2010 SME Green Conference: "The Next Opportunity" To Help Business Grow With Green

Online, November 2, 2010 (Newswire.com) - There is both money to be made and sustainability to be achieved when incorporating GREEN into everyday business practices...and that is what South Florida business owners, entrepreneurs and C-suite executives will learn when they attend the first SME Green Conference: "The Next Opportunity" developed and hosted by the Wyland Living Green Fair and South Florida Business Journal, presented by PNC Bank and sponsored by Office Depot, Florida Atlantic University, Amerigas, Clean Fuel USA, Electron Solar Energy, Heritage Propane, Boca Raton Resort & Club, Kaye Communications, Boca Raton Symphonia and CSRWire. The conference begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Florida Atlantic University in the Grand Palm Room at the FAU Student Union, 777Glades Road, Boca Raton, Florida.

Designed to further the future of business for small and midsized enterprises (SME) with revenues of $5-$50M, the conference will focus on how to profit from going Green and offer the practical information needed to be successful. The program includes a keynote address by environmental television host, radio personality, author and CEO Josh Dorfman (www.lazyenvironmentalist.com), "The Lazy Environmentalist", general sessions and panel discussions featuring the best minds in the business who will share real success stories of entrepreneurs and business owners who made the leap into GREEN and how it significantly impacted their business. Attendees will learn where the green opportunity is for small and mid-sized businesses, and how to create a green concept, make a current business green, follow green incentives, operate a green business, and build growth through sales and marketing.
Keynote speaker Dorfman, who will soon be releasing his third book, will open the conference by taking attendees to the cutting-edge of green innovation. As one of today's most dynamic and engaging green speakers, Dorfman will present his unique insights, research and experiences on The Art of Green Persuasion: How To Successfully Engage Consumers On The Environment to demonstrate that the right green communication game plan can maximize ROI by boosting sales, building brand loyalty and generating widespread press coverage. Josh shares the key elements for doing it. He will also share tips on how to Live Your Best and, Yes, Laziest Green Lifestyle, demonstrating how it is easier, more affordable and stylish than ever before to live and work according to your environmental values. He will educate attendees on the designers, inventors, entrepreneurs and policymakers who are doing the heavy eco-lifting in this area.
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"Companies in the green space are thriving and business owners and executives should be looking seriously at green as a growth strategy or they will miss a major cycle in the economy," noted David Etzler, producer of the SME Green Conference and the Wyland Living Green Fair. "Whether one owns a current business or is looking to start a new one, the SME Green Conference will give them the practical information they need to be successful in going after this young and lucrative market."

According to Etzler, attendees will have a good road map to "Going Green" following SME Conference session/panel discussions that address:

• Where Is The Green Opportunity For Small & Midsized Businesses?
• The Light Bulb Flash: Creating Your Green Concept
• Bringing Green In: How To Incorporate Green Into Your Current Business
• Going For The Green: Financing Your Business Venture
• Putting The Pieces Together: Operating Your Green Business
• Taking Off - Growth Through Sales, Marketing, Technology And Social Media
• Getting The Big Money: Winning Government Contracts.
• Walking the Talk: Greening Your Operations

The SME Green Conference registration fee of $75 includes:
• Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony & Tour of FAU's 100,000-square-foot Platinum Level LEED certified School of Engineering building
• Continental Breakfast
• Full Day of Conference Programming
• Access to Vendor Showcase
• Lunch
• Pass to VIP Cocktail Reception at Boca Raton Museum of Art
o Opportunity to Meet World Renown Marine Artist and Conservationist Wyland
o Admission To Wyland Exhibition at the Boca Raton Museum of Art
o Food & Cocktails
o Performances by an ensemble from the Boca Raton Symphonia

The SME Conference kicks off the free and open-to-the-public weekend 2010 Wyland Living Green Fair (www.livinggreenfair.com) that features the art, mission and appearances by globally renowned marine life artist and conservationist Wyland (www.wyland.com) in Downtown Boca at Mizner Park plus unique interactive experiences that bring together art, community involvement, and awareness to teach individuals, families and businesses how easily they can go green in just a few simple steps, do better for the Earth and live a higher quality of lifestyle. Held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, November 6-7, 2010, following the SME Green Conference, the event takes an entertaining approach to sharing the GREEN message through participation by engaging the attendees through an array of interactive experiences; product showcases; unique exhibitions; an eco-friendly fashion show hosted by Disney Channel star Ryan Sagginario; cooking demonstrations and tastings featuring recipes that incorporate organic foods; hybrid showcase; a kids eco-zone; Wyland Clean Water Mobile Learning Center; Wyland's interactive Extreme Water Maze; Wyland painting murals with children; and movies; plus a live concert on Saturday afternoon (admission $12) with performances by Disney Channel eco-conscious teen stars Anna Margaret and Jasmine Sagginario. A portion of proceeds benefits the Wyland Foundation (www.wylandfoundation.com).

For more information on the SME Conference and to register, visit www.livinggreenfair.com/SME for online registration or call 561-241-7309. For more information on the Wyland Living Green Fair event on November 6-7, 2010 in Downtown Boca, visit www.livinggreenfair.com, follow the Wyland Living Green Fair at twitter/green_fair, friend the Fair on Facebook, contact [email protected] or call 561-241-7309. For related exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities, email Ray Kyle at [email protected] or call him 561-241-7309.
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About The Wyland Living Green Fair:

The 2010 Wyland Living Green Fair (WLGF) -- set for Saturday and Sunday, November 6-7, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Downtown Boca -- is a free and open-to-the-public regional interactive community experience that brings together art, community involvement, and awareness to teach individuals, families and businesses how easily they can go green in just a few simple steps, do better for the Earth and live a higher quality of lifestyle. Done in an entertaining way, activities will engage fairgoers of all ages through an array of interactive experiences that include Wyland painting 50-foot murals with South Florida children (a new one each day); product showcases; unique exhibitions; stage performances; organic cooking demos by South Florida chefs and food tastings; displays of eco-friendly hybrid cars; previews of organic fashions; a Kids Eco-zone; the Wyland Clean Water Mobile Learning Center complete with a 40-person theater, a running river, video microscopes, a watershed exhibit with actual rainfall; Wyland's Extreme Water Journey Maze; movies; live entertainment; including concert performances by Disney Channel and Radio Disney teen stars, and a host of other activities. A portion of proceeds benefit the Wyland Foundation (www.wylandfoundation.org).

Wyland -- who was hailed a "Marine Michelangelo" by USA Today and is a leading international advocate for marine resource conservation -- is lending his name and commitment to this year's fair as the City of Boca Raton that serves as host to the fair, lends the green space in Downtown Boca. WLGF Eco-friendly sponsors include PNC Bank, the official WLGF Banking Sponsor; JM Family Enterprises, the official WLGF Education Outreach Sponsor; Boca Raton Resort & Club, the official WLGF Hotel; Kohler; Office Depot; Whole Foods; Toyota: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC; JM Lexus; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida; GGP; Royal Palm Place;Bella Doors And Windows,Kaye Communications, Inc., and Boca Raton Symphonia. Partners include the Boca Raton Museum of Art, Florida Atlantic University, and Sound Tree Entertainment. For more information on the Wyland Living Green Fair event and exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.livinggreenfair.com, follow twitter/green_fair, friend on Facebook, email [email protected] or call 561-241-7309.

About Wyland:
Marine Life Artist Wyland (www.wyland.com) has earned the distinction as one of America's most unique creative influences, and a leading advocate for marine resource conservation. An accomplished painter, sculptor, photographer, writer, and SCUBA diver, he has traveled the farthest reaches of the globe for more than 25 years, capturing the raw power and beauty of the undersea universe. The artist's efforts, moreover, have been recognized by the United Nations, Sierra Club, the Underwater Academy of Arts and Sciences, where he is listed among its Diving Hall of Fame, and private and public institutions throughout the world. Listed in Who's Who in American Art, the Guinness Book of World Records, and many other national and international publications, the multi-faceted artist has even hosted several series for television, including, "Wyland's Ocean World" on the Discovery Channel's Animal Planet Network. In spring 2010, the United Nations unveiled a commemorative stamp issue of Wyland artwork to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the UNESCO'S Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Today, Wyland is considered one of the most influential artists of the 21st Century, with artwork in museums, corporate collections, and private homes in more than one hundred countries. For more information, call Steve Creech at [email protected] or 949-973-7070.

About the Wyland Foundation:
Founded by renowned environmental artist Wyland, the nonprofit Wyland Foundation has helped children and families around the nation to rediscover the importance of healthy oceans and waterways through public art programs, classroom science education, and live events. The foundation gives children the tools they need to become more creative, positive, and solution-oriented. It has supported numerous conservation programs since its inception as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 1993, including marine artist Wyland's monumental Whaling Wall mural project - an epic series of one hundred life size marine life murals that spans twelve countries on four continents, and is viewed by an estimated 1 billion people every year. The Wyland Foundation, in partnership with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, is actively engaged in teaching millions of students about our oceans, rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands. For more information, visit www.wylandfoundation.org.