7 Reasons You Need to Attend Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2015 Growth Conference
In 2014 I flew down to Miami to attend Entrepreneur magazine’s Annual Growth Conference. It was hands down one of the best events I’ve ever attended.
Four years later the conference is back in Miami.
There are at least seven reasons why you should move heaven and earth to be there on February 4th.
I’ll get to how you can meet – and perhaps even be on stage with Barbara Corcoran – in a moment.
But I’ll start first with perhaps the most surprising reason of all.
(I was going to save this reason for last. But I moved it first out of fear that you’d say, “I can’t afford it” click away and never get to reasons 2-6.)
#1 The Entire Conference is Freakin’ Free!
Thanks to long-time sponsors UPS the cost to attend the entire conference is zero, zilch, zippo!
And that includes a continental breakfast and a fabulous sit-down lunch with a table full of fabulous people in your new Entrepreneurs Tribe!
Of course if you’re not local there’s the cost of getting to Miami.
But your travel expenses are freakin’ tax deductible – even if you’re just starting out and haven’t yet made a dime!
According to the United States Internal Revenue Service, as long as your efforts demonstrate an intention to earn a profit, you can begin deducting any money you invest in building your business right away.
Or as the IRS puts it…
You do not need to actually make a profit to be in a trade or business as long as you have a profit motive.
That means you can deduct the cost of airfare, Amtrak, lodging, rental car, ground transportation, parking, and a portion of meals.
And for my friends up north, did I mention the conference is in hot Miami in frigid February? Now that’s my kind of tax-deductible trip!
Then there’s the amazing Barbara Corcoran and reason #2 to be there.
#2 You’ll Be Inspired to Think BIG
If you’re a huge fan of ABC’s reality hit Shark Tank like I am, you’ll love hearing from this year’s keynote speaker real estate mogul turned entrepreneur investor Barbara Corcoran.
If Barbara can parlay a $1,000 loan into a five-billion-dollar real estate business which she later sold for $66 million – then you can certainly make a go of your business.
#3 You’ll Receive Expert Advice
Upon registering you also have the chance to apply for the chance to be one of three lucky entrepreneurs to take the stage with Barbara Corcoran.
Once there you’ll have five minutes to pitch your product or business to receive 1-1 advice from Barbara herself.
What if you don’t make the cut? No worries, you can still jump into a speed mentoring session with a variety of business experts from SCORE.
Conference organizers describe it as your chance to:
Get ideas and answers to your toughest challenges from experienced professionals in marketing, finance, accounting, sales, business management, human resources and more. You’ll move from coach to coach in quick-format pacing, so come prepared to share your challenge succinctly to get the most from this session.
#4 You’ll Learn A Ton
Successful entrepreneurs are all about continuous learning.
You can choose from breakout sessions on a host of topics from branding yourself and your business to choosing the right business structure to funding your business to getting the media to notice you – and more.
#5 The Chance to Pitch Your Company to Entrepreneur Magazine
Years ago I was lucky enough to get a full page feature in the former Entrepreneur Business Start-Ups magazine.
If you already have a company, then you have the chance to pitch your story to the magazine editors.
Here’s how it worked when I attended:
First you stand in a big line which moves pretty quickly and is filled with other fascinating entrepreneurs.
The organizers let a dozen or so entrepreneurs into the pitch room at one time. Once in you grab a seat across from a random editor and launch into your 3 minute pitch.
At the 2010 conference I pitched to then media editor Justin Petruccelli. I had to do it again I’d definitely research the different editors ahead of time to determine which would be most likely to be interested in my particular business.
Regardless of the outcome, just the process of planning your pitch is an incredibly useful exercise for any entrepreneur.
#6 Meet Movers and Shakers
You won’t find any snobby gurus here. To the contrary, the movers and shakers at this conference are all too happy to chat with participants.
Counterclockwise: Entrepreneur Editor in Chief Amy Cosper, 2010 keynote and the late guerilla marketing guru and multiple best-selling author Jay Conrad Levinson, Founder and Chairman of BNI Ivan Misner, and 2009 College Entrepreneur of the Year Bradley Ericson.
#7 Meet the Most Amazing Entrepreneurs
Honestly, to me the best part of the conference is the opportunity to connect with other amazing entrepreneurs.
Like the engaging Felecia Hatcher. After being laid off from Nintendo in 2008 Felecia and her husband Derick and another partner founded Feverish Pops in Miami.
They began with two ice cream carts they purchased on Craig’s List.
Today Felicia’s company offers handcrafted flavors like Pineapple Basil, Chocolate Salted Coconut Watermelon, even spiked varieties like Ginger Vodka. For more info please visit http://www.lovecustomwaterbottles.com.
Clients include Paypal, Google, TRUMP, JCrew, Tom Cruise, Universal Music, Cirque de Soleil, Bacardi and the US Census Bureau.
And Feverish Pops has been featured on the Cooking Channel, NBC Today Show, Modern Luxury Magazine, Black Enterprise, Air Tran Magazine, and elsewhere.
Four years later and a few million brain cells less, I don’t recall the names of all the amazing self-bossers I met there. But I do remember what a lot of them did.
Like this very happy franchisee of a Schakalad Chocolate Factory store, the successful retail store consultant, and the couple who started Atomic Tattoos now in locations across Florida.
As for these three people… Well I have no memory of their names or businesses. And I definitely don’t remember why this guy was wearing a kilt!
I included them as a reminder of how fun it was to be in a room full of smiling people who all share one thing in common…
A great idea and the confidence to act on it.
Learn more about the 2015 Entrepreneur Growth Conference.
Still Trying to Find Your Calling?
Imagine how much more exciting this conference would be if you have a solid direction.
There’s still time to roar into the New Year knowing exactly what you love to do and how you can get paid to do it.
Schedule a FREE Find My Perfect Business 15 minute Personal Assessment.
Call my direct line at 413-535-0451 eastern today. Or send a Skype invitation along with your time zone to drvalerieyoung.
Make 2015 the year you say, “I’m finally going to find a way to work when, where, and how I want!”
