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Michael Shuman, one of the nation’s leading experts on community economics and author of The Small-Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition, will be the featured speaker at the Hannah Grimes Center’s annual CONNECT event, October 12, 2011 at Alyson’s Orchard in Walpole, NH.

An economist, attorney, author and entrepreneur, Shuman is Director for Research and Public Policy for the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE). Shuman advocates that the key to community prosperity includes a vigorous network of locally-owned businesses serving primarily local markets. His point of view challenges traditional economic development practice.

“We’re thrilled to have a nationally known expert like Michael Shuman at CONNECT 2011” said Mary Ann Kristiansen, Executive Director of the Hannah Grimes Center. “We look forward to his discussion about how communities can build strong networks of locally-owned businesses that contribute to a vibrant community and thriving regional economy.”

Shuman is also scheduled to discuss local living economies as the featured guest on New Hampshire Public Radio’s The Exchange, at 9:00AM on October 11.

CONNECT 2011 will be held Wednesday, October 12, 2011, from 5:00 through 7:30 p.m., at Alyson’s Orchard in Walpole, NH. Everyone with an interest in the long-term economic health and vitality of the Monadnock region is welcome.

In addition, Roy Matheson of Matheson & Associates will be presented with Hannah Grimes’ 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year award at CONNECT 2011.

To register visit www.HannahGrimes.com. Tickets are $30 online and $35 at the door. You may also call the Hannah Grimes Center at (603) 352-5063.

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Monadnock Buy Local wants to encourage all of our members to attend the Hannah Grimes CONNECT 2011 Event with Michael Shuman, one of the nation’s leading experts on community economics and Director for Research and Public Policy for the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE).  To make it more affordable, we are offering:

$10 OFF next year’s MBL Membership Renewal  
to any current members who attend CONNECT 2011

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We are excited to announce a collaboration between BALLE, AMIBA, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), the networks of the New England Local Business Forum (NELBF), Oakland Grown, and the Asheville Grown Business Alliance to create a shared 2011 holiday campaign to support local businesses.

Our primary goals for a shared holiday campaign are:

  • To significantly increase the visibility and effectiveness of our respective individual holiday campaigns,
  • To collect in one place the best holiday campaign resources from the front lines of this work to speed and spread innovation, and
  • To support collective efforts taking place throughout November and December 2011 – that is, the entire holiday shopping season.

What we’re developing:

  • A shared website that collects the best ideas, strategies, and tools for promoting local businesses around the holidays. This will include “best of” resources like Shift Your Shopping, Plaid Friday, Buy Local Week, and America Unchained; information about what communities are doing this year to promote their local businesses; and tips and tools for consumers who want to support our collective work. A pilot version of this website will launch around late September, and the full public version will be available November 1.
  • A webinar on October 6 to launch the campaign, tour people through the draft website, and share ideas including social networking and PR strategies for successful 2011 holiday campaigns. This webinar will run for 90 minutes, starting at 1pm ET / 10am PT. Mark your calendars now and plan to join us; call-in information is forthcoming.

Ways to get involved:

  • By September 14, we need your best ideas for what to call this umbrella website/campaign! The branding should have a broad appeal for a range of BALLE and AMIBA networks, as well as other local business coalitions, be hip and memorable, and transcend regions and political ideologies. Email us to get a list of current options and to share your ideas!
  • Plan to participate in our October 6 webinar, share your best ideas once the website launches, join the conversation we’ll be hosting on our social media platforms, and help us spread the word!
  • Send us your favorite past campaign materials you want to share. We’ll add them to the resources provided on the umbrella website.
  • For the hard core among you, join our weekly campaign planning calls in September and October on Thursdays at 12pm ET / 11am CT / 10am MT / 9am PT, each lasting one hour. Email Erin Kilmer-Neel for information.

We anticipate our shared holiday campaign, with tested innovations and models created by networks across North America, will provide you with valuable resources to catalyze your best holiday campaign yet!

Locally yours,

Alissa Barron, BALLE
Franzi Charen, Asheville Grown Business Alliance
Joe Grafton, New England Local Business Forum, Somerville Local First
Laury Hammel, New England Local Business Forum, SBN Boston, and Cambridge Local First
Erin Kilmer-Neel, AMIBA board and Oakland Grown
Karen Marzloff, New England Local Business Forum, Seacoast Local
Jeff Milchen, AMIBA

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Local Communities Network to Change the World

Originally Posted on Whatcom Watch Online, By Kimberly Cauvel

Hundreds of people gathered at Western Washington University’s Performing Arts Center (PAC) Wed., June 15 at 6:30 p.m. for the official start of the ninth annual Business Alliance of Local Living Economies (BALLE) Conference. The three-day conference included talks by 80 speakers, 24 interactive sessions, an expo and several off-campus celebrations.  Read more about the 2011 BALLE Conference: Place Matters.

All photos credited to John Meloy and © BALLE.

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2011 Business Conference – Michelle Long Keynote Presentation from BALLE on Vimeo.

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