Social media speaker and author of the recently published book Maximizing LinkedIn for Sales and Social Media Marketing, Neal Schaffer, will be presenting multiple sessions on social media and LinkedIn marketing at the Small Business Survival Summit taking place in Baltimore, Maryland from September 7 to 9, 2011. Schaffer joins fellow social media authors Dan Zarrella and Chris Treadaway as well as keynote speaker Rudy Giuliani and more than 30 other business experts who will help educate small businesses on a variety of vital topics. What is the Small Business Survival Summit? The Small Business Survival Summit is a call to action. The economic landscape of the United States is changing, in ways detrimental to the lifeblood of the nation - the American Small Business. Many small businesses have failed. Many others are struggling to make ends meet. Those unable to move forward in bold, innovative ways may not survive to see an economic upturn. In fact, without a small business recovery, there will not be an economic upturn. To help shine a light on the role that the American Small Business must take in economic recovery and mobilize attendees to lead the way, the framework for this inaugural event to take place next week was created. The Small Business Survival Summit is a three-day national event designed to encourage, motivate, and train small business owners to re-evaluate and refine their business practices, identify available resources, and align themselves with organizations in their community for mutually beneficial relationships. Is Social Media Important to Small Businesses? It's critical. "For most small businesses, word of mouth is the predominant way of getting leads and finding new business," proclaimed Patrick J. Chambers, organizer of the Small Business Survival Summit and President of WebIXI, Inc., a website design and development company in Harford County, Maryland. "Social media is an extension of the word of mouth platform. Social media education with practical application is the missing piece today - small businesses need to be comfortable with social media in the same way that they may have evolved from being a wallflower at a Chamber event to someone who is actively seeking to introduce themselves and engage with prospects." Neal Schaffer's Role in the Small Business Survival Summit? "LinkedIn, which Neal Schaffer is clearly a leading authority on, is one of the most important tools available for small businesses today," Chambers explained. "We feel that educating small businesses in this and other social media tools is an essential part of revitalizing Main Street. There are a lot of speakers that can talk social media to a social media crowd. We couldn't think of anyone more capable of bringing the message to the mainstream than Neal Schaffer." "I am proud and honored to be speaking at the same event with keynote speaker Rudy Giuliani as well as fellow social media authors Dan Zarrella and Chris Treadaway," said Schaffer. "Social media levels the playing field for small businesses just as the Internet did two decades ago, and I want to make sure that every attendee leaves the Small Business Survival Summit prepared with an understanding of social media marketing and a roadmap that will be immediately actionable and provide new and lucrative business opportunities in the near future to those who truly participate and engage in the Social Web." About the Small Business Survival Summit The Small Business Survival Summit is a three-day event designed to encourage, motivate and train small business owners to re-evaluate and refine their business practices, identify available resources, and align themselves with organizations in their community for mutually beneficial relationships. Successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, and industry experts from throughout the country are gathering to present and interact on issues specifically related to individual and business development in the areas of Leadership, Organization, Sales & Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Online Marketing Techniques, Nonprofit Organizations, and Our Government & Your Business. Rudy Giuliani will be the Keynote Speaker. Mr. Giuliani will be speaking 3 days before the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on "Principled Leadership: In the Face of Change and Crisis." Dr. Ben Carson will be the speaker at the Gala - a fundraising event for the Maryland Children's Alliance. In addition to acquiring critical knowledge needed to grow in today's economy, attendees will have ample opportunity to network with businesses and organizations, both large and small, that share the common goal of spurring on an economic recovery. LOCATION: The Baltimore Convention Center, One West Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201 DATES: September 7-9, 2011 ATTENDANCE: 2,000 - 2,500 WEBSITE / REGISTRATION: http://www.smallbusinesssurvivalsummit.com/index.html About Neal Schaffer Neal Schaffer, creator of the Windmill Networking Blog on Social Media Strategy, is a recognized leader in helping businesses embrace and leverage the potential of social media. President of Windmills Marketing, a social media strategy consulting practice, Schaffer leads social media strategy creation, educational workshops and implementation coaching for a range of B2B and B2C companies, including a Fortune 50 software company, a multi-billion dollar nutritional supplements enterprise and a popular Mexican-American musician. Author, social media keynote speaker and social media strategy consultant, Schaffer has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Business Week, Yahoo! and the American Express Open Forum. His first book, Windmill Networking: Understanding, Leveraging and Maximizing LinkedIn, received multiple industry awards and continues to be a best-selling books in its genre. Schaffer's second book, a LinkedIn marketing book entitled Maximizing LinkedIn for Sales and Social Media Marketing, was published in July 2011, winning praise from the authoritative Kirkus Reviews as a book that offers "...everything managers and staffers need to start, plan and execute a sales and marketing strategy using LinkedIn." Schaffer is fluent in Chinese and Japanese. Source: http://finance.bnet.com/bnet/news/read?GUID=19355755