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2012 Annual Member Meeting Recap

We returned from Sacramento energized and inspired. Over 75 people participated in our meeting events! Our largest attendance ever. Thanks to the CAMEO members, award winners, friends and legislators who gathered to support micro-business in California.

Here’s the recap and links to notes and resources.

Wednesday morning was the Rural Summit in which two dynamic presenters led interactive sessions.

Rural Tourism and Internet Marketing: Stepping Into the Future
Joanne Steele (bio) introduced a new view of rural tourism: as a journey into California’s storied past. Joanne also introduced internet marketing into the mix, showing how this technology is responsible for this awakening to rural tourism and how it is a vital part of rural business development.

Download Joanne’s Take Control of Your Internet Marketing Guide

Introducing Stewardship Tourism: Tourism for the 21st Century
Diane Strachan (bio) introduced Stewardship Tourism, a high-value, collaborative, regional marketing strategy that supports rural small business development. It meets the needs of a rural region’s economic sustainability goals and the new target visitor – ‘The Stewardship Traveler’.

Read the notes from these two awesome women.

Wednesday afternoon, we played ‘Status Quo’ versus ‘Change’. A five member city council is voting on this year’s budget. They have $1 million for economic development. They have always put their budget into attracting new, large businesses to the area. Someone proposed a new idea – to ‘grow their own businesses. Two councilmembers are in favor of the old way, two in favor of the new way. One is undecided and needs to be swayed. Everyone knows that the Uncommitted City Council member’s support will depend upon the level of support shown by the community groups at the negotiation table.

Everyone was assigned one of seven possible roles to represent one of the following interests in a multi-party negotiation: Uncommitted, City Councilmember (tie-breaking elected official), Micro-Biz Guru, Business Attraction Evangelist, Environmental/Preservation Organization Executive Director, Affordable Housing Representative, “Gazelle” Advocate and Old Family Fund. Each role received confidential instructions. Then, five simultaneous negotiations occurred, with each of the above roles represented. Participants learned about negotiation tactics, messaging, and collaboration. Others really shifted their perspectives. Claudia had this to say…

After working in the field for 30 years it was an epiphany about who you have to bring to the table to negotiate solutions.

When the game was done, we went the Citizen’s Hotel to learn about tools to cultivate a strong local economy from Jose’ Corona (bio) from Innercity Advisors, (Oakland, CA) and Michael Gurton (bio) from MarketLink (Portland, OR).

To top off the day, CAMEO held the second Face of Entrepreneurship Awards, which was co-sponsored by the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, the Latino Legislative Caucus, and the Legislative Black Caucus. Sheilah Rogers, a co-founder of CAMEO, was the mistress of ceremonies. A big congrats to

  • Kevin Ho and Juan Miron of MIHO Gastrotruck in San Diego (video) and
  • Maggie Watson and Bruce Erickson of Mendocino Solar in Mendocino (video)

Thanks to Assemblywoman Toni Atkins who presented the award to MIHO and to Robb Layne of Assemblymember Wes Chesbro’s office who presented the award to Mendocino Solar.

Attendees didn’t get a rest on Thursday morning. We started over coffee and pastries with Raul Pickett, a CAMEO member, talking about Agora Cuba. The group’s mission is to provide ongoing micro enterprise training to motivated entrepreneurs in Cuba and to develop a microloan infrastructure that eventually will be locally controlled and self-sufficient.

After Raul, board member Judy Hawkins led a conversation with Barbara Halsey, the executive director of the California Workforce Association, about working with your local Workforce Investment Board (WIB) Barbara was very open and extremely helpful. Read the notes that are chock full of useful suggestions.

The second to last piece of the morning before everyone headed out to see their legislators was ‘Speaking Truth to Power: Tools to Use’. Those tools being data, media and advocacy.

  • CAMEO is moving its annual survey to microtracker.org. You’ll be hearing from us soon.
  • Press releases are a great way to get exposure. Contact Heidi for more information if you are interested in learning about our press release service.
  • You know CAMEO is your voice in Sacramento and DC. Learn about our FY2013 budget priorities and the TP – SEA Draft that we are working hard to bring to California.