Check out our upcoming events below, or see our Events Archive for information on recent BALLE events.
BALLE Basics Call
March 16, 1 pm - 2:15 pm Pacific Time
Join us to learn about forming a network of locally owned, independent businesses in your community! We will discuss local living economy principles, BALLE services and network benefits, and the network application and intake process. We'll leave significant time for your questions, so we recommend reviewing our
Start a Network page before the call. Basics Calls are held each month on the third Tuesday. Registration is limited to the first 20 RSVPs.
Please click here to register online.
Workshop: Building a Local BALLE Network
April 1, 8:30 am - 6:00 pm Pacific Time
Madison, WI
Led by BALLE Executive Director Michelle Long in partnership with the University of Wisconsin, Dane Buy Local, and Our Milwaukee, this is a "how to" workshop for existing and new BALLE networks. Our day-long workshop is packed with presentations, group discussion and hands-on activities designed to equip you with the key principles, best practices, proven tools, and regional relationships needed to build business and community innovation through the building blocks of a local living economy. You'll create a specific work plan for your community and leave with a host of program examples and templates for local success. Appropriate for local business, government, and community representatives currently organizing or growing a local, independent business network. Please see our
workshops page for more information, and
click here to register online.
BALLE Network Leaders Roundup Call
April 13, 10 am - 11 am Pacific Time
Our monthly conference calls for network leaders feature presentations and discussions on topics of interest at both the regional and national levels, and feature expert speakers and network leaders themselves. Calls are held the second Tuesday of each month and are open to representatives of BALLE networks, including network staff, board members, and key business members. Call topics and reminders are advertised via our network leader listserve.
BALLE Basics Call
April 20, 1 pm - 2:15 pm Pacific Time
Join us to learn about forming a network of locally owned, independent businesses in your community! We will discuss local living economy principles, BALLE services and network benefits, and the network application and intake process. We'll leave significant time for your questions, so we recommend reviewing our
Start a Network page before the call. Basics Calls are held each month on the third Tuesday. Registration is limited to the first 20 RSVPs.
Please click here to register online.
BALLE Network Leaders Roundup Call
May 11, 10 am - 11 am Pacific Time
Our monthly conference calls for network leaders feature presentations and discussions on topics of interest at both the regional and national levels, and feature expert speakers and network leaders themselves. Calls are held the second Tuesday of each month and are open to representatives of BALLE networks, including network staff, board members, and key business members. Call topics and reminders are advertised via our network leader listserve.
Workshop: Building a Local BALLE Network
May 20, 8:30 am - 6:00 pm Pacific Time
Charleston, SC
Led by BALLE Executive Director Michelle Long in partnership with Lowcountry Local First, this is a "how to" workshop for existing and new BALLE networks. Our day-long workshop is packed with presentations, group discussion and hands-on activities designed to equip you with the key principles, best practices, proven tools, and regional relationships needed to build business and community innovation through the building blocks of a local living economy. You'll create a specific work plan for your community and leave with a host of program examples and templates for local success. Appropriate for local business, government, and community representatives currently organizing or growing a local, independent business network. Please see our
workshops page for more information.
8th ANNUAL BALLE BUSINESS CONFERENCE
Lighting the Way to a New Economy
May 21-23
Charleston, SC
In these uncertain economic times, BALLE is convening the community of business owners and innovation leaders who are proving that things can and should be different! Our economy ought to be by the people and for the people. The BALLE conference will demonstrate how the new economy is being shaped at the grassroots level in local communities around North America.
Join hundreds of entrepreneurs and business owners, BALLE network leaders, economic developers, local government representatives and community connectors, as we explore innovative best practices in growing community health and wealth. Together we will find inspiration, share proven tools and successful programs, and explore how communities (like yours) are stepping forward as leaders of the new economy. For more information, visit our conference website.
BALLE Network Leaders Roundup Call
June 8, 10 am - 11 am Pacific Time
Our monthly conference calls for network leaders feature presentations and discussions on topics of interest at both the regional and national levels, and feature expert speakers and network leaders themselves. Calls are held the second Tuesday of each month and are open to representatives of BALLE networks, including network staff, board members, and key business members. Call topics and reminders are advertised via our network leader listserve.
Workshop: Building a Local BALLE Network
June 14, 8:30 am - 6:00 pm Eastern Time
Philadelphia, PA
Led by BALLE Executive Director Michelle Long in partnership with the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, this is a "how to" workshop for existing and new BALLE networks. Our day-long workshop is packed with presentations, group discussion and hands-on activities designed to equip you with the key principles, best practices, proven tools, and regional relationships needed to build business and community innovation through the building blocks of a local living economy. You'll create a specific work plan for your community and leave with a host of program examples and templates for local success. Appropriate for local business, government, and community representatives currently organizing or growing a local, independent business network. Please see our
workshops page for more information.
BALLE Basics Call
June 15, 1 pm - 2:15 pm Pacific Time
Join us to learn about forming a network of locally owned, independent businesses in your community! We will discuss local living economy principles, BALLE services and network benefits, and the network application and intake process. We'll leave significant time for your questions, so we recommend reviewing our Start a Network page before the call. Basics Calls are held each month on the third Tuesday. Registration will be limited to the first 20 RSVPs, and a registration link will be posted closer to time.
Regional Network Gathering
October 29, 9 am - 4 pm Mountain Time
Santa Fe, NM
Throughout North America, BALLE networks are effectively linking businesses to create the building blocks of a new economy. The expertise for creating and growing local living economies is emerging from the ground up, and the most innovative knowledge about what is working resides with the network organizers who are pioneering this approach. BALLE Regional Gatherings bring together these innovative network organizers for peer-to-peer sharing of ideas and successful programs. Gatherings also explore common challenges and build relationships for long-term regional success. This Regional Gathering is hosted by the Santa Fe Alliance, a national leader in the local living economies movement and a BALLE Regional Hub Network.
BALLE's National Buy Local Week 2010
November 26 - December 5
BALLE's Buy Local Week will be celebrated by many of our 80+ local business networks across the US and Canada. Buy Local Week is an opportunity for locally owned businesses to work together to increase the local economic impact of holiday spending, create more jobs, more tax revenue and a more stable local economy.
Because locally owned businesses spend substantially more money locally, they typically generate two to four times the economic multiplier benefit for their communities as do nonlocal businesses. As holiday season spending represents the largest chunk of revenue for retailers in a single year, a shift of just 10% of holiday spending toward locally owned businesses has the potential to create an impact of billions in economic activity in just two months.
Buy Local Week leverages traditional media, online marketing, public events, local news and radio and other local partnerships to raise awareness of the role of local business on our economy.
