The New Hampshire Cultural Diversity Awareness Council will host its Fourth Annual Diversity Conference, Expo, and Career Fair for business and education on Tuesday, September 19th, 11:30am, at the Radisson Hotel, Center of NH, in Manchester, NH.  The theme of the conference is: 

"Working with NH Businesses, Creating Opportunities,
Building Bridges and Forging Alliances for a more Diverse NH".

The Business and Industry Association of NH, along with the Greater Concord, Greater Manchester, and Greater Nashua Chambers of Commerce will be cosponsoring the conference.  Robin Comstock, President and CEO of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce will be serving as the Moderator and Mistress of Ceremonies.

The annual NHCDAC Diversity Conference for business and education is designed to help New Hampshire businesses, government agencies, and institutions to embrace diversity and its benefits.  The focus of the discussion will be on ethnicity, women and people with disabilities.  The conference topics will connect attendees and panelists with open and honest dialogue on subject matters such as:why diversity is important for business, how to avoid common pitfalls in building a diverse workplace, learning about the many faces of New Hampshire, and how diversity is good for business.

The confirmed keynote speaker is Erle Pierce, Vice President, Verizon-NH.  Also speaking and confirmed are:

• U.S. Congressman Jeb Bradley
• Dr. Lyonel B. Tracy, Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Education
• Elizabeth Moore, Labor and Employment attorney and Partner with Nixon Peabody LLP, and
• David Casey, VP of Diversity and Workplace Culture for Wellpoint/Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield   

Diversity Inc. Magazine recognized Verizon and Wellpoint/Anthem as 2006 national leaders in promoting diversity in the workplace and Nixon Peabody was recently recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the Best 100 companies to work for.  They will each receive NHCDAC's "National Leader in NH – Best Practice In Diversity" award.  Other invited speakers and panelists include Gov. John Lynch and Small Business Administrator the Honorable Steven Preston.

Congressman Bradley will be speaking about his role on the SBA sub committee and how he is helping to stimulate small business ownership by women, minorities and people with disabilities. NH-DOE Commissioner, Dr. Lyonel B. Tracey will discuss how immigration and New Hampshire’s changing demographics are creating new demands and challenges for many school districts throughout New Hampshire. Elizabeth Moore advises on diversity issues at all of the important institutions in her professional life.  In her employment law practice, Ms. Moore counsels employers, including Fortune 500 companies, colleges and universities, and public sector entities, to ensure that they maintain workplaces free from harassment and discrimination, and to remove invisible barriers to recruitment and advancement.   Moore has been named a recipient of the New York City Bar Association’s Diversity Champion Award. The award recognizes the critical role individuals have played in initiating and sustaining change within their organizations and in the overall New York City legal community.  

Individual tickets to luncheon------$30.00 ea.

TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED IN ADVANCE

Click here for luncheon event admission and table sponsorships.

All events are open to the general public. Career fair, afternoon workshops and expo are FREE.  Agenda for luncheon program and workshops are subject to change.    

Career Fair, afternoon workshops and expo are FREE and is open to the general public

Session# I
2:00pm-3:30pm    

1. How to Really Start Your Own Business                                             (U.S. Small Business Administration and SCORE, Counselors to America's Small Business, and Bank of America)

   Starting and operating your own business can be exciting and invigorating, but it can also be overwhelming.  This session will help get you started in the right direction, focus on business start-up basics and address your concerns. Topics will include creating a business plan, business financing, ways to organize your business and much more. Learn what sources of no cost business counseling are available right here New Hampshire.

    

2. Buying and operating a franchise (Citizens Bank,The Entrepreneur's Source and Nixon Peabody)

   Topics to be discussed: What to ask myself, What is Franchising? Common franchise terms,  Why franchise a business, Alternatives to franchising, Advantages and disadvantages, legal Issues of franchising, Independent vs existing business vs franchise,Writing a business plan, Franchise Agreement, UFOC, Financial statements, Financing a franchise,Franchise development stages, Keys to franchise success, Do I have what it takes to be a Franchisee?

3. "10.5 Ways That Even Top Executives Fail"                             (Strategic Directions, LLC)

   This is a workshop for entrepreneurs and seasoned executives who want to avoid the most common mistakes made by their peers. This workshop is based on ideas from the book of the same name by David Mutchler and David Herdlinger, colleagues of the speaker. The workshop focuses on leadership development in terms of major pitfalls. Starting with the lack of a comprehensive and written vision, and ending with a failure to seek help, this interactive workshop will examine the major causes of failure and how to avoid them.

    

 Session#II
4:00pm-5:30pm   

1.  Introduction to government contracting and procurement

   (SBA and NH Dept. Resources and Economic Development, NH-DOT, The Louis Berger Group/Patti Klondel)    Selling your products and services to the government can be both rewarding-and challenging.  Gaining an awareness of when your business is ready to take on the government as a customer, as well as knowing the available options and the steps to take are critical to your success.  In this session, you will learn about the basics for entering the field of government contracting, as well as some of the opportunities afforded to businesses owned by people with disabilities, minorities, and women.

2. JOB READINESS:  Exploring the “Nuts and Bolts” of Preparing a Job Search (Granite State Independent Living)

   If you can’t always be the most experienced, at least be the most prepared. Whether you are a first time applicant or an experienced worker, there are several basics that you need to address if you want to stand out from other applicants.  This session will take participants through a step by step process that will assist them in making the best impression possible.  We will talk about applications, resumes, and interviewing.  We will cover making contact over the phone and in person, as well as using a network of friends and business contacts to facilitate the job search.

3. Get BUZzed About Owning Your Own Biz or Building a Career in New Hampshire. Discover available free and low-cost business assistance programs for women, veterans, disabled persons, minorities and others. (The Knowledge Institute and Citizens Bank)

   There are many valuable business and career assistance programs in New Hampshire to support business start-up, growth and long-term sustainability, as well as career development. The challenge is how to discover, understand and access them. This workshop will show you how to navigate available federal, state and local free and low-cost programs ideally suited for women, veterans, disabled persons, minorities and others who want to investigate starting a business, are already in business and want to grow, or want to pursue a career. Discover free available sources of help with business planning, funding, marketing,  import/export, self-employment, career development and much more. Take-away materials provide detailed descriptions of business assistance and funding programs including program titles, addresses, phone, fax, email and web site.