COSE's two-day, small-business conference, which attracts local and national experts, will feature about 60 trade show exhibitors, special events, and 30 workshops with topics including online marketing, financial management, sales, technology, legal and growth strategies.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Council of Smaller Enterprises is expecting more than 1,000 people to participate in its 10th annual small-business convention in downtown Cleveland next week.
The two-day convention, which attracts local and national experts, this year features about 80 trade show exhibitors, keynote speakers, networking opportunities, and 30 workshops with topics including online marketing, financial management, sales, technology, legal and growth strategies.
COSE, which has about 9,000 members, is hosting the conference Wednesday, Oct. 21 to Thursday, Oct. 22 at the Cleveland Public Auditorium & Conference Center, bringing it back to Cleveland from Kalahari in Sandusky.
The conference is billed as a must-attend for three reasons: To get inspired, to feed your entrepreneurial mind and to make connections.
Keynote speakers are: Robert Stephens, founder of Geek Squad; Jennifer Hyman and Jenny Fleiss, founders of Rent the Runway; and Derreck Kayongo, founder of The Global Soap Project.
Megan Kim, vice president of COSE, said the chamber worked to identify speakers who don't just have inspirational entrepreneurial stories, but people who would be willing to share setbacks, as well.
"(They will) share the lessons they learned as they built their respective companies and organizations into well-known brands and global powerhouses," she said.
The convention is $159 for COSE members and members of collaborating chambers, and $310 for nonmembers. The price includes, breakfast, lunch, receptions and admittance to the closing night "Red" party. For more information, go to www.smallbizconvention.com
