About NPOEXPO
The idea for NPOEXPO was planted in 2005 when Gail Merridew, Principal Consultant for Nonprofit Management Solutions, LLC, was often approached at networking events and asked how to reach out to nonprofit representatives about their business needs. This wasn’t really surprising because Gail realized nonprofit business managers and operational decision makers rarely attend the kind of networking functions where they would meet the business representatives who offer products and services their NPOs might need. Unfortunately, because Gail’s consulting interactions were primarily with nonprofit board members in her role as capacity building and strategic planning facilitator, there wasn’t much she could do to make appropriate and timely introductions for the for-profit or nonprofit business agents.
It wasn’t until the spring of 2006 – during lunch with a colleague who was talking about adding an educational conference component to the business’ initiatives – that the light bulb in the creative side of Gail’s brain went on! Why not combine the traditional business concept of a networking trade show with a traditional conference-oriented educational model to offer a nontraditional educational trade show where for-profit exhibitors not only have display space, but also have an opportunity to educate nonprofit business leaders and decision makers about the efficiency or effectiveness benefits of their products and services? Out of this luncheon, NPOEXPO was born.
Gail Merridew has built a reputation in Central Virginia as a knowledgeable and experienced facilitator and sees this new role as NPOEXPO promoter as an extension of her nonprofit capacity building philosophy. Gail believes capacity building is both a creative and participatory effort and cannot be completely effective without interactions between all three sectors – business, governmental and nonprofit. Her B.S. in Economics, Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management, and Master in Public Administration degrees – and 30+ years experience in financial services, public service and consulting – have prepared her to look at the benefits of these expo events from all perspectives and realize, “It’s About Business."
The goals, challenges and benefits for this concept are as follow:
Goals
- To connect representatives from nonprofit organizations with for-profit consultants and business exhibitors representing products and services that may benefit NPOs.
- To provide educational “spotlight” sessions by consultants and business exhibitors that concentrate on the business-oriented best practices, new trends, current research, and topical interests of NPOs.
- To provide these networking connections and educational sessions in various locations in venues which accommodate both exhibitor set-ups (trade show) and presentations (breakout sessions and panel discussions).
Challenges
- To provide salient, quality information at a reasonable cost to NPOs.
- To involve as many different, but pertinent, business representatives/consultants as possible in venues around the country.
- To find appropriate and consistent sponsors to supplement exhibitor and attendee registration fees.
Benefits
- NPO representatives are exposed to for-profit business exhibitors representing many different services and products - at one time - and they can select which ones to approach for additional information.
- Exhibitors are exposed to many nonprofit representatives at one time and can follow-up with those that express interest in pursuing requests for additional information.
- Exhibitors and consultants can “spotlight” the benefits of their products or services in educational sessions and attendees can choose those sessions most pertinent to their NPO’s needs at that time - knowing other opportunities will be regularly provided.