2012 Conference Sponsorship

It is only once a year that we come together from across North America and beyond to explore emerging innovations and business solutions toward building healthy, sustainable and competitive local economies.

2012 Conference Sponsors | Sponsorship Impact

2012 Sponsorship Packet  |  Past Sponsor Testimonials  |  Contact Us

BALLE’s annual conference sponsors include independently owned green and healthy product manufacturers, cooperatives, socially responsible investment firms, green energy companies and green developers, independent business associations, industry publications, and service providers for the new economy.

BALLE Conference Sponsorship Impact

BALLE’s 10th Annual Business Conference should draw more than 700 attendees from May 15-18, 2012 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, including hundreds of entrepreneurs and business owners, local leaders, economic and community development professionals, investors, funders and philanthropists, as well as pioneering policymakers.

BALLE annual conference sponsors reach thousands of potential new customers and clients through our year-round marketing and deep onsite interactions with hundreds of conference participants. What’s more, by developing relationships with our constituents and participants, our sponsors become potent agents for transformation in the new economy.

If you have a new program or product for green builders, local manufacturers, or family farms, a product or service for independent businesses, or you want to tap into the changing market toward local and sustainable enterprise, the BALLE community represents a targeted opportunity to connect with tens of thousands of others who are interested in what you have to offer.

2012 Sponsors should expect:

• You'll reach businesses in the tens of thousands throughout the year: Print, email, and social media promotions will be send and read for months in advance by over 50,000 targeted new economy business owners and managers, investors, economic development professionals, and nonprofit innovators, and tens of thousands more through our website.

• You’ll reach 700 innovators onsite: 700 attendees will convene in Grand Rapids from over 45 states and provinces, and a handful of additional countries each year. Approximately 35% will come from Grand Rapids and the Midwest, and 65% from North America and further afield.

• You’ll have deep interactions with potential customers: Attendees get to know sponsors throughout the conference, from programmed talks to formal and informal networking time to our Local Living Economies Expo.

• You’ll expose attendees to your brand and products: Sponsor ads will be featured in our conference program, newsletter, and website, and sponsors can also participate in product placements, in-kind donations, and conference gift bag opportunities.

2012 Sponsorship Packet

Our sponsorship packet describes the impact of BALLE's network, our annual business conference, and of conference sponsorships, with lots of testimonials from past sponsors and conference-goers.

There are many flexible and customizable options for helping your business or organization stand out in BALLE community, including:

• Our bundled sponsorship packages provide excellent value and return on investment if you're looking for a combination of broad exposure throughout the year plus the opportunity to reach potential clients and constituents onsite at our conference.

• Or, our a la carte options are perfect if you're interested in putting together your own sponsorship package with those specific benefits you find most valuable.

• Finally, our special innovator showcase sponsorships provide high-visibility promotion and face time for your organization, as we select only one or a select few sponsors in each category. Choose from options like Business Plan Competition , Economic Justice & Equity, Carbon Offsets, Evening Parties, and Attendee Gift Bag Sponsorships.

Download the packet now, take a look, and let us know what ideas you have!

Sponsorship Contact:

Past Sponsor Testimonials

Sponsors of the BALLE conference range from socially responsible finance firm RSF Social Finance to household product manufacturer Seventh Generation to the national farmer cooperative Organic Valley to green service companies like BetterWorld Telecom. See our full list of 2011 BALLE Conference Sponsors.

In the words of past sponsors:

"BALLE and it's 80+ networks represent the leading edge of sustainable business in the US. Being a lead sponsor of the BALLE Conference puts us front and center with thousands of entrepreneurs that share our values and understand the critical role that financial services play in building local living economies."
--Don Shaffer, President/CEO, RSF Social Finance

"The conference allowed us to showcase our business model as a farm cooperative in a really comprehensive manner. We recommend the BALLE Conference as an important venue to network with influential business leaders from local communities in North America."
--Eric Newman, Vice President of Sales, CROPP Cooperative (Organic Valley and Organic Prairie brands)

"The visionary entrepreneurs who attend the BALLE conference are our core readership, the customers we rely on. Strong and resilient local economies are the building blocks of global sustainability; we learn a lot about our mission by connecting with this community."
--Margo Baldwin, Publisher, Chelsea Green Publishing