WALTON COUNTY, Fla.(August 1, 2018)– The Walton Area Chamber of Commerce will host “The Next BIG Thing†on Wednesday, August 22, 2018, at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in the Baytowne Conference Center. Presented by Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, the annual symposium has three distinctive growth tracks, including Leadership Development, Entrepreneurship, and Women in Business. Together, they will bring in several dynamic speakers who will be addressing topics beneficial to empowering individuals professionally and personally, emerging and existing entrepreneurs, and rising leaders.
This year, event attendees will have the opportunity to hear two nationally known keynote speakers, Kevin “Dauber” Lacz and Quint Studer. Additionally, there will be four TED Talk-style breakout sessions catered to the attendee’s selected growth track, featuring Laticia Jackson, Daniel Pennington, Rachael Gillette, a panel of several local entrepreneurs and many more.
Keynote speaker, Kevin “Dauber†Lacz, is a decorated US Navy SEAL veteran, a New York Times best-selling author, an accomplished speaker, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He also played himself in the Academy Award nominated film “American Sniper†and served as an integral part to the film as the SEAL technical advisor. After his time with the SEALs, Lacz went back to school, graduating with a degree in political science and going on to earn a master’s degree in medical science. Currently, Lacz is a certified Physician’s Assistant in Florida, where he also co-owns Lifestyle and Performance Medicine-powered by Regenesis, a concierge based Functional Medicine practice. Lacz is also the spokesperson for his charity Hunting for Healing, a Florida 501c3 that takes serviced-disabled veterans and their spouses on hunting, fishing, and other outdoor expeditions.
The second keynote speaker, Quint Studer is a businessman, visionary, entrepreneur, and mentor to many in the area. He began the Studer Group in 2000 and then created the Studer Community Institute in 2014, a nonprofit, research-based entity with the goal of improving the quality of life in the community. Throughout the years Studer has given many things back to his Pensacola community including a new downtown YMCA and a new Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart. Studer has also invested in several office and residential buildings in the Pensacola area. One of his most notable accomplishments, is authoring seven leadership-based books that have landed on both the Wall Street Journal and Business Week’s bestsellers list. Today, he continues to write for a weekly column in the Pensacola News Journal and for his new book, Building a Vibrant Community.
Additional speaker, Laticia Jackson is a veteran, Fitness Olympian, and globally recognized Women’s Health Empowerment Leaders. Jackson has improved the mental, physical, and emotional health of thousands of individuals and she’s on a mission to add more to her list. Her passion for holistic wellness along with professional and personal growth has earned her numerous national and international awards, including Indie Author of the Year 2018 and Mental and Physical Health Advocate of the Year 2017. She has been featured in over 30 magazine publications and has engaged audiences through radio, podcasts and TV as their go-to guest on health and personal development. She has also written eight women’s health and wellness training books.
Breakout session speaker, Daniel Pennington is a speaking coach and conference speaker who has previously worked with several Fortune 500 companies around the U.S. and Australia. He aims at teaching business leaders how to connect with their teams and drive engagement. Previously, Pennington worked for 35 years as an executive for television stations, producing Emmy-nominated shows and training talent. Then, in 2008, he joined the Studer Group, the Baldrige Award-winning healthcare consulting company in Pensacola, before finally starting his own speaking company. Pennington has written two books and will be a TEDx Talk Presenter later this fall.
New this year, “The Next BIG Thing†will feature a panel of local entrepreneurs discussing the ins and outs of running a successful business from the ground up. The panel will feature Magda Cooper of BOTE, Jeanne Dailey of Newman-Dailey Resort Properties, Bryce Jarvis of Sunset Bay Café and Slick Lips Seafood & Oyster House, Mike Ragsdale of The 30A Company among others.
Registration and check-in begins at 8:00 a.m. with a continental breakfast in the vendor ballroom. “The Next BIG Thing†will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. with welcoming remarks from Walton Area Chamber of Commerce CEO, Megan Harrison. Lunch, provided by Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, will begin at 11:30 a.m.
Attendees are encouraged to stay until the end of the event for the $1,000 VIP door prize drawing from Silver Sands Premium Outlets. The symposium will conclude with a cocktail hour reception and exhibitor showcase for guests to network with one another and shop among local businesses.
Registration prices are $150 for Walton Chamber members and $175 for non-members. Interested individuals can register for the event by visiting http://bit.ly/WACCNextBIGThing. Military and Group discounts are available. Please contact Gabrielle Woods at (850) 892-3191 or Gabrielle@WaltonAreaChamber.comfor more information.
A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available. Area businesses interested should contact Gabrielle Woods at 850-892-3191 or Gabrielle@WaltonAreaChamber.com.
