Creating The Resource Fest Experience
Help Us Create Something Different
As we prepare for Small Business Milwaukee Resource Fest, we’re inviting each Resource Partner to help us create a different kind of small business experience. We want attendees to encounter useful ideas, fresh perspectives, and practical knowledge at every turn—and every participating organization has something valuable it can contribute.
And there’s a reason we call it a Fest.
The “Fest” isn’t about entertainment for entertainment’s sake. It’s about making learning active, engaging, and worth exploring. We want attendees moving from Resource Partner to Resource Partner, wondering: “What will I discover here?”
The following is intended to help you start thinking about what your Resource Fest experience might offer visitors.
Core Idea
Small Business Milwaukee Resource Fest is built on a simple idea: every attendee should leave better equipped to grow and strengthen their business than when they arrived.
Resource Fest is a learning experience built around useful ideas, fresh perspectives, practical knowledge, and meaningful interaction. Every Resource Partner has an opportunity to create a moment of value—something that could make a difference for the small business owner standing on the other side of the table.
So we ask every Resource Partner to begin with that business owner and consider:
What could you share that might change what they know, how they think, or what they do next?
WHAT COULD YOU HELP SOMEONE DISCOVER?
What could happen in just a few minutes at your booth that might make a difference for a business owner?
Teach them something they didn’t know.
Share an insight that could help a business owner make a smarter decision or better understand an important part of their business.
HELP THEM SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY.
Offer a fresh perspective that could change how they think about a challenge, decision, or opportunity.
SHOW THEM AN OPPORTUNITY THEY MAY BE MISSING.
Help them discover a resource, strategy, connection, tool, or possibility they may not know exists.
HELP THEM AVOID A MISTAKE THEY DON’T REALIZE THEY’RE MAKING.
Bring attention to an overlooked risk, common misstep, or warning sign—and help them understand what they could do differently.
GIVE THEM SOMETHING THEY CAN USE TO MAKE THEIR BUSINESS BETTER.
Send them away with an idea, tool, resource, or next step they can put to work.
How You Share It Is Up to You
The experience doesn’t have to look the same at every booth. In fact, we hope it doesn’t.
Think about what you want someone to discover—and the best way to make that happen. It might be through:
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- a hands-on demonstration they can try themselves
- a quick challenge, quiz, or “test your knowledge” activity
- a mini assessment that reveals something about their own business
- a real-world problem they can try to solve
- a before-and-after example that shows the difference one change can make
- an interactive decision-making tool
- a useful resource they didn’t know existed
- or something completely different that we haven’t thought of yet
Surprise us.
The goal isn’t to hand every visitor another piece of paper. The goal is to create a moment of value.
The best takeaway may not be something they carry in their hands. It may be something they carry away in their heads.
Could You Help Create the Resource Fest Experience?
If this sounds like an experience you’d like to be part of, we’d love to hear from you. Tell us you’re interested in becoming a Resource Partner, and let’s start talking about what someone could discover at your booth.
I'm Interested.
Small Business Milwaukee Resource Fest is co-hosted by Small Business Milwaukee and MATC Oak Creek Campus.