2 to 10 Leadership Conference
April 13 & 14, 2014; at the University of Massachusetts Boston
Sponsored by:
UMass Boston Entrepreneurship Center
Benyamin Lichtenstein PhD, Academic Director
Sean Maney, EC Board Member
David McFarlane, Center Director
Co-Sponsor:
2 to 10 Project
Tom Kuhn, Founder; CEO of Qnity
Introduction and Rationale
The top 5% of all salons in the U.S. are multi-site businesses – 80% of these multi-site salons are independent companies with 2 to 10 locations with annual revenues averaging $9,000,000 or more. Through the leadership of the 2 to 10 Project <http://www.2to10project.com, each year these businesses learn about their performance and see how they are rated compared to their colleagues. These insights are gained through an industry-wide study whose findings are released at the 2 to 10 Leadership Conference. This year UMass Boston has been invited to co-sponsor and host this high-profile event.
At the core of the partnership is a unique Business Consulting Course to be offered to MBAs in the Spring, to be taught by Prof. Benyamin Lichtenstein and Tom Kuhn, founder of the 2 to10 Project and CEO of Qnity. The course will pair up five of the top companies in the country with student teams who will solve a key problem being faced by the company, based around one of the five key issues in the industry – Multi-site Operations; Marketing; Finance/Performance; Human Resources; and Education. Students will also perform key research, data collection and analysis for the Annual Study itself, to benefit all conference participants. The teams will present their results live to the companies at the 2-day event.
The Entrepreneurship Center is well positioned to host this conference. The initial idea came from Executive Board member Sean Maney – an undergraduate and a graduate of CM, Global business plan winner, and key member of our Executive Board. Several EC Board Members who run similar (multi-site) companies, including Frank Zona, Tom McDermott, and Kevin Harron. Tom Kuhn has already provided the core content for the course, supported by the five themes (issues) in the conference; he will also provide a mentor for each student group, thus increasing even more the potential quality of the final consulting reports. The conference center is booked, and Benyamin is taking lead on the event, allowing David McFarlane to concentrate on the MKT 465 course and the new Entrepreneurial Sales 2.0 Lab.
Proposed Press Release, with Andrea as of Monday 16th.
UMass Boston Hosts National 2 to10 Leadership Conference
In 2014, the Entrepreneurship Center [EC] at the College of Management at the University of Massachusetts Boston will host the 2 to 10 Leadership conference, bringing together over 200 founders and executives from the largest and most successful multi-site salons in the country. At the core of the partnership is a unique Business Consulting Course to be offered to MBAs in the Spring, to be taught by Prof. Benyamin Lichtenstein – Academic Director of the EC, and Tom Kuhn, founder of the 2 to10 Project and CEO of Qnity. The course will pair up five of the top companies in the country with student teams who will solve a key problem being faced by the company and in the industry; students will also perform key research and data collection as part of an annual study to benefit all conference participants. The teams will present their results live to the companies at the 2-day event. The 2 to10 Leadership Conference will take place on April 13th-14th at UMass Boston.
About the 2 to 10 Project
The 2 to 10 Project was created to gain a better understanding of the multi-location model, pursuing leading-edge practices for the top 5% of salons/spas – those with between two and ten locations. The goal of the Project is to propel growth opportunities, drive higher profitability, and created business succession strategies for its members.
About College of Management
As Boston's public business school, the College of Management is dedicated to educating the region's 21st century professional workforce and maintaining strong ties to local employers in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Recognized for its first-rate faculty and diverse, high-achieving student body, the college offers an innovative, interdisciplinary curriculum tuned to the changing needs of the global economy.
2 to 10 Leadership Conference
Memo of Understanding between Sponsor/Co-Sponsor
Event Organization
· Prof. Benyamin will be the lead organizer for the conference, working in concert with a liaison at the 2to10 Project, as well as Sean Maney and the EC Board
· Tom Kuhn will provide his consulting expertise for developing and managing the conference.
· Conference registrations will be arranged through the 2to10 Project. Based on previous years, conference fees should be sufficient to cover all expenses. Participants will book and pay for their hotel registration separately.
The Entrepreneurship Center at U-Mass Boston will arrange:
· Campus Center Ballroom and four meeting rooms for two days (est. 250 people)
· Catering for the event (Sodexo and outside caterers)
· One or more conference speakers will be members of the Executive Board of the Entrepreneurship Center
· An MBA Business Consulting course [MBA 697] for 15 students, taught by Prof. Benyamin. Each student will be interviewed to insure high levels of quality and diversity.
The 2 to 10 Project will arrange:
· All other speakers, as well as their travel arrangements
· Curricular and programmatic support for the MBA Business Consulting course. Selecting five businesses and five mentors to work with MBA teams in the course.
· Program leadership for the conference, in dialogue with the Entrepreneurship Center. Tom Kuhn will be Program Director for the conference.
· A donation to the Entrepreneurship Center not less than the cost of all expenses incurred by the University.
All other issues will be handled collaboratively between conference organizers: Benyamin Lichtenstein, Tom Kuhn, and Sean Maney.
Approved:
Entrepreneurship Center, UMass Boston 2to10 Project
/s/ Benyamin Lichtenstein
Benyamin Lichtenstein, Academic Director Tom Kuhn, Founder/CEO