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Oregon Business Magazine launched its first annual 100 Best Conference: Building Better Workplaces in September 2008, with almost 300 business leaders from about 180 companies attending. The next conference will be held in Portland in the Spring of 2010. For 16 years, Oregon Business has published the 100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon and has extended that exciting and meaningful project beyond its pages to a day-long learning experience. At the conference there will be numerous workshops focused on key drivers of employee satisfaction and how business leaders can incorporate best practices into their companies. There also will be provocative discussions by leading CEOs, authors and experts, plus a dose of relaxation and fun. Watch this site for more information on our 2010 conference! 


 

Oregon Business presents THE 100 BEST CONFERENCE: Building Better Workplaces


Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008 at the Portland Art Museum , Mark Building

  REGISTRATION AND BREAKFAST
 
7:30 a.m.
 
 
Registration begins
All day: 100 Best Conference exhibits are open

 
 
8:30 to 8:45
 
 
Welcome: Oregon Business Publisher Andrew Insinga and Editor Robin Doussard
Overview of The 100 Best project: Su Midghall of Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall and Oregon Business Research Editor Brandon Sawyer 

 
 
8:55-9:15
 
 
Breakfast keynote: GRACIOUS AND RUTHLESS: Surprising Strategies for Business Success.
Speaker: Susan Sokol Blosser — author, wine industry pioneer and founder of Sokol Blosser Winery

 
  MORNING WORKSHOPS  
  Executive track  
  HR track  
  Legal track  
 
9:30-10:30
 
 
HOW TO BE A GREAT BOSS: Becoming the kind of leader who attracts and retains the best. 
Speaker: Tamsen Wassell

 
 
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ETHICAL: Doing the right thing really does matter.
Speaker: David Layzell

 
 
EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK PROVISIONS FOR BEST COMPANIES
Sponsor: Lane Powell

 
 
10:45-11:45
 
 
LEVERAGING A POSTIVE CULTURE: How good morale affects the bottom line. Speaker: Renee Spears

 
 
UNLEASHING YOUR EMPLOYEES’ POTENTIAL: Coaching and training your workforce. Speaker: Karin Kolodziejski

 
 
BEST LEGAL PRACTICES TO CREATE BEST COMPANY PERFORMANCE
Sponsor: Lane Powell

 
 
11:45-1 p.m.
 
 
LUNCH
Keynote address:
THE POWER OF LAUGHTER 
Speaker: Gail Hand — nationally known author, corporate speaker and one-time stand-up comic.

 
  AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS  
  Executive track  
  HR track  
  Legal track  
 
1:15-2:15
 
 
BETTER BENEFITS WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK: Providing meaningful employee benefits in the face of rising costs
Speaker: David Uyemura

 
 
BALANCING ACT: How to achieve work/life balance for you, your company and your employees
Speaker: Trevor Lockwood
 
 
BEST COMPANY PRACTICES TO MANAGE THE CHALLENGING EMPLOYEE
Sponsor: Lane Powell

 
  AFTERNOON GENERAL SESSION  
 
2:30-3:30
 
 
LEARN FROM THE BEST: CEOs from The 100 Best Companies share their secrets and stories .
Moderated by Adam Davis of Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall

 
 
3:30-4
 
 
CONFERENCE WRAPUP: Oregon Business recaps the day with special awards and presentations.

 
 

Keeping employees happy

It’s challenging enough to keep employees happy and workplace morale high during the best of times. But what about in the worst of times?  Some, like Northwest Newborn (No. 2 Small), have found ways to maintain a high sense of satisfaction and loyalty.

Lessons of the not-so-great

Companies can often learn more about their workplaces issues from negative comments than from praise. Here's a sampling from some of the 100 Best employee surveys of what doesn't work, even from some of the best workplaces in the state.

Ingredients of a great workplace

What do the Top 10 Best Companies do that keeps their employees motivated, loyal and upbeat? Paying 100% of health insurance premiums and ugly t-shirt contests are part of it. And don't forget the persuasive powers of company pups like Frankie from Stamp Connection (No. 3 Small).

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