NABM Announces BLAST Agenda 2024
NABM released the agenda for the upcoming BLAST Conference scheduled for November 19-22 in Nashville, TN. It features some outstanding speakers, great entertainment, and a terrific tradeshow with approximately 60 boots where you will see all of the latest and greatest from our industry. Check it out. And it's not too late to register! Go to https://barbbadge.wufoo.com/forms/m1es06ct11mr7s8/
Agenda:
BUSINESS, LEADERSHIP, AND SUPERIOR TRAINING
Nashville 2024 BLAST
November 19-22, 2024
Music City Sheraton Hotel
Nashville, Tennessee
AGENDA
“Uniting Minds and Inspiring Innovation”
Tuesday, November 19
8:30 – 5:00 Exclusive BEP Staff and Attorney Training
Hermitage A,B,C
In Collaboration with the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind
(Includes a working lunch)
Sponsored By:
Brown, Goldstein & Levy
Rosenberg Martin Greenberg LLP
Doyle and Seelbach PLLC
1:00 – 2:50 Pre-Conference Breakout Sessions 1- 8
Sponsored by USI and Odyssey
1:00 - 1:50 Breakout Session #1 – Edgewood
“Declutter Your Digital Life”
Irene Williams, 3x Founder
Breakout Session #2 - Kingsley
“Women’s Issues in Randolph-Sheppard”
Melba Taylor, Board Member
National Association of Blind Merchants
Breakout Session #3 – Two Rivers
“Improving the Bottom Line with the Entegra Buying Program”
Reed Barton, Vice President for Revenue Growth
InReach
Breakout Session #4 - Belmont
“Financial Planning and Tax Strategies for Small Business Owners”
Ann Kincannon and Lani Lanfear
The Rainier Financial Group
2:00 - 2:50 Breakout Session #5 - Edgewood
“Declutter Your Digital Life”
Irene Williams, 3x Founder
Breakout Session #6 - Kingsley
“Women’s Issues in Randolph-Sheppard”
Melba Taylor, Board Member
National Association of Blind Merchants
Breakout Session #7 – Two Rivers
“Improve the Bottom Line with the Entegra Buying Program”
Reed Barton, Vice President for Revenue Growth
InReach
Breakout Session #8 - Belmont
“Financial Planning and Tax Strategies for Small Business Owners”
Ann Kincannon and Lani Lanfear
The Rainier Financial Group
3:00 – 4:50 Pre-Conference Breakout Sessions 9- 16
Sponsored by AVS and Keurig Dr Pepper
3:00 - 3:50 Breakout Session #9 - Edgewood
“What All Blind Vendors Should Know About SSDI”
Michael Dalto, NABM Social Security Consultant
Breakout Session #10 – Kinglsey
“Marketing with AI”
Jimmy Newson, Founder and CEO
Moving Forward Small Business
Breakout Session #11 - Two Rivers
“Creating Micromarket Opportunities in Nontraditional Settings”
Kurk Johnson, Senior Sales Director
Cantaloupe / Legacy 32M
Breakout Session #12 - Belmont
“ServSafe: Tips and Strategies for Passing the Certification Test”
Scott Cass, BEPLT Instructor
Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind
4:00 - 4:50 Breakout Session #13 - Edgewood
“What All Blind Vendors Should Know About SSDI”
Michael Dalto, NABM Social Security Consultant
Breakout Session #14 - Kinglsey
“Marketing with AI”
Jimmy Newson, Founder and CEO
Moving Forward Small Business
Breakout Session #15 -Two Rivers
“Creating Micromarket Opportunities in Nontraditional Settings”
Kurk Johnson, Senior Sales Director
Cantaloupe / Legacy 32M
Breakout Session #16 - Belmont
ServSafe: Tips and Strategies for Passing the Certification Test”
Scott Cass, BEPLT Instructor
Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind
6:00 – 8:00 The Coca-Cola / Mars Opening Night Reception
Hermitage D, E, F
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
7:30 – 9:15 The Blackstone Consulting Leadership Breakfast
Hermitage Ballroom
Emceed By
Nicky Gacos, President
National Association of Blind Merchants
National Anthem
Jana Jackson
Welcome
Wacovia King, Director
Tennessee Business Enterprises
Billy Brumlow, Chair
Tennessee Committee of Blind Vendors
Dr. Casandra Williams-Stokes, President
National Council of State Agencies for the Blind
“Welcome to Nashville: A Musical Tribute”
“A Word from Our Sponsors”
Joe Blackstone, President and CEO
Blackstone Consulting Inc.
Keynote Address
Mark Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
“And Let’s Not Forget Tuesday’s Sponsors”
Coca-Cola
USI
Odyssey
9:10 – 9:30 Break
Upward Mobility Training Session #1
Hermitage Ballroom
Sponsored by FSIG
9:30 – 11:00 “I Love It Here: How Great Leaders Create Organizations Their People Never Want to Leave”
Clint Pulver, Emmy Award Winner, Professional Keynote Speaker, Musician, and Author
11:00 – 11:10 “A Word from Our Sponsor - FSIG”
Don James, FSIG
11:10 – 12:10 “Randolph-Sheppard and the Law: A Panel of Legal Experts”
Andrew Freeman, Esq.
Brown, Goldstein & Levy
Andrew Schumacher, Esq.
Doyle & Seelbach PLLC
Lauren McLarney, Esq.
Rosenberg Martin Greenberg LLP
Neel Lalchandani, Esq.
Brown, Goldstein & Levy
Monica Basche, Esq.
Brown, Goldstein & Levy
Lyndsey Rudder, Esq.
Foodservices Inc. of Gainesville (FSIG)
Susan Gashel, Esq.
Honolulu, Hawaii
12:10 – 12:20 “A Word From Tuesday’s Sponsor - Mars”
12:20 – 12:30 “A Word From Tuesday’s Sponsor - AVS
12:30 – 12:40 ”A Word from Our Tradeshow Sponsor – Sodexo InReach”
Rick Francis, Vice President
InReach
12:40 – 12:45 “Announcements”
Nicky Gacos, President
National Association of Blind Merchants
12:45 – 4:30 The Sodexo InReach Tradeshow
Hermitage Lobby, McGavock’s Ballroom
1:00 – 5:00 Individual Consultations with Michael Dalto on SSDI
Edgewood Issues (By appointment only)
1:00 – 2:00 “SLA Roundtable”
Hermitage Facilitated by:
ABC Catriona Macdonald, Policy Advisor
National Council of State Agencies for the Blind
And
Rachel Hollen, Chair
NCSAB Randolph-Sheppard Committee
2:00 – 3:00 “Managing Conflict in Randolph-Sheppard”
Oaklands Christine Grassman, Randolph-Sheppard Program Specialist
U.S. Rehabilitation Services Administration
3:00 – 4:30 Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind
Evergreen BEPLT Meet and Greet / Q&A
Hosted By
Colleen Wunderlich, Vice President of Partnerships
Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind
Scott Cass, BEPLT Instructor
Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind
4:00 – 5:00 “Calling All Committee Chairs for a Special Q&A”
Oaklands Moderators:
Michael Colbrunn, Minnesota Chair and Vice President
National Association of Blind Merchants
Michael Talley, Alabama Chair and Board Member
National Association of Blind Merchants
Special Guests:
Jesse Hartle, Randolph-Sheppard Program Specialist
Christine Grassman, Randolph-Sheppard Program Specialist
U.S. Department of Education
Rehabilitation Services Administration
5:00 – 6:00 “Tennessee Business Enterprises Awards”
Two Rivers Tennessee Vendors Only
Wacovia King, Director, Tennessee Business Enterprises
Billy Brumlow, Chair, Committee of Blind Vendors
Melissa Smith, Chair, Awards Subcommittee
Mary Baker, Awards Subcommittee
Felicia Duty, Awards Subcommittee
Tammy Price, Awards Subcommittee
Wednesday Evening – Free Night
Thursday, November 21, 2024
Upward Mobility Training Session #2
Hermitage Ballroom
Sponsored by Pepsi
8:30 – 9:30 “The Violence Epidemic: Awareness and Response to an Active Shooter”
Brink Fidler, President
Defend Systems, Inc.
Nashville, TN
9:30 – 10:00 “The Political Landscape: What It Means for Us”
Catriona Macdonald
Linchpin Strategies and the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind
Matt Bisenius, Vice President for External Affairs
National Automated Merchandising Association
Jesse Shirek. Government Affairs Specialist
National Federation of the Blind
10:00 – 10:10 “A Word from Our Sponsor - Pepsi”
10:10 – 10:20 Break
Upward Mobility Training Session #3
Hermitage Ballroom
Sponsored by Seaga AMS/Tyler Technology
10:20 – 10:45 “Opportunities for Collaboration”
Wes Tyler, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Source America
Jesse Shirek
National Federation of the Blind
10:45 – 11:15 “LIFT OFF”
Husein Kitabwala, CEO for Food Transformation and Tech Services for North America
Sodexo
11:15 – 11:45 “Let’s Hear From Our Federal Partner at RSA”
Jesse Hartle, Randolph-Sheppard Program Specialist
U.S. Department of Education
Rehabilitation Services Administration
11:45 – 11:55 A Word From Our Sponsor – Seaga AMS
The Southern Foodservice Luncheon
Hermitage Ballroom
12:00 – 2:00 Emceed by Ed Birmingham, Vice President
National Association of Blind Merchants
“What Would Jennings-Randolph Say? Hear It for Yourself?”
“Artificial Intelligence: Our Future is Now”
Jimmy Newson, Founder and CEO
Moving Forward Small Business
“50 Years later: Reflecting on the 1974 Amendments”
James Gashel, Retired
“The Tennessee Experience Today and Tomorrow”
Kevin Wright, Assistant Commissioner
Tennessee Division of Rehabilitation Services
“A Word From Our Sponsor”
Walt Berry, President
Southern Foodservices, Inc.
Upward Mobility Training Session #4
Hermitage Ballroom
Sponsor Vistar
2:15 – 2:25 “A Word from Our Sponsor - Vistar”
2:25 – 3:15 “Micromarkets: The Truth and the Fiction”
Steve Closser
Translucent
3:15 – 3:30 “The Latest and Greatest from Keurig Dr Pepper”
Robert F. Walsh, National Accounts Executive
3:30 – 3:45 “Get On Board the Inmate Commissaries Train”
Silas Deane
Tyler Technologies
3:45 – 4:00 “My Experience in a Driverless Car”
Jessica Beacham, Colorado Blind Entrepreneur and President of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado
4:00 – 4:20 “Training Innovation with Healthy Initiatives”
Colleen Wunderlich, Vice President of Partnerships
Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind
Scott Cass, BEPLT Instructor
Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind
4:20 – 4:30 “A Word from Friday’s Sponsor – Nashville Commissary Service”
7:00 – 9:00 The Cantaloupe Final Night Banquet
Hermitage Ballroom
Emceed by Michael Colbrunn, Vice President
National Association of Blind Merchants
“A Word from our Sponsor – Cantaloupe”
Tony Danna
“A Word from Friday’s Sponsor”
Michael Talley
Sightline Wealth Management
“Collaboration Must Drive the Future”
Dorothy Young, President-Elect
National Council of State Agencies for the Blind
“Laughter is Good for the Soul”
Jonnie W.
Nashville Comedian
“A Final Night of Fun”
Music City Dueling Pianos
Friday, November 22, 2024
Upward Mobility Training Session #5
Hermitage Ballroom
Sponsored by Nashville Commissary Service / Sightline Wealth Management
8:30 – 11:00 A Special Interactive Workshop
“Ignite Your Business: Easy Steps to Strategic Success”
Jimmy Newson, Founder and CEO
Moving Forward Small Business
11:00 Adjourn