[MNASIS-L] Webinar Series. "Realizing Our Broadband Future", will preceed Broadband Conference

[VanCura, MaryAnn]

For wide distribution...........


A Webinar Series: Realizing Our Broadband Future, is being offered this
fall by the Blandin Foundation - Broadband Initiative, prior to the
annual Blandin Foundation Broadband Conference. 


Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 8:00-9:30AM
A Futurist's View of Rural Minnesota 
Presenter: Delore Zimmerman of Praxis Strategy Group, Grand Forks, ND
If you are interested in rural community and economic development
trends, this webinar is for you. Delore Zimmerman will provide guidance
for rural community leaders about development trends and the steps
communities must take to increase their investment attractiveness. 
The role that technology plays in increasing economic vitality will be
presented both in theory and practice, and Delore will include
information about successful regional economic development strategies.

Delore is a strategy consultant with twenty-five years of domestic and
international experience working with local and regional economic
development groups, companies and universities. He co-developed the
High-Performance Community Initiative while a Senior Fellow at the
Denver-based Center for the New West and has spearheaded its development
and deployment for 10 years.

Webinar Series: Realizing Our Broadband Future
Sponsor: Blandin Foundation - Broadband Initiative

For more information and to register, click here.
http://broadband.blandinfoundation.org/events/events-detail.php?intResou
rceID=991




Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 8:00-9:30AM
Broadband Best Practices in Greater Minnesota
Presenter: Bill Coleman of Community Technology Advisors, Mahtomedi, MN
Broadband is an essential asset for community and economic development.
Greater Minnesota faces many challenges in keeping up with larger metro
areas in Minnesota, across the country and around the world. 
Community leaders are faced with navigating a whirlwind of dynamic
technologies, policy discussions at the federal and state level, and
funding through the ARRA stimulus programs as they wrestle with the the
challenge of ensuring world-class broadband infrastructure and services
and motivating the adoption of new technologies by businesses,
institutions and citizens. This session will provide an overview of
community best practices for network deployment and broadband-based
economic development.

Bill Coleman has been helping communities make the connection between
broadband and economic development.  He specializes in helping
communities accurately assess their situation, devise improvement
strategies and implement projects.  He brings equal attention to
infrastructure and end-user technology adoption that leads to economic
vitality.

Webinar Series: Realizing Our Broadband Future
Sponsor: Blandin Foundation - Broadband Initiative

For more information and to register, click here.
http://broadband.blandinfoundation.org/events/events-detail.php?intResou
rceID=991



Tuesday, November 3, 8:00-9:30AM
Telling a Story with Social Media
Presenter: Ann Treacy, Treacy Information Services
Everyone has a story to tell, whether you're recruiting people or
businesses to your region, selling a product or preparing a presentation
on future of broadband in rural areas. Social media tools such as
YouTube and podcasts can help you establish your story, social networks
such as Facebook or LinkedIn help you spread the word and ongoing blogs
or Twitter can help maintain the story. We'll talk about how to tell
your story with social media.

Ann Treacy is a former librarian with 13 years of experience working
with businesses and other organizations to get their message to
prospective clients on the Internet. She works with resorts, realtors,
manufacturers, nonprofits and others throughout Minnesota to develop
Internet and social media strategies to meet business goals.  

Webinar Series: Realizing Our Broadband Future
Sponsor: Blandin Foundation - Broadband Initiative

For more information and to register, click here.
http://broadband.blandinfoundation.org/events/events-detail.php?intResou
rceID=991


Wednesday, November 18 - Thursday, November 19, 2009
Blandin Foundation's 2009 Broadband Conference 

The webinar series is being offered in advance of the annual Blandin
Foundation Broadband Conference.  The theme of this year's conference
is: Realizing Our Broadband Future: Getting from Here to There. It will
focus on the future of Minnesota communities, providing community
leaders with the information and tools they need to position their
communities in the future. 
Location: Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, Duluth MN
<http://www.hiduluth.com/> 
Cost: $105

For more information and to register, click here.
http://broadband.blandinfoundation.org/events/events-detail.php?intResou
rceID=988