In 2023, VBSR has decided to focus solely on collecting ideas from our network to help shape the topics, themes, format, presenters, venues for our programming, including our 33rd Annual VBSR Conference, which will be held May 11th at Hula in Burlington.

 

What kind of experiences do you want VBSR to offer? Who do you want to hear from? About what? Where? We want to hear from you!

 

We welcome ideas from both VBSR members and those in our extended network. Everyone in VBSR’s community has valuable expertise, policies, practices, and experiences that can help realize our vision of a just, thriving, and transformative economy for all people and the planet.

 

Submissions are due Monday, February 6th. Submit your idea here.

 

Submission Guidelines

In 2023, VBSR intends to deliver webinars, workshops, trainings, learning cohorts, and panel discussions in the following themes:

  • People-Centered Workplaces: Progressive human resources including wage parity; employer-sponsored benefits; family-friendly policies; flexibility and work-life integration; support for employee wellness and wellbeing, including physical, mental, and emotional health; leadership and professional growth; and employee engagement and empowerment.
  • Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: Addressing systemic inequities based on racism, sexism, homophobia/transphobia, classism, ableism, and other forms of discrimination through transforming workplace culture; cultural competency; and revisioning business decisions around leadership and representation, recruiting and hiring, human resources policies and practices, marketing, contracting and supply chain, and divestment/investment.
  • Environmental Sustainability: Addressing the climate crisis through renewable energy; decarbonization; regenerative agriculture and food systems; greening operations and supply chain; detoxification, divestment/investment; climate justice; and sustainable development.
  • Prosperity for All: Employer advocacy and action to reduce the opportunity gap and redistribute power, wealth and access through affordable, high-quality housing, food, childcare, healthcare, transportation, broadband, and education.
  • Community Vitality & Strong Local Economies: Addressing Vermont’s labor shortage; business resiliency during times of uncertainty; mitigating COVID-19 impact on business conditions; impactful corporate philanthropy; corporate/community partnerships; public/private partnerships; and purchasing/marketing locally made goods and services.

 

All ideas will be taken into consideration as we shape our programming. Ideally, we would like to hear from you with:

  • Business Innovation: practical and replicable strategies, solutions, and tools that our members can learn from and can take back to their organizations and directly apply, including programs, policies, and practices
  • Digital resources (toolkits, guides, exemplars, sources)
  • Leading edge, forward thinking and innovative programming topics and themes
  • Partnerships, solutions, and resilience that inspires action
  • Mission-aligned presenters and venues
  • Creative learning formats that actively engage participants in sharing about themselves/their organization, answering questions, problem solving, and thought-provoking discussion

 

VBSR is not interested in ideas that:

  • Are primarily intended to promote a particular organization or program
  • Further systemic inequities based on racism, sexism, homophobia/transphobia, classism, ableism, and other forms of discrimination

 

All submissions are due Monday, February 6th.

 

As needed, VBSR may follow up with you regarding your idea to collect more information or possibly invite you to be a presenter or panelist.

VBSR provides compensation to presenters for select workshops, trainings, and learning cohorts, taking into account audience, topic, participant fees, and the presenter’s role.

Looking for a sense of what VBSR has offered in the past? Check out our 32nd Annual Conference Agenda and 2022 Webinars, Workshops, Trainings and Events.

 

Questions? Contact Education & Events Coordinator Molly Barfuss at mollyb@vbsr.org.