ESCANABA — Uppertunities, The U.P.’s premier business and tourism conference is scheduled for April 13, 2018 this year. This annual conference is designed to help businesses and their employees enhance their interaction with visitors, strengthen their tourism strategies and develop initiative and skills that will enhance their overall business outlook.

This year’s conference will focus on customer service, professional development, social media tools, Pure Michigan update, human resource strategies and business and board development.

Registration is now open and can be accessed at www.deltami.org. The cost per person includes continental breakfast, lunch and a full day of information sessions. Located at the Island Resort and Casino Conference Center, the conference will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Joanna Wilbee-Amis will present a breakout session on Getting the Most from your Social Media Campaign. The focus of this session will be to return to basics. Joanna says “Social media is a part of everyday life, our habits, our interactions. But, if as a business your primary reason for partaking is because everyone else is, it’s time to dig deeper and understand the key forces that drive this engagement and identify what works best for you and your customers.” She will help you learn how to set objectives that focus on supporting your business and not merely keeping up with the competition.

Joanna has extensive experience working within the marketing industry with her own HobNob Communications company as a freelance marketing communications specialist. A proud Delta County native, Joanna brings more than twenty years of in-depth marketing communications experience to the session. For the past 14 years, Wilbee-Amis has provided marketing consultation services for a variety of clients throughout Upper Michigan and the United States including being part of the agency of record for Pure Michigan for six years as well as working with Travel Marquette and the iconic Ironwood-based Stormy Kromer. Prior to starting her business, HobNob Communications, she spent seven years in Chicago, Ill., serving as a public relations director for Feld Entertainment, the world’s leading producer of live family entertainment and parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Circus, Disney On IceSM, Monster JamSM and other touring productions.

She is also a part-time faculty member at Bay College Business Division, specializing in all things marketing. She was hired at Bay College on Aug. 27, 2012, and holds a bachelor’s of business administration in marketing from Western Michigan University and a master’s in business administration with a concentration in Social Media Marketing from Southern New Hampshire University.

Further information regarding this year’s Uppertunities Conference, speakers or registrations can be found on the Chamber’s website www.Deltami.org or by calling the Chamber of Commerce at (906) 786-2192.

— — —

Mollie Larson is a staff writer with the Delta County Chamber of Commerce