LinkedIn coming to Blacksburg June 27 to support area small businesses and startups

LinkedIn event to help small business and startups in the Roanoke-Blacksburg region better recruit professionals and grow their businesses

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 3, 2013
JOINT PRESS RELEASE
Roanoke - Blacksburg Technology Council Montgomery County, VA Economic Development Dept.

LinkedIn Live Media Coverage:  "Business leaders from across the area packed the Inn at Virginia Tech ready to learn from some of the best people in the business world. Representatives from Linkedln, one of the most popular professional networking sites, chose Montgomery County to host the first 'LinkedIn Live' event. More than 150 people came out to get tips on how to grow their business. Representatives from LinkedIn say the event was so successful they hope to keep it going across the country," (LinkedIn Live event big success in Blacksburg, WSLS.com, June 27, 2013)).

Blacksburg, Virginia - The Roanoke–Blacksburg Technology Council (RBTC) and the Montgomery County, VA, Economic Development Department are pleased to announce that Silicon Valley-based LinkedIn is hosting an event to help small businesses and startups in the region better recruit professionals and grow their businesses. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking site with more than 225 million members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

“LinkedIn Live: Roanoke-Blacksburg” will take place Thursday, June 27, from 1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center in Blacksburg. LinkedIn representatives will start the event by providing analytics on its members in the Roanoke-Blacksburg region, such as: growth rate, top industries and total number of connections to venture capitalists, recruiters, founders and CEOs. 

The keynote address will be followed by panels and breakout sessions devoted to discussing how businesses and professionals can effectively leverage LinkedIn to: 

• Unlocking the power of your network: sales, raising funds, and business development
• Building your company's brand through content marketing
• Recruiting top talent by sourcing and vetting job candidates

At 5:30 p.m., “LinkedIn Live: Roanoke-Blacksburg” will transition into the RBTC’s monthly Technology & Toast series. LinkedIn representatives will provide insight into the talent pool in the Roanoke-Blacksburg region using analytics from LinkedIn.com. A one-hour networking session will follow the event. 

The cost to attend the event is $20, with a portion of the proceeds going to the RBTC’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program. 

To register to attend, please visit – www.thetechnologycouncil.com/LinkedInLive.  

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Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council:
The RBTC is a non-profit member-driven association of businesses and organizations in the greater Roanoke-Blacksburg region, working together to promote the growth and success of the region's technology sector - www.thetechnologycouncil.com. 

Montgomery County, VA Economic Development Department 
The Montgomery County Economic Development Department is a local government agency dedicated to supporting the startup, retention and expansion of companies in Montgomery County, Virginia - home of Virginia Tech and the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg - www.YesMontgomeryVA.org. 

Startup America Partnership 
The Startup America Partnership supports a national network of startup communities dedicated to advancing the success of American startups - www.s.co/.