P Event 2011 - Washington Policy Center Small Business Conference

Description

This year's conference will feature a continental breakfast and keynote lunch. A legislative update discussion with key lawmakers will kick off the conference at 8 a.m. The luncheon will feature a panel of business media, including Bill Virgin of Seattle Business magazine, Al Scott of the Puget Sound Business Journal, Kim Crompton of the Spokane Journal of Business and John McDonagh of the Vancouver Business Journal. Interactive breakout sessions will give conference participants the opportunity to suggest, discuss, and vote on recommendations regarding:

• Health care reform
• Workers' Comp. / Unemployment Insurance
• Transportation
• Regulatory reform
• Small business tax simplification
• Technology
• Human resource issues - mandatory paid sick leave
• Export / import and immigration

WPC will compile the top recommendations and present them to the legislature in 2012. Your ideas will help shape the debate in Olympia!  For example, participants at WPC's 2009 conference recommended small businesses be given a grace period for complying with minor state regulations. The legislature and governor turned the idea into law in 2010, and expanded the grace period in the recent legislative session.

We are excited to announce a change in the format for this year’s conference! Due to increasing demands on small business owners, the event will now be held at Bellevue College in order to reduce overhead costs. This means the registration fee for small business owners and other community members who wish to attend the conference will be much less than in previous years.