COSE Small Business Conference Moving Locations

-Keynote Speaker Line-up Announced-

CLEVELAND, April 3, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) has announced plans for its highly successful COSE Small Business Conference this fall.  The Conference will be held on October 25 & 26 at Kalahari Resorts Convention Center in Sandusky, Ohio.  In addition, COSE has released a stellar line-up of national keynote speakers for the Conference, highlighted by Rhonda Kallman, cofounder, The Boston Beer Company (maker of Samuel Adams).

Kalahari is currently home to Ohio's largest convention center having recently completed a $22 million dollar expansion that took its capacity to 215,000 square feet and includes a 38,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom/ Expo Center.  "Moving our Conference to Kalahari is a reflection of the incredible growth we have seen with this event," says Steve Millard, President and Executive Director of COSE.  "This move to a true resort facility will help give our members the feel of an out-of-town conference experience while still being no more than an hour drive away.  And, we hope to attract more small business professionals from outlying areas such as Columbus, Detroit and Toledo." 

Highlighting the 2012 COSE Small Business Conference will be the following keynote speakers:

Rhonda Kallman - Cofounder, The Boston Beer Company (maker of Samuel Adams).  For two decades directed distribution, sales and brand development, building an iconic American Brand in the process.

Desi Williamson – Inspirational speaker who despite growing up in a world surrounded by poverty, drugs, and violence, spent his career building multi-million dollar businesses, managing multi-million dollar budgets, and developing the potential in people for powerhouse corporations.

Kelly McDonald - A multicultural marketing expert and author of How to Market to People Not Like You, which has been labeled as a "must read" by Forbes.

Jeff Slutsky – His unique combination of shrewd thinking, innovative problem solving, budgeting on a shoestring, and a lot of hard work, came to be known as "Street Fighting," which has been featured in national media outlets such as Wall Street Journal, USA Today and CNN.

Dennis Snow - Former Walt Disney Executive and author of Unleashing Excellence: The Complete Guide to Ultimate Customer Service helps organization create "walk-through-fire" customer loyalty.

Troy Hazard – Former Global President of the elite Entrepreneurs' Organization has consulted to countless successful companies including Goodyear, Baskin Robbins and Subway, as well as a regular business commentator on the CBS Talk Radio Network and the Business Talk Radio Network.

"We are really excited about the keynote speakers we have secured for this year's conference," says Steve Giordano, Chairman of the 2012 COSE Small Business Conference Committee and Owner of TeamLogic IT in Westlake.  "My fellow committee members and I think this is the best group of keynote speaker we've ever had at the Conference.  We know our fellow members are going to enjoy them and get a lot out of their keynote sessions." 

Those interested in learning more about the Kalahari Resort Convention Center or the keynote speakers can log on to www.cose.org/sbc.  The official website for the Conference, including registration, will launch later this spring.  If you have questions, please email [email protected]  or call (216) 592-2356.

About COSE
COSE is one of Ohio's largest small business support organizations, striving to help small businesses grow and maintain their independence. Comprised of more than 14,000 member companies, COSE has a long history of fighting for the rights of all small business owners, whether it's through group purchasing programs for health care, workers' compensation, or energy, advocating for specific changes in legislation or regulation to benefit small business, or providing a forum and resource for small businesses to connect with and learn from each other. (www.cose.org)

SOURCE Council of Smaller Enterprises