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Schedule of Events

Times and topics subject to change. All times are PST.

Friday, March 27, 2009

9:00 - 5:30p     Participant Registration

10:00        Fair Trade Federation Member Meeting (Members Only)

6:00pm        Welcome Dinner and FTF Birthday Celebration (All Participants)

Saturday, March 28, 2009 (All Participants)

8:30        Breakfast and Saturday Welcome
              Carmen K. Iezzi, Executive Director, FTF

8:45        Plenary One: Tapping Into the Wider Fair Trade Community

Jeff Goldman, Executive Director, Fair Trade Resource Network and David Funkhouser, Manager, Fair Trade Towns and TransFair USA, will outline their work and offer ways for fair trade organizations to engage in the broader movement.


10:00         Coffee Break

10:30         Seminar I - Sessions will be run simultaneously and provide practical information to enhance your business.
  • Living FTF Principles: Building Capacity in Producer Communities
Join PL.Ramasamy, Market Manager, SIPA India, and Gordy Molitor, Executive Director of Green Empowerment, for advice and lessons learned in assisting artisan and farmer communities to build capacity.

Download Ram's Presentation
  • Styles and Trends in Interior Design
Cheryl Janis of Cheryl Janis Designs offers insights into forthcoming styles and trends in interiors, as well as tips on ways to meet the needs of interior designers. 
  • Enhancing Relationships with Customers Old and New
Join Tex Dworkin, Marketing Manager, Global Exchange, and Tom Wilde, Co-Owner, Equal Exchange West,for a discussion of practical strategies to get more from current customers and how to capture new interest, as well as recommended ways to gauge if you've been successful.
  • Strategic Business Planning in an Economic Downturn
Speakers include Jon Down, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, University of Portland, and Kevin Ward, Co-Founder of Global Crafts.


11:45        Speed Networking Session A
Conference Participants will be divided into two groups. Members of Group A will be invited to create posters (or to display materials that they have brought with them) outlining questions that they have, needs they have experienced, services that they can offer, and other details. In five-minute increments, members of Group B will circulate through the displays and respond to presentations. For more information, contact Carrie Hawthorne.

12:15         Luncheon and Keynote Address: Scaling your Business without Selling Out your Principles by Jill Bamberg

Ms. Bamberg will discuss the challenges of bringing mission-driven businesses to scale. She is a founding faculty member of the Bainbridge Graduate Institute for Sustainable Business and the author of Getting to Scale without Selling Out. Copies of Getting to Scale... will be available for purchase during the conference.

1:00p        Speed Networking Session B
As above, featuring members of Group B displaying their questions and work. For more information, contact Carrie Hawthorne.

1:30p         Seminar II - Sessions will be run simultaneously and provide practical information to enhance your business.
  • Creating Marketing Materials that Work
Dalya Massachi, Founder of Writing for Community Success, will outline ways to create marketing pieces that grab the attention of buyers and consumers. One-on-one consultation will be available during the Speed Networking Sessions (see above).

  • Living FTF Principles: Creating Environmentally Sustainable Supply Chains
Dave Rochlin, Founder of Climate Path, and Eric Brody, Founder of Shift Advantage will explore ways to improve the sustainability of your supply chain from producers to North American operations. 
  • Responsibilities toward Employees, Contractors, and Volunteers
Jill Critchfield  of Pacific HR will advise participants on how to effectively create human resource policies, as well as their rights and obligations toward staff.
  • Strengthening A New Retail Operation
Candi Smucker of Baksheesh will offer practical information on how to run a successful fair trade store, including inventory control, managing cash flow, and the details of pre-opening.

2:30p         Coffee Break

2:45p        Expo Set Up Begins


3:30p        Fair Trade Federation Expo (Open to Participants, Buyers, and the Public)

Come see and shop! Members of FTF, producer members of the World Fair Trade Organization, and recognized partner or vendor organizations have the opportunity to exhibit their products, business services, and activities. For more details, please visit the Sponsorship and Exhibition page.


4:00p        Introduction to Fair Trade (open to conference participants and the public)
                 Hosted by the Fair Trade Resource Network

6:00p        Expo Closes

                Evening Free

Sunday, March 29, 2009 (All Participants)

8:30        Breakfast and  Sunday Welcome
              Carmen K. Iezzi, Executive Director, FTF

At the 2009 Conference, the Federation was pleased to honor:
9:15        Plenary Two: Managing Cash Flow in a Credit Crunch

Shobna Dhewant, Lending Manager, RSF Social Finance and Michael Wray, Co-Founder, Hall-Wray Consulting will offer practical advice on ways to plan cash flow, what credit is currently available, tips for improving receivables and managing payables, and insights into how to survive shortfalls.


10:30         Coffee Break

10:45         Plenary Three: Building Fair Trade Organizations as a Brand

Lee Collinge, Strategic Communications Director, and Tanya Zumach, Senior Director, of the Metropolitan Group will discuss how to create a brand, how build that brand around value, values and voice, and how to capitalize on a Fair Trade Organization's identity.

View Lee and Tanya's Presentation

12:00         Luncheon and Discussion between Retailers and Wholesalers

Over lunch, Marcie Boyer, owner of Flavours of Life, Denise Attwood of Ganesh Himal, and Manish Gupta, director of marketing for Handmade Expressions, will lead a discussion of key questions from the perspectives of retailers and wholesalers, in an effort to create a shared understanding about how to positively develop fair trade in both arenas. 


1:00p        Closing