ifPeople sponsors the BALLE annual conference
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ifPeople is sponsoring the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) annual conference this year, in its continued support to this network of business organizations. BALLE is a growing alliance of 25 local business networks and over 4,500 members, responding to local needs. Every year, the conference is a unique opportunity to share strategies and business practices for those who work to promote local buying and food growing, responsible businesses and innovative public policy solutions.
The 4th annual BALLE conference, entitled Creating
Sustainable Communities, will be held in Burlington, Vermont, June 8-10.
The speakers include Michael Ableman, John Abrams, Ben Cohen, Ronnie Cummins
and many more, and the breakout sessions feature topics like Growing Local
Value: Cutting Edge Business Practices, Ownership Structure & Succession and
Financing Your Businesses among others.
The activities also include a site visit to The Intervale and Gardener's Supply, a Local First Campaign Seminar, fun receptions, outdoor meals, and more. The first 40 registrants will be able to sign up for an extra bonus: a Burlington Community Tour. Accommodation at the conference site may be booked at registration.
At last years conference, ifPeople launched BALLEs new web site, created using the Plone Open Source technology and following ResponsibleIT Standards. The site is an elegant and sophisticated tool that has enabled BALLE to easily manage content while saving time and costs, to encourage additional traffic to the site, and to keep its home page always updated.
Since
that time, ifPeople has launched new sites for several of the local networks,
including Sustainable Business Network Philadelphia, Sustainable Connections, Sustainable Business Network Portland, BALLE BC and Living
Economies Network. These sites were produced using the BALLE
site as a basis, but creating an independent site that is fully customizable.
Additionally, these sites employ the web business directory, a custom product
developed by ifPeople for marketing local businesses and sharing directories
(see the Marketplaces of the local sites).
