Greater Wilmington Business Journal

Be part of the region’s largest business event — Spark ILM. Formerly the WilmingtonBiz Conference & Expo, Spark ILM is reimagined to deliver more opportunities, more learning, and more connections. Here’s what’s waiting for you on October 1 at the Wilmington Convention Center: ☕️ Coffee & Connections to kick off the day with meaningful networking 🛠️ Workshops on branding, leadership, networking, and business growth 📊 Economic Outlook Keynote Lunch with national, local, and market perspectives 🌟 Spark Experience Hall featuring AI in Action, Making Reels, Made in Wilmington, Meet the Candidates, and more **Pre-register online by noon Tuesday — or you’ll pay at the door! 🎟️ Register now at sparkilm.com

LAST CHANCE to Save on Spark ILM Registration!!! This is it — the final days to register early for Spark ILM, Wilmington’s premier business event happening Tuesday, October 1 at the Convention Center. If you’ve been planning to attend, now’s the time to act. 🌟 Use code CONNECT25OFF to save $25 on your Connect Pass — but don’t wait. The code expires at NOON on Tuesday, September 30. Your Connect Pass gives you access to: ✅ Expert-led workshops on branding, leadership, and revenue growth ✅ The full Spark Experience Hall with live demos and local vendors ✅ Coffee & Connections, Fireside Chats, and more ✅ Networking with 1,000+ professionals from across the region Registration ends soon. Don’t miss your chance to attend the event the entire Wilmington business community will be talking about. Register now at sparkilm.com

Ignite your potential at Spark ILM, where dynamic workshops and networking opportunities elevate your business game.

Wilmington’s Biggest Business Event Has a New Name — And It’s Better Than Ever. If you’ve ever attended the Wilmington Biz Expo, you already know how powerful a single day of new conversations, smart insights, and local visibility can be. This year, we’ve taken everything people loved about the Biz Expo… and reimagined it as something more bold, more hands-on, and more valuable for today’s business landscape. And it all happens Wednesday, October 1 at the Wilmington Convention Center. Here’s what’s waiting for you: 🏢 Experience Hall Think of this as the business playground of the event. The Experience Hall is a high-energy exhibit floor where you can meet dozens of local vendors and explore hands-on activations designed to spark ideas and conversations. What you’ll find: ☕ Coffee & Connections Start your morning with a warm drink and real introductions. This guided networking session makes it easy to meet people without the awkwardness. Walk away with new contacts, leads, and maybe even new clients. 🎤 Keynote Lunch: Economic Outlook 2025 Get a front-row seat to one of the most anticipated parts of the event — a keynote presentation offering clarity and context on where the economy is headed, both nationally and locally. Enjoy a seated lunch, hear directly from a respected economic voice, and gain insight that can help shape your next big decision. ⚠️ Tickets for the keynote lunch are limited and filling fast. 🧠 Workshops: Business Education, Upgraded We’re bringing in some of the region’s top creative minds, business coaches, and founders to lead live, expert-led workshops that give you take-home strategies you can put to work immediately. Workshop Topics Include: Build a Brand That Truly Connects • Led by the award-winning team at Creature Theory • Learn the key questions every brand must ask — and the messaging that builds trust, loyalty, and growth Leading Generations • Featuring Katherine Daniels and Khalilah Olokunola • Get real tools to lead Gen Z, Gen X, Millennials, Boomers — all in one room Revenue by Design • A powerhouse panel with founders from Clean Eatz, Topsail Steamer, and more • Hear how they turned big ideas into big results — and what they’d do differently if they started over Networking Without the Cringe • An interactive event showing how to make meaningful, lasting business connections (no elevator pitch required) 🎟️ Workshops are included with your general admission ticket. 🤝 Networking Everywhere Whether it’s the hall, the lounge, the lunch, or a conversation by the coffee cart, Spark ILM is designed to help you make real connections. No wasted time. No cold handshakes. Just conversations that count. 🎟️ Tickets Are On Sale Now Booth space is limited. Lunch seating is limited. ➡️ Grab your ticket now at sparkilm.com. This is the Wilmington Biz Expo — reimagined. Come see what happens when you spark the next chapter.

Amazon’s Holly Sullivan has been added to the Spark ILM Keynote Lunch. That makes an already strong business program even stronger. Join Wilmington’s business community October 1 at the Wilmington Convention Center for Spark ILM, featuring the Keynote Lunch, practical afternoon workshops and the Best Places to Work Celebration. The full-day agenda brings together economic insight, leadership perspective, business growth ideas and connection with local professionals across industries. Tickets are available now at sparkilm.com.

You’ve seen the agenda. Now make your plan to be there! Spark ILM returns October 1 at the Wilmington Convention Center with a full day built for the Wilmington business community. Your ticket includes: 1 - The Keynote Lunch 2 - 3 hours of workshops & professional development (18 options to choose from) 3 - The Best Places to Work Celebration Hear timely business perspective. Choose the sessions that fit your goals. Connect with leaders, owners, managers, entrepreneurs and local professionals from across the region. Get your ticket now at sparkilm.com.