Sunday, May 18 - 2:00 - 4:30 PM
Pre-conference Workshops
Start the conference early with these 2.5 hour workshops! Industry experts will share their experiences with small groups and help you: take your innovative product to market, sell successfully to urban districts, or make your website even more effective.
Developing a Website that Shows your Company in the Right Light
Karen Greenwood Henke, Founder and Managing Director, Nimble Press
Laurie Swiryn, Vice President, Education, Cuesta Technologies
Like a good host, the best Web sites cater to the needs of their visitors. Clear language, easy navigation, and rich, easy to use functionality that all help visitors know exactly what your company offers the moment they land on your site. They can then quickly find what they are looking for and find compelling reasons for frequent return visits. The session leaders will share their expertise through practical tips and brainstorming activities to improve your company's Web site.
Educational Sales and Marketing 101: Strategies to WIN in Urban Markets
Joyce Whitby, NYC Metro Director of Strategic Initiatives, Headsprout Early Reading
In this day and age of NCLB, schools everywhere are in desperate need for all sorts of innovative solutions. Selling enterprise level solutions in urban environments is indeed alluring, promising huge visibility and profit. Yet along with these dazzling opportunities comes great risk. The need for an urban strategy is essential to avoid premature death, especially for innovative solutions and new ventures.
Key questions to be addressed in this session include: How do some companies effectively market, sell and support products in urban school districts across the nation year after year? What are the things you need to think about as you consider including urban sales targets in your go to market business plan? What pitfalls can you plan to avoid and how? What resources are essential to survive your entry into these markets?
What it Takes for Innovations to Succeed in the Education Market
Sandy Fivecoat, Founder and CEO, WeAreTeachers.com
Mitch Weisburgh, Managing Partner and Co-Founder, Academic Business Advisors, LLC
Bruce Wilcox, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, ˇAprender!
The K-12 innovation dilemma: how do you sell something innovative when the buyer will not buy anything new? This session will take into account key factors for innovations to succeed in the K-12 education market, including: market-researched and compelling offerings; competent distribution channels; alignment with school funding sources; and how to leverage early successes. Participants will hear real examples of successes and failures in taking new products to market. There will be plenty of interaction to discuss lessons learned and potential pitfalls as well as to brainstorm potential solutions.
|
|
|
|
