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Working Together: Second Annual Symposium Sponsorship Opportunities

Second Annual Working Together Symposium

Thursday, October 30, 2008, 7:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Hilton Garden Inn Freeport
5 Park Street
Freeport, ME 04032

Contact for sponsorship information:

Merritt Carey
(207) 828-4882 or merritt@expandingmainesworkforce.com

Symposium Description

The Working Together: Expanding Maine's Workforce initiative was founded under the principle that employers themselves are the best resource for other employers seeking to expand their workforce by hiring people with disabilities. The Second Annual Working Together Symposium will bring together employers interested in networking with other businesses that want to maximize their employment of workers with disabilities.

With break-out sessions on older workers, returning veterans and cause-related marketing, this symposium has tremendous relevance for Maine's employers. The symposium will provide concrete, practical information and stimulate discussions among employers. We anticipate more than 100 attendees comprised of business owners, human resources professionals, and upper management. We also expect representatives from Maine's Department of Labor and local provider agencies to attend. The symposium provides a venue for learning, networking, brainstorming and sharing strategies.

Sponsorship of the symposium shows dedication to expanding and diversifying Maine's workforce, and a commitment to helping sustain Maine's economy through the impending workforce shortage. Engaging our business partners is crucial to the success of the Working Together initiative; supporting this work financially demonstrates commitment from the business community and strengthens our momentum as we continue to grow.

Symposium sponsorship provides an opportunity to not only increase consumer goodwill toward your business, but also to educate your employees about diversity and employment of people with disabilities. We invite all our sponsors to get involved in our symposium and to engage in diversifying Maine's workforce.

Below is an agenda for the Second Annual Working Together Symposium and more detailed information about sponsorship levels.

Agenda

7:30-8:00  Registration
8:00-8:10  Welcome
8:15-9:30  Keynote, Katherine McCary of SunTrust Bank
9:30-9:45  Break
9:45-11:30  Panel discussions:

• Reaching Consumers: Cause-Related Marketing Keynote speaker Katherine McCary, SunTrust Bank; Merritt Carey, Working Together; Alyson Genoves, Senior Manager of Community Investment, Comcast.
• Employing our Returning Veterans Panelists: Major General John Libby of the Maine National Guard; a representative from Maine Community Counseling; an employer employing returning veterans (TBD per Major General Libby); an employed veteran (TBD per Major General Libby).
• The Aging Workforce and Employees with Disabilities Panelists: Susan Faloon, Public Relations Director, Bangor Hydro; an employee from Bangor Hydro; Phyllis Cohn, Communications Director, Maine Chapter of the AARP; Bruce Vermeulen, Vice President for Development, Training & Development Corporation.

11:30-12:00  Awards, presented by Governor John Baldacci (invited)
12:00-1:00  Lunch and networking

About our keynote speaker Katherine McCary of SunTrust Bank:

A nationally recognized speaker and employee of SunTrust Bank, Katherine runs a program for the bank that increases employment of people with disabilities and increases awareness of related marketing opportunities. In her 18 years with SunTrust, her contributions to the bank's disability efforts have brought national recognition, including the SHRM HR Magazine 2000 Innovative Practice Award, the 2002 US Business Leadership Network (USBLN®) Exceptional Leadership Award and the US Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao's 2004 New Freedom Initiative Award. Katherine represents SunTrust in the Business Leadership Network organization and serves as the President of the US Business Leadership Network, a national organization representing 5,000 businesses that educates employers on the business imperative of disability.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Principal Sponsor for this event at the $3,000 level

Our Principal Sponsors (maximum of two) at the $3,000 level will share naming rights to the Symposium as follows:
The Second Annual Working Together Symposium Sponsored by: "ABC Company" (with logo and tagline).

In addition, our Principal Sponsors will be advertised as such on all event-related promotional materials, including press announcements, posters, event banner, website, and will be formally acknowledged at the symposium. Principal Sponsors will also have the opportunity to have a table or booth at the symposium and will have free admittance to the symposium for five people.

Presenting Sponsors at the $1,500 level

Presenting Sponsors at the $1,500 level will have their company name and logo on material distributed at the event, on press releases and on the website. Presenting sponsors' name and logo will not be as predominantly displayed as the Principal Sponsors'. Presenting sponsors will have free admittance to the symposium for five people.

Earned Media Projections

The earned media we received for last year's symposium included a report on Maine Public Radio's Maine Things Considered, a lengthy article in the Portland Press Herald, an article in Mainebiz, as well as smaller articles in other regional papers. With a specific focus on older workers and returning veterans, two very significant current issues, as well as increased awareness about the Working Together initiative, we anticipate greater earned media leading up to the event, thus providing more publicity for sponsors.

Working Together Financial Information

The Working Together organization is a product of a public/private partnership effort (more information at http://www.ExpandingMainesWorkforce.com).

The public side of this effort is a federal grant that is being administered in Maine by several partners, including the Maine Department of Labor and Department of Health and Human Services, and the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine. There are seven major strategic activity areas within the grant, of which employer education and engagement (which includes the Working Together initiative) is one. The operating budget for the Working Together initiative in calendar year 2008 is about $45,000. More information on this grant is available at http://www.choicesceo.org.

Because Working Together is administered by the University of Southern Maine, it is a 501 (c)(3) organization.