Build A Tent Initiative - AOBA meeting 11/19/2010 - Agenda

http://www.alpacainfo.com/Fiber/buildatent.aspThe Build-A-Tent Initiative will be held both on-line and in person in Nashville TN.  For more info - please see the AOBA Build - A - Tent website

The initial agenda was as follows (all times Central) :

8:00 – 8:30    A.  Getting Started (30 min.)    

1. Purpose of the Meeting
•    Development of a fiber business model and initial objectives.
•    Participant Purposes (per e-mail survey)
2. Introductions 
3. Meeting Process

8:30 – 10:00    B.  Overview - Benchmarking (90 min.)        
Where Are We?

1. Status and Opportunities – C. Raessler
2. Industry Exchange - Open Discussion - On-site and Webinar Participants
3. Summary of Conclusions

10:00 – 10:15    Break (15 min.)            

10:15 – 11:15    C.  What We Can Learn from Cotton! (60 min.)

• Nick Hahn, Private Consultant and former CEO of Cotton Incorporated a NYC based research and marketing 501(c)(3) corporation owned and directed by US cotton farmers and importers

11:15 – 12:30    D.  Business Model Discussion (90 min.)
What is a “For-Profit Low Income Limited Liability Co.” aka “A For Profit With A Soul”

1. Concept Introduction
2. Proposed “shareholder” tracks(1)  - The Moo Cow Story!

•     Commercial
•     Cottage Industry
•     Individual
•     Others

      3.    Role of 3-5 person “council” and operational management
      4.    Open Discussion – On-site and Webinar Participants
12:30 – 1:15     Lunch (45 min.)
Individual and/or Organizational Discussion and Straw Vote

1:15 – 2:30    E. Pretend We Are Having a “Shareholders’ Meeting” (90 min.)
    Agenda Item: Development of Business Objectives Year One (the IBM-BHAG Concept)

1. Commercial – “Build a Graded Bale” or other core project

• “BHAG” – Standard – commodities exchange

      2.    Cottage Industry – “Build and Brand a high-end E-Commerce Site” (an alpaca Etsy) or other core project

• “BHAG” – Standard – Local Harvest?

      3.    Individual – “Build a Farm Based Collection Model”.  This model could (and should) leverage existing industry resources such as non-profit and private collection cooperatives.

•  “BHAG” – Run on a profitable basis a regionally based, centralized collection pilot in 2011.

2:30 – 2:45    Break (15 min.)

2:45 – 3:30    What an Industry Brand Could Do for Us! – Nick Hahn (45 min.)

    Please note that the media has been invited to log-in at 3:30

3:30 – 4:00    Wrap-Up (45 min.)

(1)   LLC equity interests are not “shareholders” and shares.  The correct term is “members” and “units”.