CBEX 2024 Speaker Series: GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH CHARLOTTE'S BOOM!

Charlotte Business Exchange (CBEX) Speaker Series

Since 2014 CBEX has presented insightful business topics and developed an impressive group of business leaders who are regular attendees. In 2024 we continue our series and are excited to announce the second event that continues our “Growing Your Business in 2024” theme!

Thursday, September 19th - Grow Your Business with Charlotte's Boom!

Come join us for an exciting event where you'll learn how to take your business to the next level with Charlotte's Boom!

CBEX is delighted to have Michael Smith, Steven Bagwell, and Adam Rhew to join our panel of powerful local business leaders. Each of them in their own way and within their own organizations, have fueled Charlotte's growth. And they are just getting started! Come listen to the crucial ways in which they've helped create a thriving environment for small businesses to succeed.

Whether you're a business owner, leader or advisor, this event is perfect for anyone looking to boost their business growth. Network with like-minded individuals, gain valuable insights, and discover new strategies to propel your business forward. Don't miss out on this opportunity to grow your business with Charlotte's Boom!

Join us to hear our panelists share:

• Leveraging Charlotte's growth in sports, arts, and more
• Attracting and retaining talent and businesses
• Supporting local sports teams and venues
• Growth strategies for small and medium businesses
• Addressing challenges in Charlotte’s business landscape
• The role of educational institutions in Charlotte’s growth

Event Details:

Date: Thursday, September 19th, 2024

Location: Suffolk Punch Brewing South Park 4400 Sharon Rd, Charlotte, NC · (704) 397-3904 (between Dick’s Sporting Goods and The Container Store – back side of Southpark Mall)

Time: Networking - 7:30 AM- 8:00 AM | Event - 8:00 AM- 9:00 AM

PANELISTS:

Michael Smith - President and CEO at Charlotte Center City Partners - Michael Smith serves as the President and CEO of Charlotte Center City Partners (CCCP), a 45-year-old Economic and Community Development organization that envisions and implements strategies and actions to assure that Center City Charlotte is a welcoming, safe and equitable, economically vibrant, culturally rich and beloved place for all.

Steve Bagwell - Chief Executive Officer at CRVA -Steve is an enthusiastic champion of the hospitality industry, having made his career supporting Charlotte’s visitor economy. A Queen City native with a broad range of experiences and a deep appreciation for organizational culture, he will lead the CRVA’s efforts in advocating the value of tourism as an economic development driver and growing the positive impact the visitor economy has on the community's quality of life.

Adam Rhew - President and CEO of SouthPark Community Partners - Alongside SCP's team and partners, Adam works to inspire public and private investment in SouthPark, shaping it to fulfill the community’s vision. He also serves as an advocate for the SouthPark district’s infrastructure priorities, such as mobility, trails and greenway connections, and public space.

Moderator:

Brandy Milazzo - Founding Partner, Co-Owner, Managing Partner, and Corporate Law Co-Team Leader at Erlenbach & Milazzo Law, PLLC d/b/a Summit Law - Brandy has recently decided to concentrate on what her and her co-founder love to do and do well: – transactional law – mergers & acquisitions, finance, commercial real estate, supply chain, technology, and general corporate work –and to restructure so that they are more equal partners.

Cost to Attend: $35.00

Includes Full Breakfast Menu: Smoke bacon, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, toast with butter and jelly, coffee and juice.

Join us for an engaging and informative session that will leave you motivated and inspired.

Register Now!

PANELISTS

Michael Smith - President and CEO at Charlotte Center City Partners

Michael Smith serves as the President and CEO of Charlotte Center City Partners (CCCP), a 45-year-old Economic and Community Development organization that envisions and implements strategies and actions to assure that Center City Charlotte is a welcoming, safe and equitable, economically vibrant, culturally rich and beloved place for all.
Smith is a proven community builder and innovator, with over 20 years of non-profit leadership experience and trusted relationships across the Charlotte Region and NC. Smith’s background blends corporate, entrepreneurial, and non-profit experience.
Smith holds his MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and his undergraduate degree from UNC Chapel Hill. He has held roles at AT&T Communications and First Union’s Capital Markets Group and was a founder at By-Products Interactive. Prior to his role as CEO of CCCP, Smith was the Chief Financial Officer at the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce.
Since 2005, as CEO of CCCP, Smith has been a driving force behind a number of city-building initiatives, creating and helping shape initiatives that have advanced the landscape for the Charlotte in economic development, retail development, sustainability, public safety, homelessness, transit and hospitality. Over the last couple of decades, Charlotte’s urban core has been transformed into a major destination, become a thriving neighborhood and expanded as the Charlotte region’s major employment center.
Smith is past Chairman of the Board of Directors for the International Downtown Association. He also serves on a number of regional Boards including the Board of Trustees for UNC Charlotte, Boy Scouts of America Mecklenburg County Council, Charlotte Sports Foundation, and the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. He is active with St. Peter Catholic Parish.
He was raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, and has resided in Charlotte since 1998 with his wife, Kathleen, and their three young adult children.

Steve Bagwell - Chief Executive Officer at CRVA

Steve is an enthusiastic champion of the hospitality industry, having made his career supporting Charlotte’s visitor economy. A Queen City native with a broad range of experiences and a deep appreciation for organizational culture, he will lead the CRVA’s efforts in advocating the value of tourism as an economic development driver and growing the positive impact the visitor economy has on the community's quality of life.
A veteran of the CRVA for more than 25 years, Steve began his career as Warehouse Manager when the Charlotte Convention Center opened in 1995 and subsequently worked several years as Concessions Manager in the Food & Beverage department. He spent over a decade in Finance at the CRVA including an extended period managing both the financial reporting and audit functions for the company. Bagwell also managed a key customer relationship database for several years and oversaw the system’s transition when the Auditorium-Coliseum Authority and Visit Charlotte merged in 2004 to form the CRVA.

Steve assumed the General Manager role of the Convention Center in 2012 and subsequently moved into the Vice President of Venues position in 2014. In this role, he oversaw the teams responsible for operating the Charlotte Convention Center, Bojangles Entertainment Complex and back of house services at Spectrum Center. This collection of premiere public assembly venues hosts hundreds of events annually including national conventions, amateur and professional sporting events as well as family shows and concerts collectively generating millions in economic impact annually.

Career highlights include achieving his CPA designation in 2000, playing a leading role in hosting several events, including the 2012 Democratic National Convention, 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend and the 2014 Alpha Kappa Alpha 66th Boule featuring a single service plated dinner for over 10,000 people. His contributions were also key to the successful $127 million expansion of the Charlotte Convention Center in 2021 and the $20 million in enhancements made to Bojangles Entertainment Complex in 2020.

Steve is a graduate of Clemson University holding a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. He is also a graduate of Leadership Charlotte Class 41 and is a board member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Foundation.

Adam Rhew - President and CEO of SouthPark Community Partners

Alongside SCP's team and partners, Adam works to inspire public and private investment in SouthPark, shaping it to fulfill the community’s vision. He also serves as an advocate for the SouthPark district’s infrastructure priorities, such as mobility, trails and greenway connections, and public space.

Previously, Adam held leadership roles at Charlotte Center City Partners, which serves the city’s central business district. Earlier in his career, he spent a decade as a broadcast and print journalist. His work has been recognized by the International Downtown Association, where he was a fellow in the Emerging Leaders program, and by Axios, which in 2023 named Adam one of Charlotte's most influential business leaders.

A native Charlottean, Adam was raised in SouthPark’s Beverly Woods neighborhood. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an MBA with distinction from Wake Forest University, and an executive certificate in marketing strategy from the Yale School of Management.

Adam is currently in his second term on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Community Equity Committee, is a director for GenerationNation, and has served as a Cub Scout den leader. He and his wife, Gillian, are the proud parents of three sons.

MODERATOR

Brandy Milazzo - Founding Partner and Co-Owner of Summit Law

Founding Partner, Co-Owner, Managing Partner, and Corporate Law Co-Team Leader at Erlenbach & Milazzo Law, PLLC d/b/a Summit Law.

Brandy has recently decided to concentrate on what her and her co-founder love to do and do well: – transactional law – mergers & acquisitions, finance, commercial real estate, supply chain, technology, and general corporate work –and to restructure so that they are more equal partners.

Brandy had the honor and privilege to serve on several boards and in leadership positions, including the Girl Scouts Hornets’ Nest Council, NCDT (now The Charlotte Ballet), Rotary, church, the Mecklenburg County Boy Scouts Council Executive Board and Freedom Communities Board. She currently serves on the Catapult Board. As for her academic background, she earned her J.D., cum laude, from the University of South Carolina,along with her M.I.B.S. from the Darla Moore School of Business. She also attended Campbell University, receiving a B.A., summa cum laude.

Host or Publisher Charlotte Business Exchange (CBEX)