SYRACUSE — The Central New York business community will gather for a half-day conference that focuses on efforts to sell more of their products and services in overseas markets.

The event, “Growing Global Sales,” is scheduled for Sept. 24 from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Syracuse University (SU) Hotel & Conference Center on the SU campus.

“This is the second year for the Growing Global Sales conference, but we’ve been doing small seminars and small conferences on [the topic of] global trade for a while now,” says Joyl Clance, manager of BizEventz, Inc., a sister company of The Central New York Business Journal within the Business Journal News Network. She’s expecting a crowd of more than 75 people to attend the event.

BizEventz is producing the Growing Global Sales conference, organizing all the logistics, recruiting the presenting speakers, and coordinating with sponsors, Clance says.

“Bring in the key players that can really help companies, small and large, learn how to trade globally, if they’re not, and if they are, raise the bar to a more sophisticated level,” she adds.

Robert (Rob) Simpson, president and CEO of CenterState CEO, will provide opening remarks to outline regional-export initiatives.

Based in Syracuse, CenterState CEO is a regional business-leadership organization, chamber of commerce, and economic-development strategist representing 2,000 members in a 12-county area.

Following Simpson’s remarks, Jeffrey Schmidt, senior director of international R&D & global solutions at Skaneateles Falls–based Welch Allyn, will deliver the keynote address.

Schmidt has worked for Welch Allyn, a medical-device maker, for a decade. He returned to Central New York in July after having spent the past five years living and working in Singapore, he says.

He plans to discuss practical experiences in building up customer relationships in international markets. “Integrating into international operations, what works, what doesn’t. Where does the theory deviate from the reality?,” Schmidt says.

When asked if it’s difficult for U.S. companies to expand their sales into international markets, Schmidt believes it depends on the market involved and the relationships developed with businesses in those countries.

For example, he says some European companies prefer a more “personalized” relationship with international firms from which they choose to purchase goods and services.

In those cases, “…you have to be connected personally before you can be connected professionally,” Schmidt says.

Following Schmidt’s remarks, attendees will then take part in one of two breakout sessions that will run concurrently.

The session topics include “Getting Started in Exporting: The Start-up Toolkit!” and “Increasing Global Sales: Kick It Up A Notch.”

Clance explains that the “Kick It Up A Notch” session is for those businesses that are already engaging in international trade but perhaps are not tapping some regions or strategies that could be lucrative. “Maybe they’re over in Asia and now they need to broaden their horizons and kick things up to more sophisticated level,” she says.

In the “Getting Started” session, John Tracy, international-trade specialist with the U.S. Department of Commerce, will present the topic.

“He’s going to be presenting and sharing resources and the tools that someone would need as they’re about to venture off [into exporting],” Clance says.

It’ll include testimonials from Vincent Lobdell from HealthWay Home Products, Inc. of Pulaski and John McNeely, president of Hi-Lite Markings, Inc of Adams Center.  That same session includes a presentation from Lynne Gruel of KeyBank, called “Getting Paid.”

The “Increasing Sales” session includes a presentation from Charles (Chuck) Miller, vice president of Mohawk Global Trade Advisors on “Customs & Trade Compliance;”

Additionally, Gary La Point, assistant professor of supply-chain practice at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, will discuss “Supply Chain Management;” and Mike Nash, principal, and Dan Gaffney, relationship manager, KS&R, Inc. (Knowledge Systems & Research) of Syracuse will discuss “Advanced Market Resources.”

The morning will conclude with a panel discussion on the topic “Global Marketing Strategies.”

The panelists include Mike Wetzel, president and CEO of Air Innovations of Cicero; Les Schenk, CFO, of Indium Corp. of Clinton; and previous speakers from the morning including Schmidt, Lobdell, and McNeely.

“So, we’re giving an opportunity for our keynote [speaker] and [those providing] testimonials to sit on the panel because not everyone may hear from them during the day,” Clance says.

The audience will also have the chance to ask questions as well, she adds.

The conference will conclude with time allotted between noon and 12:30 p.m. for one-on-one private networking with some of the event’s primary speakers.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com