Wednesday, February 25, 2009

4/1 Deadline for Green Festival Exhibition Special Rate

CSBA Members Receive Discount Extension

Members of the CSBA receive a 30% discount to exhibition space at the Green Festival. Exhibition reservations must take place before April 1st to be eligible.

Learn More.

Monday, February 23, 2009

3/12 The Greening of IT



The Greening of IT

Harnessing Technology for Success in the New Corporate Environment


Presented by The Executive's Club of Chicago. The Chicago Sustainable Business Alliance is a an organizational co-sponsor.

Moderator:
Staci Trackey Meagher
General Manager, Midwest District
Microsoft Corporation

Panelists:
Scott E. Cain Head of IT Optimization and Stability
BT Global Services

Luke C. Leung Vice President & Director of MEP Engineering
Epstein

Howard Tyska Senior Director Data Center
HSBC

Thursday, March 12th
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
200 North Columbus

Learn more.

Friday, February 13, 2009

March Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Events

The Exchange 2009
Join the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce at the Exchange, a mini-tradeshow where our members showcase their products and services in a marketplace setting. The Exchange provides numerous ways to expand your network of contacts and gain added business development opportunities.

Nearly 500 businesses will exhibit or attend this year’s Exchange to generate leads and develop partnerships with area companies. Take advantage of this opportunity to develop relationships with highly reputable firms, preview some of the city’s newest products and services, and receive exclusive discounts only available to Exchange attendees.

Date: Thursday, March 12, 2009
Time: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Learn More.

Chicagoland Chamber Members Only: Networking Breakfast at Office Depot

Network with your fellow Chamber members over breakfast while perusing Office Depot and learning how to save money on your office supplies. Office Depot staff will be on hand to answer your questions and show you the latest in technology and sustainability measures for your office.

Date: Thursday, March 19, 2009
Time: 7:30 am - 9:00 am
Learn More.

Sustainable Manufacturing Summit






CSBA is supporting the Sustainable Manufacturing Summit which takes place April 29-30 in Chicago. This event will examine the latest developments in sustainable strategies for manufacturers of all sectors. It offers access to the corporate executives and green experts leading the transformation to sustainable and cost-efficient manufacturing.

Speakers include CEOs and senior sustainability professionals from: Siemens, McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), Kraft, Toshiba, US Steel, Abbott Laboratories, Sara Lee, Pfizer, Owens Corning, Hollander, Department of Energy, Applied Materials, Motorola, The North Face, Eaton Corporation and more.

To take advantage of a special 20% discount offer, enter the code 20CSBA when registering for this event. Also, book two spots and receive a third spot free!

Monday, February 02, 2009

1/15 CSBA:NEXUS BREAKFAST notes on Elevator Pitch

Practice, Practice, Practice!
Practice you pitch so that it comes easily and in a conversational manner

Your pitch will evolve overtime; let it change naturally as your business/customers do and stay fresh.

Your pitch shouldn’t be over a minute, but if you practice and cut out the excess, you can fit in a lot of information.

Recruit a friend to listen and provide feedback. Friends that don’t work in sustainability provide particularly fresh eyes.

Recruit past clients—what do they like about your company? What do they come back to you or refer you for? What they say is what sticks out about your company, include it in your elevator pitch.

Define your Services and Scope of Business
Ask yourself: am I giving too much information or too little?

There’s a lot your company does, but people think in hooks and boxes. Come up with a slogan/tagline, or broad boxes describing your work.

How do you differentiate yourself?

Address/Avoid Assumptions
The words “green” or “sustainable” come with a set of assumptions, such as the affordability of service/product and your credibility.

“Sole Practitioner” also comes with a set of assumptions.

Potential clients want to know if you can handle their business. One way to show capabilities is to list current clients.

Cast a wide net
Make your elevator pitch appealing to all people, rather than pigeonholing yourself during your pitch. You can decide later whether or not you want them to be your client.

Activist may be a trigger word, advocate is usually not.

Avoid jargon like triple-bottom line that may not be commonly understood.

Networking is a Two-Way Street

The person you are talking to may not become your customer, but their contacts may! So, help them out by matchmaking and they will return the favor at some point.

See if there is an opportunity to talk more. End your pitch with a question: “What do you do?”

In your pitch, answer the question “What do you do?” but also open the door for more conversation by avoiding too much detail.

5/13 WCBF Green Six Sigma Conference

Green Six Sigma Conference

- Define Green Six Sigma and understand what it can do for your organization
- Assess the impact of green initiatives on your bottom line
- Harness the power of Green Six Sigma as a vehicle for business transformation
- Calculate the value of your carbon footprint
- Determine the cost savings carbon reduction can give your business
- Reduce carbon in your end to end operations and right across your supply chain
- Build a greener brand by using Green Six Sigma to drive your CSR policies
- Combat rising energy costs in your business
- Use Green Six Sigma to increase recycling rates across your organization

Learn More.