Categories

2024 Agenda

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

12:00 P. M.

Lunch and Opening Remarks

12:30 P. M. – 3:00 P. M.

Nebraska Made, Sustainably Crafted
Mac’s Creek Winery & Brewery

Nebraska Made, Sustainably Crafted
Mac’s Creek Winery & Brewery has been family owned and operated by the McFarlands since 2001. They’ve been sustainably raising grapes since 2000 and regularly grow over 10 varieties for use in the creation of their wines. Mac’s Creek started brewing beer in 2019 as an extension of their brand. They now offer an array of drinking, dining, events, recreation and lodging options. Join us to hear about the business’ biggest challenges and successes from the family who started it all.
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3:00 P. M. – 4:00 P. M.

Walking Tour of Mac’s Creek Winery & Brewery

4:00 P. M. – 6:00 P. M.

Taste of Nebraska Social

Taste of Nebraska Social
Enjoy a sampling of Nebraska Wine, Beer & Spirits served alongside heavy hors d’oeuvres sponsored by Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild and Nebraska Wine and Grape Growers Association.
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4:00 P. M. – 8:00 P. M. 

Exhibitor Setup | Younes Conference Center
416 W Talmadge Road, Kearney, NE 68845
Tables will be assigned and indicated with business names.

6:00 P. M.

Travel to Kearney

5:30 P. M. – 6:30 P. M. 

Pre-Conference Session and Check-In
Younes Conference Center
416 W Talmadge Road, Kearney, NE 68845

B. A. I. L. - Banker, Accountant, Insurance, Legal
When initiating your business, it is crucial to incorporate key representation. We propose establishing a B.A.I.L team, consisting of a banker, accountant, insurance expert, and legal advisor. Our expert panel, comprising professionals from the banking, accounting, insurance, and legal fields, will generously share their knowledge, insights, and experiences within their respective industries. Moreover, the panel will be accessible for any inquiries you may have.
Speakers
Banker: Stephen Munro | BMO Bank
Accountant: Mindy Oman | KSO CPAs + Advisors
Insurance: Brian Blakely | Stonebridge Insurance & Wealth Management
Legal: Coy Clark | Jacobsen, Orr, Lindstrom & Holbrook, P.C., L.L.O
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6:00 P. M. – 8:00 P. M. 

Dinner On Your Own

7:00 P. M. – 9:00 P. M.

RSVP

VIP Reception
Comfort Inn Lobby
118 3rd Avenue, Kearney, NE 68847

Thursday, February 29, 2024

7:00 A. M. – 9:00 A. M. 

Registration | Younes Conference Center
416 W Talmadge Road, Kearney, NE 68845

8:30 A. M. – 9:00 A. M. 

Conference Welcome

9:00 A. M. – 9:45 A. M. 

Keynote Speaker – Troy Sandidge

Keynote Speaker - Troy Sandidge
Traditional marketing is becoming outdated with the rise of A.I., higher demands of smarter consumers, and increasing changes to mediums, buyer psychology, and the modern cultural human ecology. To avoid falling into the gap, businesses need to embrace a more dynamic, inclusive, and agile approach to not only how they market, but in the manner in which they define, communicate, and measure marketing strategies and tactics. Discover how Conscious Growth Pathways™ meets at the intersection of the modern marketing levers — experience, entertainment, education, and empowerment — to drive profitable outcomes and impact in an inclusive and equitable way.

Takeways: Identifying the Gaps in Traditional Marketing Best Practices; Embracing Diversity-Led & DEIB-Integrated Marketing is the Future; The Building Blocks to Sustainable & Scalable Marketing: 5 Ps + 7Cs + 4 Es; Transitioning from Sales Pipelines & Funnels to Growth Pathways; Achieve Better Community-Centric Engaging Applying A.D.D. & C.U.P.; Integrating Smart Marketing Protocols & A.I. for Optimizing MarketingOps; Using Behavior Science & Modern Cultural Human Ecology to Navigate the Consumer Mindspace
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10:00 A. M. – 10:45 A. M. 

Concurrent Sessions

Learn how to promote your products online using Google tools. We’ll show how local brick-and-mortar businesses can list products on a Google Business Profile.  We’ll also cover Google Merchant Center, a no-cost tool that allows both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar businesses to create free Product Listings on Google.
 
With the right tools and international marketing strategy, businesses are expanding globally to meet new demands. This workshop introduces Google’s Market Finder, a free tool that can help you identify new international business opportunities and plan for success.
In this session we’ll show you how to:
  • Highlight products on your Google Business Profile
  • Use Pointy to promote in-store inventory with your point of sale system
  • Use Google Merchant Center to showcase in-store and online product inventory
  • Discuss the benefits of exporting
  • Introduce Google Market Finder
  • Show you how to use the tool to explore other markets

Adam will discuss the evolution of SEO tools, their usefulness, and how to use their features effectively to help your website. He will talk about the different types of SEO tools available, how they report on website performance, and which ones are useful and which ones are not. With the introduction of AI to SEO tools, Adam will discuss how these changes can be game-changing or just gimmicks that can get you in trouble. He will also share insights on how to get the very best out of your SEO tools.

Explore the expansive realm of Canva and unleash a plethora of tools to elevate your marketing endeavors. Delve into the intricacies of post creation, dissecting each element for perfection. Discover the artistry of content curation and repurposing to amplify your influence. Gain profound insights into understanding your audience and tailoring content to suit various networks. Solve the perennial puzzle: What content holds the key to success? Unravel the strategic significance of timing your posts for maximum impact and engagement. Elevate your social media prowess with this comprehensive guide, revolutionizing your approach to digital marketing.

Marketing specialist for Nebraska Tourism, Ben Jones will cover best practices for using Visit Nebraska’s free tools for promoting your attraction, destination, business and events, including creating website and travel guide listings, submitting trip itineraries and coordinating social media content. You’ll also learn about Visit Nebraska’s mission, board, staff, grant programs, the Nebraska Passport and more.

10:45 A. M. – 11:15 A. M. 

Networking Break

11:15 A. M. – 12:00 A. M. 

Concurrent Sessions

This session focuses entirely on the homepage experience – from navigation to value props and more. In this session you will get clear, obvious, and actionable content.

The growth you want to achieve as an individual and a business requires three things: reflection, realignment, and reaction. Understanding what was, acknowledging and aligning on everything that is, and defining goals and aspirations for what you want the future to be is the way. Then take the necessary action to move forward for growth to manifest.

Takeaways:

  • Get Systems to Level-Up Productivity & Teamwork
  • PeopleOps & MarketingOps Frameworks for Business Growth Alignment
  • Learn Methodologies to Reset, Reflect, Realgin, Renew, & Drive Revenue
In this dynamic session based on the insightful book, “Leaders Look Within by Brent Pohlman,” we delve into the transformative power of internal leadership. However, true leadership begins by looking inward, tapping into personal strengths, values, and purpose.
 
Takeaways:
  • Leadership is Personal – You need to Own You
  • Own Your Life to Live a Life of Gratitude
  • Leading from the Heart is the Best Way to Live

Join Passport Program Manager Madison Johnson as she details all the necessary requirements for becoming a Nebraska Passport stop, plus tips and tricks to make your business stand out come selection season. Learn how previous stops went above and beyond to maintain customer satisfaction during peak Passport mania and facilitated enjoyment of not only their business, but the wider community.

12:00 P. M. – 12:45 P. M. 

Concurrent Sessions

12:45 P. M. – 1:00 P. M. 

Best Nebraska Local Product Award
GROW Nebraska and Russ’s B&R

1:00 P. M. – 1:45 P. M. 

All Businesses Start Out Small – A Panel Discussion

All Business Start Out Small
Panelists:
Mike Young, GIX Logistics Inc.| Brent Pohlman, Midwest Laboratories
Abby Jordan, eCreamery Ice Cream | CharDale Barnes, Stable Grey
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1:45 P. M. – 2:15 P. M. 

Networking Break

2:15 P. M. – 3:00 P. M. 

Concurrent Sessions

Businesses can leverage third party websites to help increase their presence online and in local areas, allowing consumers to experience their brand in new ways. During this session, attendees will understand how third party retailers can help enhance their business and hear case studies of those who have done this successfully.

Takeaways:

  • Benefit from online retail
  •  Understand what third party retail looks like
  • Hear success stories and why it is recommended
Boost your small business with AI tools! See how using Chat GPT, Google Bard, Google Drive Tools and AI can benefit your business.In this session we’ll show you how to:
  • Understand and assess AI tools
  • Identify productivity opportunities to use AI to fine tune your outreach, competitive analysis, and growth strategy.
  • Identify practical application opportunities for AI use in your business
  • Best prompts to use to teach your AI

65% of businesses fail because of three things – complexity, confusion, and chaos. To avoid failure, modern day success requires businesses to relinquish expired “best practices” and embrace modern marketing and sales frameworks while leveraging fundamentals to succeed in 2024.

Actionable Takeaways:

  • Activate Blueprints to Increase Customer Success & Sales Velocity
  • Apply Strategies to Obtain & Maintain Clarity to Stay in Alignment with Goals
  • Clarity. Refocus. Realignment. Revitalization of Passion & Action

Join this panel of expert event producers and organizers as they share their experiences in creating, hosting, and growing events within the state such as SIP, Junkstock, Old West Balloon Fest and the USA Cycling Gravel National Championships. They’ll lay the groundwork for what you’ll need to take your vision off the paper and into action, as well as share the best resources to make your vision come to life.

3:00 P. M. – 3:30 P. M. 

Networking Break

3:30 P. M. – 4:15 P. M. 

Concurrent Sessions

Learn how your business can be found online with Google. This workshop explains how Google Search works and how you can improve a website’s visibility with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The session also introduces products like Google Business Profile, Google Trends, Search Console, Google Ads, and more.
In this workshop we’ll discuss best practices for:
  • Improving your website’s visibility in Google’s organic search results, on all devices
  • Creating a free Google Business Profile
  • Advertising your business on Google
  1. The problem your business faces with social media
  2. Convergent campaigns: What type of website is right for your business and social media campaign?
  3. The future of the web is not AI

Unlock the secrets to supercharging your online presence! Dive into Google’s ranking algorithm, gaining insider insights on SEO tactics that can catapult your content to the top. We’ll navigate through what type of content you should be putting online, revealing how together they hold the key to capturing and keeping your audience’s attention. Learn the steps to creating content that satisfies search engines and more importantly, your audience.

In an era where attention spans are short and digital platforms reign, engaging your audience requires innovative storytelling techniques. This session focuses on interactive storytelling methods that leverage the latest digital tools and platforms to create immersive experiences for your audience. Attendees will explore case studies of successful interactive stories and participate in a workshop to learn how to use interactive elements to create compelling marketing campaigns. The session aims to foster creativity and provide practical skills for integrating interactive storytelling into your marketing strategy.Key Takeaways:

  1. Learn about cutting-edge digital tools and platforms that can enhance your storytelling.
  2. Understand how to craft interactive stories that encourage audience participation and engagement.
  3. Gain hands-on experience in developing interactive elements for your marketing campaigns.

4:15 P. M. – 4:45 P. M. 

NSBAA Grant + Closing

5:00 P. M. – 6:00 P. M. 

Networking Happy Hour
McCue’s Taproom
2008 A Avenue, Kearney, NE

Networking Happy Hour at McCue's Taproom
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