A dinner for the history books

The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce 61^stAnnual Dinner on Sept. 12 was one for the record books. More than 1,000 business and community leaders, entrepreneurs and small business owners made up the sold out capacity crowd at Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center making it the largest dinner in Chamber history. (View photo album.)

Our colorful emcee, Debra Kaye, connected the Red Thread linking Madison’s iconic businesses, recent startups and identifiable institutions. Kaye, award winning author of Red Thread Thinking: Weaving Together Connections for Brilliant Ideas and Profitable Innovation, told the packed house, “Innovation is not just about technology, it is about everyday things. We all tweak products in our home or business to make them work better for our own needs. This is innovation. About 20 percent of us, take those tweaks to market and make a business. Those are our entrepreneurs. The economy runs on the steam of innovation.”

Kaye set the tone for an amazing line up of local speakers. Jack Salzwedel, Chairman and CEO of American Family Mutual Insurance Co., reflected on American Family’s long history of innovation and how, even today, the company is always looking for new ways to meet customer needs. He added, “Innovation doesn’t need to be expensive, but human capital is needed and so is leadership. Add creativity to smarts for a powerful formula for innovation.”

Leora Greenburg, CEO of recent startup DineInTime Inc., painted the picture of today’s entrepreneur and the entrepreneurial needs from a community. She challenged the audience to keep looking for the next big idea. Greenburg is a recent graduate of Gener8tor, a business accelerator program based in Madison and Milwaukee that provides money, mentoring and moral support to young tech companies. DineInTime is a product of Gener8tor’s successful formula and Greenburg’s creativity and drive to succeed.

The Chamber dinner also welcomed new UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank. She shared her eagerness to connect the red thread between businesses and education. She believes by creating opportunity locally, it will help retain UW graduates to keep top talent in our region.

International guests also “popped” in to the Annual Dinner. The Pop Up Agency unveiled the results of its spring 2013 study of the Madison region. The globetrotting team encouraged community change to give Madison real potential to become the location for innovation. They said, “You need to tell your story and believe it in Madison first.”

To cap off the amazing evening, Chamber President Zach Brandon told the crowd, “Think global, and we will grow local.”

Brandon unveiled “MADi” the next big thing to take Madison to a higher level. A platform that will highlight and guide you to the innovation happening in Madison. But, MADi is not just a Chamber effort. It will take small and large, institutions and entrepreneurs, working together, to put Madison on the larger map. It’s vital everyone in the community asks themselves, “What will I do to build a greater Madison?

Thank you to our amazing sponsors and partners who made the evening possible. Thank you to the wonderful support of our Chamber membership base and the 1,000 people in attendance.

Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and Madison International Trade Association Team Up to Help Companies Think Global and Grow Local

MADISON – A new partnership was announced today by the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and Madison International Trade Association (MITA) to help businesses grow by selling their products and services internationally. The two organizations will collaborate on a program series titled, “Going Global,” which will explore why companies should expand their customer base in foreign markets and discuss how companies of different types and sizes have found success.

“Ninety-five percent of the world’s population lives outside the United States,” said Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce President Zach Brandon. “This is why you see so many small-to medium-sized businesses strategically pursuing opportunities to sell internationally.”

On average, companies that export grow faster and create more jobs at higher wages than non-exporting companies. In 2012, Madison-area businesses exported $2.2 billion worth of products around the world.

MITA Board President Jen Pino-Gallagher encouraged businesses of all sizes to attend the collaborative series, noting the access to insight, connections and resources that will be provided. “International business is big business in Madison,” Pino-Gallagher said. “If your business is not active in global markets, you may be missing some very large and profitable opportunities. In my opinion, the Going Global series is an easy opportunity to learn more about the potential that global sales may hold for your company.”

Brandon acknowledged that for many small businesses, the thought of conducting business in foreign markets can appear daunting at first. “There are many real challenges – you need to understand the market, the culture, the regulatory climate and establish personal relationships,” Brandon said. “Our message to Madison-area businesses is you can do this and we want to help. Together, if we think global, we will grow local.”

The first program in the “Going Global” series takes place on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 7:30-9:00 a.m. at CUNA Mutual Group. The program is free for members of either the Greater Madison Chamber or MITA, and $20 for non-members. Individuals can register at www.greatermadisonchamber.com.

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,400 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 6,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, Madison businesses vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at www.greatermadisonchamber.com.

About the Madison International Trade Association:
MITA is a Madison, Wisconsin-based organization with the simple goal to connect and provide global know-how and resources to its members. MITA provides current, relevant and vital global and international trade information to the organizations and individuals looking to expand their international reach. From trade agreements to export documentation to economic trends and prevailing world issues, MITA keeps its members “in the know.” MITA members include a broad spectrum of professionals interested in and involved with international trade. Member companies include manufacturers, food companies, and services providers such as freight forwarders, banks, and law firms, as well as universities and governmental institutions. More information can be found at: http://mitatrade.org/.

Click here for an electronic copy of this release.

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