EntreCon Aims to Engage and Enliven Community Businesses

Don't miss the impressive lineup of dynamic speakers that EntreCon has prepared for this year.

Photo courtesy of entrecon

At EntreCon, presented by the Studer Community Institute, you can expect to converse and converge with hundreds of business leaders sharing ideas, learning new strategies, making meaningful business connections and leaving with a toolbox of techniques to further enhance your business.

The annual business and leadership conference will be held Nov. 14-15 in downtown Pensacola. This year's presenting sponsor is the Pensacola International Airport.

A highlight of the two-day conference is the impressive lineup of keynote speakers. The 2018 speakers include a variety of business notables:

Jon Gordon, author. Gordon is a dynamic speaker and best-selling author whose books include “The Energy Bus” and “The Power of Positive Leadership.”

His engaging talks and principles influence thousands of leaders and inspire readers from around the globe. In 2018, “The Power of Positive Teams” was listed No. 2 on the Wall Street Journal’s top 10 business books list.

Kris Ann Piazza, author, speaker and certified life coach. Piazza shares the compelling story of building a meaningful life and career after a childhood spinal cord injury and explores several tips you can apply immediately to move your own life and career forward.

She refuses to allow circumstances to define what she can achieve, and that’s a message thousands of inspired leaders have brought back to empower their teams.

Kevin Sheridan, author, engagement expert and consultant. He is an internationally recognized speaker, a New York Times best-selling author and one of the most sought-after voices in the world on the topic of employee engagement.

For five years running, he has been honored on Inc. Magazine’s Top 101 Leadership Speakers and Inc.’s Top 101 Experts on Employee Engagement.

His first book, “Building a Magnetic Culture,” made six best-seller lists, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today. He is also the author of “The Virtual Manager,” which explores how to most effectively manage remote workers.

He is a frequent keynote speaker at national and international conventions, including those hosted by the National Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), Harvard Business School, The Human Capital Institute and the American Hospital Association.

Emily Ley, founder and CEO of Simplified® by Emily Ley. Back by popular demand, hometown entrepreneur Ley returns to EntreCon.

She has been featured in Forbes, Family Circle, Better Homes and Gardens, Glamour, Good Housekeeping and HGTV.

Her keynote, titled, “How Saying No Helps You Grow: Your Fastest Path to Sustainable Growth,” explains why, how and when you should say no to things that are not aligned with your company’s mission or purpose.

photo courtesy of entrecon Quint Studer, Founder of the Studer Group and the Studer Community Institute speaking at a previous EntreCon

Craig Meynard, vice president and chief accounting officer, Delta Airlines.

Meynard oversees the technical accounting matters for Delta Airlines, who was named to Fortune’s Top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the seventh time in eight years.

Delta serves more than 180 million customers each year.

Stewart C. Vernon, founder and CEO of America’s Swimming Pool Company. Vernon has always had a passion for helping drive real-world innovation. Vernon’s company, America’s Swimming Pool Company, was founded in Macon, Ga., in 2002.

As his business grew, Vernon looked for a way to expand the business model and the ASP brand. Now, ASP’s success has been recognized by its inclusion in the rankings of Entrepreneur Magazine’s prestigious Top 500 Franchise List.

Most recently, recognized again with the Entrepreneur 500 list ranking number 113 for 2017.

The keynote talks are followed by breakout sessions that delve further into key issues and provide tools to enact change amongst your own team.

A unique aspect of the conference is the EntreCon Awards, presented by Cox Business, which recognize the achievements and economic impact entrepreneurs and businesses have on our community.

Categories for nomination include startup company of the year, family business of the year, most improved business of the year and many more. Visit the EntreCon website to nominate now through Oct. 2. The awards will take place Nov. 15.

The overarching goal of the conference is to help nurture thriving businesses, which will create better jobs, lives and communities.

Entrepreneurs, business leaders and employees that are passionate about leading through positive change will gain valuable assets from attendance.

Visit the EntreCon website to learn more and apply now through Oct. 2. You can purchase tickets here.

EntreCon would like to extend a special thanks to this year's sponsors