Hi Caroline,

Here is my first draft on the Panel Event "project"

Let me know what you think and feel free to add to it.

Regards,
Jesper

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Project Plan (draft) for: Panel debate with the topic “How to cope in the current economy.”

Target audience:
Business owners and managers
Working professionals
DACC members

Scope:
(my brain storming came up with these inspiration points for the panel to use as a guidance for their presentation)

Being in an economic recession it is useful to provide our business members with tangible views + practical cases from peers in our local business world:

What are the challenges we will face?

Which sectors are impacted most? (and why?)

What can be done to overcome the challenges?
Expand your target audience to compensate for reduced win ratio in order to maintain revenue levels
Expand into other markets with same potential client profile/needs to maintain revenue levels
Preserve cash to survive (cut back on spendings / layoff staff  etc.)
Introduce new financial dsahboard metrics to monitor your business (what to measure / how often / define a plan for what to do if X, Y or Z shows up on your dashboard)
Introduce new ways of financing your products (introduce leasing to secure business from clients who can no longer pay all of it up front )

What turn around signs to look for ?

What to do when the economy begins to move out of recession ?

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Date: May 13th. 2009
Time: 4 pm - 6 pm (so people can stay and network/mingle after the event )

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Food & Drinks:
In the interest of keeping cost down the foloowign format is proposed:
- No Lunch/dinner included
- Cash bar

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Expected attendance:
30-50 people
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Expected event costs:
$400 (my crazy guess for now)

Venue hire: tbc
Table / Chair rental: tbc
A/V equipment: tbc
Handouts/Printed materials: tbc
Snacks: tbc
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Ticket Price (TBC):
My gut feeling tells me we should stay low and secure a higher volume.
$25 for members
$35 for non members
How about a 20% early bird discount for the first 20 people who register/pay within the first 2 weeks of invite going out?
That way we secure the crowd necessary to break even on event costs
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Venue (TBC):

Fifth/Third Bank (waiting for confirmation of max number capacity)

Other possible ones are:

Buckhead Club

The City Club of Buckhead

Emory Uni:
How about asking Dennis Carlson for the same space at Emory as we used for the Stig Rossen concert; would that work? It was free then.

Ashford Dunwoody Country Club:
We were able to host it there, because Peter Hansen was a member – which he is no more! You may want to check into the cost of becoming a member, but there will of course be a charge for the use of the facility – and for food and beverages.
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Speaker Panel Candidates:

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Moderator:
TBD
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Ramez Halteh,
VP @ Fifth/Third Bank
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Jim Beach,
TN University in Chattanooga
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
(contacted in 2008, no response to date on interest in 2009)

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Susan B. Hitchcock
Vice President, Client Services
Executive Director, Women's Initiatives
Turknett Leadership Group
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
770-270-1723, www.turknett.com

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See World Chamber of Commerce event pdf from Charlotte
Usha Nair-Reichert and Monica Carpa - and the guy from GV Financial, Marc Lewyn was great as

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Dr. Donald Rataczak.
Formerly the Director of the Economic Forecasting Center
Georgia State University.

I believe he lives locally. If you contact their office, they might have his current contact info.
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Douglas H. Chaffins
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Valuation Analyst

707 Whitlock Avenue
Building D, Suite 34
Marietta, GA  30064
770 420 7190 Phone
770 420 7191 Fax
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
(expressed interest in 2009 pending date and has worked with DTC clients)

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Cover letter to people on panel

We are very pleased that you are interested in participating!

As described, the event is going to be a panel debate, where you will be one of 5 presenters, doing a 15 minute presentation under the headline “How to cope in a downturn economy”.

To promote variety in the topics covered during the 5 presentations we have left it open ended so you get to choose within your field of expertise what/how you wish to present.

We do however need an outline or draft version for review by end of April so we can optimize the sequence of presenters to tie the presentations together best possible.

Naturally, we wish for all presentations to be relevant to, and from the perspective of, the audience (our business members) therefore, your presentation should focus on them as a target group.

What should they know, how should/could they cope, (e.g. focus on different markets, find a new niche, cut down on specific areas?), etc.

It can be a theoretic or a practical oriented presentation with examples from own experiences etc.

The choice is basically yours, as long as you stay within the headline.

We look forward to hearing from you.

In the mean time, please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments!

And thanks again for your participation

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