Call for Workshops: Sustainable Business Network Conference

Posted by on March 3, 2006

Request for Workshop Proposals
Annual Conference of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia
Saturday, May 20, 2006
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Submission Deadline: March 13th

The Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia requests proposals for breakout sessions for our Annual Conference. We will host our Annual Conference on May 19-20 at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. The purpose of this two day event is to share our vision, inspire action and provide tools for building a local living economy in our region ? one that is environmentally sustainable and socially just.

The conference will consist of three to four general sessions and between 8-12 breakout sessions that will allow attendees to learn from the experts. All breakout sessions will occur on Saturday, May 20th, with sessions taking place in the morning, early afternoon and late afternoon.

Submission Deadline: Monday, March 13, 2006 at 5PM (via e-mail)

As a potential breakout session leader, please keep a few things in mind:

Competition: There are only 8-12, 80-minute breakout session spots available for this program. Presenters may be creative regarding the format of their session (i.e., interactive, lecture-based or panel discussion). Spots will be filled based on the following:
? Professional experience of person leading session (is this led by an expert?)
? Creativity (has this topic been presented before?)
? Does the proposed agenda actively involve participants?
? Relevance to our audience
? Relevance to one or more of SBN?s Building Blocks (see below for list of Building Blocks)

Audience: There will be three different audiences to consider:
? Triple bottom line entrepreneurs with years of experience
? Start-up entrepreneurs
? Other (such as community leaders, economic development professionals and conscious consumers)

To Submit Proposals or for More Info, Contact:
Leanne T. Krueger-Braneky
Director, Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia
Ph: 215-386-5211 ext. 104
E: leanne@sbnphiladelphia.org

Proposals Guidelines:
The proposal must contain:
1. Session Title (12 words max)
2. A short bio (50 words or less) of session leader and other panelists or speakers, if applicable
3. A detailed outline of the subject matter of your proposed session including the format
4. Which Building Block does your session address? (see below for more info)
5. A description of any technical needs/concerns (will you need PowerPoint? A blackboard?)
6. Is this a new session or have you presented it before? If you have presented it before, where?
7. What?s you ideal number of participants? (Some breakout spaces are larger than others and we?ll assign rooms based on what makes sense for the session)
8. Your preferred presentation time slot (morning, mid-day or late afternoon)

About Building Blocks
The Building Blocks are an organizational strategy to connect people within key sectors like food, clothing, green building, etc.

Purpose: In order to build a local living economy, we must first determine what one looks like ? what are the components, or building blocks, which comprise this sustainable system? By identifying the building blocks, we create a holistic vision of a local living economy that we can work toward achieving. The concepts for organizing local networks around building blocks are:
1. Each building block self-organizes around their passion and interest
2. There is someone at the table in local leadership meetings representing each area essential to a local living economy
3. Network events and programs are organized cooperatively so that each building block contributes their expertise and knowledge for the benefit of the group
4. New business opportunities for increasing local self-reliance and sustainability are identified within each building block
5. Public policy issues affecting the building block interest area are identified and advocated locally, as well as nationally through the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies.

Building Blocks: Food; Green Building; Renewable Energy; Clothing; Community Capital – Banking, Credit Unions, Investment; Health and Well-Being; Transportation; Manufacturing; Sustainable Landscapes; Independent Media/Communications; Arts, Music, Culture; Education and Advocacy; Business Development/ Professional Services; Technology; Maintenance/Repair/Cleaning Products and Services; Independent Retail; Waste/Recycling/Re-use Industries