10,000+ Businesses and Veterans Get “SMBA Degrees” for Less Than $25

New York, NY, April 07, 2012 --(PR.com)-- The New York XPO for Business, the largest small and mid-sized business conference in the Northeast, has announced a new two-day, paid-attendance format for its 7th annual show to meet the needs of entrepreneurs and small business owners, offering more than 60 practical workshops on May 2nd and 3rd at the Javits Center.

“So many events are expensive, general, and theoretical, but we are committed to giving attendees something significant for their investment; our event this year has been expanded to two days and businesses will walk away with the kind of learning and insights they’d get from a graduate business program,” says Marc Sherer, CEO and Founder of Event Management, the XPO’s producer. “We call it the ‘SMBA’ because our programs provide some of the same benefits of a graduate business education – at a fraction of the cost and time.”

Innovations within the XPO, designed to respond to trends and meet the needs of today’s business owners, include:
· A “boot camp” for veterans who are starting businesses, including leaders and advisors from the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, SCORE, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the New York City College of Technology. According to a recent article in Entrepreneur, veterans are at least 45% more likely to choose entrepreneurship than people with no active-duty military experience.
· More than 15 sessions dealing specifically with social media. According to a recent Hubspot study, small businesses spend a larger percent of their marketing budgets on social media than their big brand counterparts. At the XPO, Constant Contact will be conducting 11 workshops and introducing its new team of local digital marketing experts, who will be available to give attendees free hands-on training.
· Taking a page from reality TV makeover shows, the XPO has created an opportunity for one lucky winner to be “transformed” by a team of business experts. The winner of the “24 Hour Small Biz Makeover Contest” wins a financial overhaul, business plan, and free consultations by experts. The before and after transformation will be featured on the recently-launched Small Biz World Television.

Says Devin Cleary, SVP of Marketing for Event Management, “We will soon be announcing our keynote line-up. That’s almost the ‘icing on the cake’ this year. We’re presenting two days of practical workshops, veteran-focused training, social media savvy, more than 200 exhibits, and high-quality networking for less than $25, which is equivalent to the cost of about a week’s worth of coffee or printer ink for most business owners! And we believe the knowledge and connections we offer will pay for themselves within days following the show!”

About the NY XPO for Business
The New York XPO for Business is the largest trade show and business conference for small businesses in the Northeast. It is produced by Event Management of Hartford, Connecticut, a privately-held company with 20 years of experience running business and consumer events. The XPO is developed with an Executive Team, which includes representatives from New York and national leading business organizations, associations, and thought-leaders, including Inc. Magazine, NAWBO, SBA, the five borough Chambers of Commerce, several major media partners, and the Better Business Bureau. For a complete list, see http://www.eventmanagement.org/newyork/committee.php. Information about XPO attendees can be found at http://www.eventmanagement.org/newyork/demographics.php. Pricing details can be found at http://www.eventmanagement.org/newyork/pricing.php.