenrich, of Columbia Bank, will discuss what documents you need in order to establish your Business Account and how to build your banking relations in order to be lendable in the future as you expand your business.

Thank you to our 2023 Sponsors!

City of Walla Walla default 2023
Downtown Walla Walla Foundation
portwallawalla_logo
City of CP Logo
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