At the end of every year (and again at the end of each quarter), we here at SourceLink sit down and map out our calendars. What conferences should we attend? What conversations should we follow? And how can we best and better raise the visibility for our affiliates, entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship?
Here’s the short list we came up with for 2016. Below, you’ll see just a few of the business- and entrepreneurial-related events we celebrate (or create) throughout the year. These events help us shine the national spotlight on local entrepreneurs and on those on-the-ground resources that make local economies and their entrepreneurial ecosystems vibrant and vital.
By no means do we create a full-blown campaign out of everything on this list, but we do use it as a foundation (a post, a tweet) to help our communities and entrepreneurs stay abreast of the national conversations happening around entrepreneurship. (This list does not serve as an endorsement for non-SourceLink events.)
What events, conferences and conversations do you follow?
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JANUARY |
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All month |
National Mentoring Month Financial Wellness Month |
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1st week |
National Thank Your Customers Week Women’s Self-Empowerment Week |
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Jan. 8-Jan. 12 |
U.S. Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Conference @USASBE #USASBE |
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Jan. 13 |
Make Your Dream Come True Day |
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Jan. 18 |
MLK Day |
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Jan. 20-22 |
U.S. Conference of Mayors |
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Jan. 21 |
Get to Know Your Customer Day |
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Jan. 21 |
Thank Your Mentor Day |
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Jan. 28 |
Fun at Work Day |
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Jan. TBD |
Battle of the Brands Webinar for Affiliates |
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FEBRUARY |
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All month |
Black History Month Time Management Month Youth Leadership Month |
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Feb. 1–Feb. 20 |
Battle of the Brands Nominations |
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Feb. 2 |
Groundhog Day |
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Feb. 7-9 |
National Association of Regional Councils Annual Conference |
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Feb. 9 |
Mardi Gras Carnival |
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Feb. 14 |
Valentine’s Day |
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Feb. 15 |
Presidents Day |
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Feb. 20-27 |
National Entrepreneurship Week |
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Feb. 23-24 |
Startup Grind Global Conference #StartupGrind |
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MARCH |
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All month |
National Women’s History Month Battle of the Brands, powered by SourceLink |
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March 8 |
International Women’s Day |
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March 11–15 |
SXSW Interactive #SXSW |
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March 13 |
Daylight Saving 2016 |
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March 14–17 |
Global Entrepreneurship Congress @GECGlobal #GECMedellin |
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March 17 |
St. Patrick’s Day |
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March 25 |
Good Friday |
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March 27 |
Easter |
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March 29 |
National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day |
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APRIL |
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TBD |
Shop Local Webinar for Affiliates |
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Apr. 1 |
April Fool’s Day |
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Apr. 16-20 |
International Conference on Business Incubation |
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Apr. 22 |
Earth Day |
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Apr. 23-29 |
Passover |
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Apr. 26-28 |
California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) Conference |
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MAY |
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All month |
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Jewish American Heritage Month Shop Local, powered by U.S.SourceLink |
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May 1-7 |
National Small Business Week @SBAGov #DreamSmallBiz (U.S. Small Business Administration) |
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May 4-5 |
Growing Entrepreneurial Communities Summit #GrowEship @KansasCityFed @e2RuralCenter @KauffmanFDN @LoweFoundation @NetworkKansas @USSourceLink |
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May 5 |
Cinco de Mayo |
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May 8 |
Mother’s Day |
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May 18-20 |
Mid-America Economic Development Council Conference |
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May 19 |
The Startup Conference |
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May 21 |
Armed Forces Day |
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May 30 |
Memorial Day |
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JUNE |
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All month |
Gay and Lesbian Pride Month |
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1st Week |
National Business Etiquette Week |
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2ndWeek |
Families in Business Week |
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June 6-July 7 |
Ramadan |
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June 14 |
Flag Day |
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June 19 |
Father’s Day |
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JULY |
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All month |
National Recreation and Parks Month National Culinary Arts Month |
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July 4 |
Independence Day |
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July 24 |
Parents’ Day |
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July 31-Aug. 2 |
Southern Economic Development Council Conference |
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AUGUST |
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All month |
National Inventors Month Diversity Awareness Month |
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Aug. 5-Aug. 21 |
Summer Olympics, Rio de Janeiro |
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Aug. 21 |
World Entrepreneurs’ Day #TwentyFirstAugust |
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TBD |
Global Entrepreneurship Week Webinar for Affiliates |
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SEPTEMBER |
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All month |
Hispanic Heritage Month |
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Sept. 5 |
Labor Day |
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Sept. 11 |
Grandparents’ Day, Patriot Day |
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Sept. 23 |
Native American Day |
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Sept. 25-28 |
International Economic Development Council Annual Conference |
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Sept. 29-Oct. 1 |
Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers Conference |
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OCTOBER |
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All Month |
Women’s Small Business Month National Home-based Business Week |
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1st week |
Customer Service Week |
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Oct. 3-4 |
Rosh Hashanah |
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Oct. 10 |
Columbus Day |
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Oct. 8–12 |
National Association of Community College Entrepreneurs Conference #NACCE2016 |
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Oct. 12 |
Yom Kippur |
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Oct. 16-19 |
University Economic Development Association Annual Conference @uedaorg |
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Oct. 17 |
Boss’s Day |
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Oct. 19-21 |
Texas Economic Development Council Annual Conference |
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Oct. 30 |
Diwali |
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Oct. 31 |
Halloween |
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NOVEMBER |
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All Month |
National Entrepreneurship Month American Indian Heritage Month |
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TBD |
Shop Local Webinar for Affiliates |
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Nov. TBD |
National Veterans Small Business Week #MyVetBiz |
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Nov. 2-4 |
National Rural Economic Developers Association Annual Conference |
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Nov. 6 |
Daylight Savings |
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Nov. 11 |
Veterans’ Day |
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Nov. 14-20 |
Global Entrepreneurship Week #GEW |
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Nov. 16-19 |
National League of Cities Summit |
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Nov. 19 |
Women’s Entrepreneurship Day #WomenWOW |
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Nov. 24 |
Thanksgiving Day |
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Nov. 26 |
Small Business Saturday |
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Nov. 29 |
Giving Tuesday |
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DECEMBER |
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All month |
Shop Local, powered by SourceLink |
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Dec. 1-2 |
Mayors Conference on Entrepreneurship (Kauffman Foundation) |
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Dec. 25 |
Christmas |
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Dec. 25-Jan. 1 |
Chanukah |
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Dec. 31 |
New Year’s Eve |
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