REGISTERED ACTIVITIES/EVENTS

GEW 2012

Social Media for Business Professionals

McAllen, Texas

16 November 2012-17 November 2012

Presented By, David Watkins, President & CEO of MPC Studios. Everyone uses Social Media on nowadays; however, not everyone is maximizing the potential of the instrument. Learn about social media and how to use it to enhance your business or career and build relationships in ways you never have before. Whether you are promoting your company, your personal business, your next career move or a local event, it pays to understand the value of online social networking sites.This seminar will equip you with the know-how you need to manage in this highly connected environment. What you will learn: • Why Social Media is important for your business. • How to create fan pages versus a user page. • Build brand recognition using Social Media. • Create a team strategy for your Social Media initiative. • Tips to keep your Social Media efforts focus. Who should attend: Mid-level managers, Business owners, marketers, sales people and all persons who recognize the importance of managing social media to stay competitive and achieve growth. No prior knowledge of or familiarity with social media is required. Time 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Cost $9.95 Members, $14.95 Non-members (includes lunch). RSVP required with Eduardo Millet at (956) 682-2871 or

Inventors and Entrepreneurs Network Meeting

McAllen, Texas

15 November 2012-16 November 2012

The Inventors & Entrepreneurs Network is designed to encourage innovation and business creation in the McAllen. I&E uses a collaborative model to energize local inventors and entrepreneurs to build and further develop the local economy based on strengths and assets identified locally. Every session participants discuss individual project accomplishments and road blocks on moving their projects to market. Fellow colleagues are asked about suggestions or lead to overcome the obstacles presented. Then, the group gets a break to connect with others inventors, entrepreneurs or representatives of local resources. The last part of the meeting is devoted to a presentation by an expert on a topic relevant to the road map of getting your idea or business off the ground. Time: 6:00 to 8:00 pm There is no cost to attend, but RSVPs are welcome. (956) 682-2871

TOP 5 Small Business Awards

McAllen, Texas

14 November 2012-15 November 2012

The Top5 Small Business Awards is held in honor of great entrepreneurs that are the foundation of the economic growth which the City of McAllen has experienced over the last years. The criteria that the applicants had to meet were quite demanding and a specially assigned committee analyzed each application in order to insure that the right candidates were chosen for the awards. The luncheon will be held at the McAllen Chamber of Commerce starting at 11:45 a.m. The cost for the luncheon is $20 per person; food will be provided by the Cornerstone Bar and Grill. RSVP is required.

The Winners’ Roundtable

McAllen, Texas

13 November 2012-14 November 2012

The Winners’ Roundtable is an initiative of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce to offer a peer-learning opportunity for recipients of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce Innovation Grant Awards and the McAllen Business Plan Competition. During the meeting, recipients will present their project progress and challenges. After project updates, participants can share their experiences to help others move their projects forward. The Roundtable works in two modalities: open session where the community is welcome to attend, learn and share their experiences, and a closed session where only recipients are able to attend. When: November 13, 2012 – Open Session Time: 12:00 to 1:30 pm Location: McAllen Chamber of Commerce, 1200 Ash Avenue, McAllen Cost: No cost for recipients and guests (limited to 30 participants) For more information contact: Eduardo Millet (969) 682-2871 or

The Crowdfunding Catapult Workshop

McAllen, Texas

12 November 2012-13 November 2012

The McAllen Chamber of Commerce invites community members working on new ideas to attend a Crowdfunding Catapult Workshop to learn more on how to obtain funding though a crowdfunding campaign. The one and a half hours workshop will cover important topics such as: What is and is not crowdfunding, defining your project scope, preparing the storyboard pitch video, preparing the crowdfunding campaign timeline and formulating the rewards strategy. Crowdfunding is asking a crowd of people to donate an amount of money for a specific cause or project in exchange for various rewards. With most projects, backers (people who support a project) donate to a project in exchange for tangible, non-monetary rewards such as the finished product, a t-shirt or a “thank you note.” There are several websites that allow creators to request crowdfunding. The most famous one is Kickstarter.com, but you may also consider indiegogo.com, rockethub.com or fundable.com. The Crowdfunding Catapult is an initiative by the McAllen Chamber of Commerce to help innovators access crowdfunding capital. The workshop is scheduled for Thursday, August 9, 2012 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, 1200 Ash Avenue. There is no cost to attend, but attendees need to register prior to the event with Eduardo Millet at (956) 569-1298 or

GEW 2011

The Inventors and Entrepreneurs Network

McAllen, Texas

17 November 2011-18 November 2011

The Inventors & Entrepreneurs Network is designed to encourage innovation and business creation in the McAllen. I&E uses a collaborative model to energize local inventors and entrepreneurs to build and further develop the local economy based on strengths and assets identified locally. Every session participants discuss individual project accomplishments and road blocks on moving their projects to market. Fellow colleagues are asked about suggestions or lead to overcome the obstacles presented. Then, the group gets a break to connect with others inventors, entrepreneurs or representatives of local resources. The last part of the meeting is devoted to a presentation by an expert on a topic relevant to the road map of getting your idea or business off the ground. Time: 6:00 to 8:00 pm There is no cost to attend, but RSVPs are welcome. (956) 682-2871

LatinaHope Business Network

McAllen, Texas

17 November 2011-18 November 2011

This meeting will help future micro-entrepreneurs get enroll in the program LatinaHope. LatinaHope Network is a component designed to facilitate the learning, networking and acting of Spanish speaking micro-entrepreneurs that have a new business idea or a small business and want to move their venture to a more tangible point. Participants are required to participate in three training session and present a business plan as part of the application process to grants and competitions. The program is conducted in Spanish. • Grant Awards. Three $500 grants to promote the creation or growth of microenterprises in the McAllen area. A panel of judges will select the most viable business plans based on criteria such as price, market or novelty of the idea. • Elevator Pitch Competition is a $100 dollars award to a great two minutes sale speech, a $50 dollars to the second and $25 to the third. • Micro-lending program is designed to assist entrepreneurs with micro-loans to create or growth a business idea. An applicant could request up to $500 by presenting a business plan and a schedule of repayment. Up to 7 loans will be awarded per round. The loan is a no-interest instrument and the maximum repayment period is one year. No cost. Meeting Starts at 10:00 am ends at 12:00 pm

Government and Entrepreneurs

McAllen, Texas

16 November 2011-17 November 2011

You are invited to participate in a discussion between entrepreneurs and elected officials. The meeting runs for an hour and the discussion is centered in the impact of legislation to the entrepreneurial community in the McAllen Area. Time: 12:00 to 1:00 pm No cost to attend, please RSVP (956) 682-2871

Blogging for Entrepreneurs

McAllen, Texas

14 November 2011-15 November 2011

The use of new technology is vital skill for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs that join this seminar you’ll learn how to setup, build and promote a business blog. A blog is arguably the most versatile tool in your Web marketing toolbox. When done right it increases your search engine visibility, establishes your expertise, and becomes an essential piece of your social media marketing strategy. But what makes one blog succeed where others fail? How can you leverage a blog to drive more qualified leads to your site and build your business? This seminar will equip you with the know-how you need to manage a business blog to increase your business visibility and growth. What you will learn • How to setup and use a blog • How to use a blog to increase your search engine visibility • How to maximize your social media activity with a blog • Why a blog beats a Web site and an email newsletter • Some of the biggest mistakes bloggers make Time: 12:00 to 2:00 pm Cost $9.95 Members, $14.95 Non-members (includes lunch) RSVP with Eduardo (956) 682-2871