Saving America
& Sailing to Success
in 2023!
PACE 2023 Annual Conference
St. Pete Beach, FL
APRIL 23 – 26 | Sun – Wed | ST. PETE BEACH, FL
In-Person. Masks/Vaccines NOT Required.
Dress: Business Casual
Bring Your Leaders: C-Suite, HR, Benefits, Tech, Sales, and Marketing!
PACE Members: $750 ($850 after 1-31-23)
Non-members: $1,000 ($1,100 after 1-31-23)
Keynote Speaker: Dan Olowabi
Branches Worldwide
Author: Authentic Leadership, Amazon #1 New Release
Event Overview
Get “Big-PEO” Power!
Register Your Team.
Strategize with Your Peers.
Leverage New Growth Opportunities.
We Grow Together By Combining Our Genius
We Need Each Other More Than Ever!
Small and midsize PEOs now have unique, unprecedented opportunities and challenges as we find ourselves in competition with giant, ever-growing PEOs. We can all leverage our success if we combine our genius. At PACE, we’re friends before competitors, right?
PACE conferences have never been more important. We need cutting-edge tools and strategies to give us “big-PEO” power and guard against uncertainty. For almost 40 years, we’ve been on the forefront of innovation, making history. We can’t stop now.
We need concrete, actionable strategies. That’s what the 2023 PACE Annual Conference is all about.
We must excel in leadership, sales, HR, benefits, marketing, compliance, and technology. Our speakers are experts at success. Bring your top managers to keep them future facing.
Come to where senior PEO leaders freely share what’s working and what’s not, in a fun and spirited environment, where transparency, honesty, and friendship rule.
Friends before competitors. We thrive – together.
The Speakers
Thought Leaders. Industry Experts You Trust.
Dan Owolabi
Founding Executive Director
Branches Worldwide
Author: Authentic Leadership
Amazon #1 New Release
Richard McPherson
Nuclear Energy Expert
Former US Representative to the
International Atomic Energy Agency
George Gersema
Conference Chairman
PACE
Kim Egginton
Executive Director & CEO
PACE
Bobby Sarver
CEO, Continuum HR
PACE President
John Slavic
Owner
Slavic401k
Scott Klososky
FoundING PARTNER
Future Point of View
Hon. Bill Sarpalius
CEO, Advantage Assoc. Int’l
Former US Congressman
Phil Urso
Chief Sales Officer
Vensure Employer Services
III, Esq
Attorney
The PEO Law Firm, LLC
Britt Landrum, III
CEO & President
LandrumHR
Ben Hipps
Mentor, Fulcrum, Friend
Keys2Selling
The Schedule
Conference Agenda
Events, times, and speakers are subject to change.
Special Pre-Conference Event
Saturday, April 22, 2023 – 7:00 PM
Cordell Hull Memorial Dinner
By Special Reservation Only
The Cordell Hull Memorial Dinner is indeed a very special pre-conference event. Join us for this wonderful evening! Seating is limited; secure your spot soon!
$600 per person. 7:00pm
Rococo Steak: 655 2nd Avenue South, St. Petersburg.
Transportation: Meet in the Don CeSar lobby at 6:30pm.
Saturday April 22, 2023
- 6:30 pm—9:30 pm
Cordell Hull Memorial Dinner (Pre-Conference)
The Cordell Hull Memorial Dinner is indeed a special, intimate meal with great people who support PACE. It’s a $600 per plate fundraiser for PACE in honor of Cordell Hull. The food and drinks are always exquisite and plentiful, and the company is even better!
Rococo Steak. The place where Traditionally Tasteful meets Contemporary Chic
Inspired beyond simply exquisite steaks. From appetizer to dessert, only the freshest ingredients and culinary expertise go into the variety of items featured. Delight in the reimagined interpretation of the American steakhouse. With a wide variety of inspired menu items and amazing flavors in an upscale and contemporary setting, Rococo Steak gives you an extraordinary experience beyond great steaks.
It’s hard to keep from bragging when you’re a perennial Wine Spectator “Best of Award of Excellence” winner 9 years running. With more than 900 labels, every wine lover will find a bottle to adore.
Meet in the lobby of the historic Don CeSar hotel at 6:30pm for transportation to the dinner.
Sunday April 23, 2023
- 10:00 am—2:30 pm
Legendary Golf
Swing into a fun round of golf with PACE friends and PEO professionals!
Welcome to Bardmoor!
Voted 2019 Best Golf Course in Tampa Bay — Host Club to 13 PGA & LPGA Tour Events
Florida golf doesn’t get any better than Bardmoor. Broad, generous fairways that invite you to hit away, glistening water features that add some sparkle to your round and of course, abundant sunshine. Arnold Palmer, Payne Stewart, Fred Couples, and Tom Kite, to name a few, have all played here.
These PGA Tour players competed here annually in the PGA/LPGA JCPenney Classic. Our course was a good test for the stars and after the 2003 renovation by Gary Koch, it is better than ever — even if you don’t match up to the likes of the big names in golf.
At Bardmoor, you will find that our overall conditions are consistently excellent. We have Tif-Eagle greens that rival tour status. State-of-the-art practice facilities, a fully-stocked Golf Shop, and outstanding service complete your golfing experience.
8001 Cumberland Rd., Seminole, FL 33777 (about 35 minutes north of the Don CeSar)
First tee time is 10:00 AM.
- 5:30 pm—6:30 pm
Registration
Sponsored by Ameritas and One Medical all three days. Thank you, One Medical and Ameritas — you rock times three!
King Charles Ballroom Foyer, 5th Floor, near the elevator
- 6:00 pm—6:15 pm
Sponsors Meeting
A quick orientation meeting for all of our wonderful, generous PACE sponsors!
Meet at the Registration Desk in front of the King Charles Ballroom near the main elevators on the 5th floor.
- 6:30 pm—8:00 pm
Welcome Reception
Enjoy some time networking, greeting old friends, and making new ones at this hosted reception at our hotel. Come and and enjoy the stunning views of the Gulf of Mexico on one side of the terrace and Tampa Bay on the other ensconced in the wonderful ambiance of the historic Don CeSar.
Sponsored by AmWINS Group, isolved Network, and SUNZ Insurance. Thank you, SUNZ , isolved, and AmWINS — you rock!
South Terrace, 5th Floor, at the end of the Grand Hall
Monday April 24, 2023
- 7:30 am—8:30 am
Registration and Networking Breakfast
Networking Breakfast sponsored by PayPlus Software and Multikrd. Thank you, Multikrd and PayPlus — you rock!
South Terrace, 5th Floor, at the end of the Grand Hall
- 8:30 am—9:00 am
Color Guard, Welcome, Invocation, and Kick-Off
Presented by Bobby Sarver – PACE President and CEO, Continuum HR
Kim Egginton – PACE Executive Director and CEO
Conference A/V Sponsored by our valued partner, TC Services US / WOTC.com, all three days. Thank you, TC Services — you rock times three!
King Charles Ballroom, 5th Floor, near the elevator
- 9:00 am—10:15 am
Saving America's Economy
Presented by John Slavic – President and Founder, Slavic401k.com
The complexity of the economy was compounded by the artificial intervention in the normal ebb and flow of the economy by government-imposed shutdowns. The subsequent monetary and fiscal stimulus, producing 1980s-like inflation, and the unintended consequence of the current banking crisis have the economy and the markets on edge.
Consequently, the PEO industry is also caught in these seismic economic shifts. The rapidly changing environment represents a new spectrum of risk that we will examine in this session.
King Charles Ballroom, 5th Floor, near the elevator
- 10:15 am—10:45 am
Snacks with the Experts - Networking Break
Sponsored by Tabulera, Trinity PEO Brokerage, Barrow Group, and EverythingBenefits, a UKG Company. Thank you, Barrow Group, EverythingBenefits, Trinity and Tabulera — you rock!
Del Prado, 5th Floor, near the southeast end of the Grand Hallway
- 10:45 am—12:00 pm
The Importance of Being Elite with Digital
Presented by Scott Klososky – Co-Founder, Future Point of View (FPOV)
In today’s world, digital technology has transformed the way we communicate, work, and interact with the world. Organizations that are elite with digital have a significant competitive advantage over those that are not. Some reasons why it is important for organizations to be elite with digital are improved efficiency, better customer experience, increase agility, enhanced innovation, and data-driven decision making.
Founding partner of FPOV, Scott Klososky, will take you through the characteristics of an organization that is “Digitally Elite.” He will also discuss that being elite with digital is essential for organizations to stay competitive, adapt to changing market conditions, and provide a better customer experience.
King Charles Ballroom, 5th Floor, near the elevator
- 12:00 pm—1:15 pm
Networking Lunch & Hotel History
Sponsored by PRO Software and McHenry Consulting. Thank you, McHenry consulting and PRO Software — you rock!
South Terrace, 5th Floor, at the end of the Grand Hallway
- 1:15 pm—2:15 pm
You Be the Judge!
Presented by Torben S. Madson, III, Esq – Principal, The PEO Law Firm
IS GETTING CHLORINE IN YOUR EYES AT THE DON CESAR POOL BAR A COMPENSABLE INJURY? YOU BE THE JUDGE. WHEN CLAIMS MEET REALITY WACKY THINGS ARE SURE TO HAPPEN!
First he brought you “Bringing Sexy Back” and then he cured your Bourbon Street blues and San Antonio margarita brain freeze. Now he is back home in Florida where he is legally permitted to be politically incorrect. Be sure to be there for an hour of irreverent legal analysis and just plain old fun as Torben takes us through an interactive discussion of trends in litigation. Torben has also promised us that this year the beads are better than ever so you won’t want to miss your chance to get your bead badge of courage after this dynamic presentation. As always, attendees may want to order your boat drinks ahead of time despite those resort prices.
King Charles Ballroom, 5th Floor, near the elevator
- 2:15 pm—2:45 pm
Snacks with the Experts - Networking Break
Sponsored by: Sundial Time Systems, Normandy Insurance Company, and Payro Finance. Thank you, Payro, Normandy, and Sundial — you rock!
Del Prado, 5th Floor, near the southeast end of the Grand Foyer
- 2:45 pm—3:25 pm
Roundtable Discussions & Wine Tasting - 1st Session
It’s like musical chairs with tables and wine: The presenters each have a table and a topic; you sit at a different table each session, taste a different wine, and discuss the topic.
Sponsored and presented by:
South Terrace, 5th Floor, at the end of the Grand Hallway
- 3:25 pm—4:05 pm
SWITCH! Roundtable Discussions & Wine Tasting - 2nd Session
It’s like musical chairs with tables and wine: The presenters each have a table and a topic; you sit at a different table each session, taste a different wine, and discuss the topic.
Sponsored and presented by:
South Terrace, 5th Floor, at the end of the Grand Hallway
- 4:05 pm—4:45 pm
SWITCH! Roundtable Discussions & Wine Tasting - 3rd Session
You may sip your taste of wine through the 3rd session and beyond. Hang out and network afterward!
It’s like musical chairs with tables and wine: The presenters each have a table and a topic; you sit at a different table each session, taste a different wine, and discuss the topic.
Sponsored and presented by:
South Terrace, 5th Floor, at the end of the Grand Hallway
- 4:45 pm—5:15 pm
Linger Longer: Networking
No rush to finish your wine. Stay and get to know everyone in the PACE community!
South Terrace, 5th Floor, at the end of the Grand Hallway
- 5:15 pm—
Adjourn – Have a great evening on your own, y'all!
Tuesday April 25, 2023
- 7:30 am—8:30 am
Registration and Networking Breakfast
Networking Breakfast sponsored by Mercer and Equifax Workforce. Thanks, Equifax and Mercer — you rock!
South Terrace, 5th Floor, at the end of the Grand Hallway
- 8:30 am—9:30 am
Saving America with Emission-free, Sustainable Nuclear Energy
Presented by Richard McPherson – Former US Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency
It is now possible for American technology to lead the world in providing emission-free sustainable nuclear energy for sea water distillation, combined heat and power for robotic greenhouses to feed the world, while providing safe water to drink, because of the Molten Salt Nuclear Battery (www.MicroNucleartech.com.) Finally, the offer by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953 can be fulfilled.
King Charles Ballroom, 5th Floor, near the elevator
- 9:30 am—10:00 am
Saving America with Solvo Global
Presented by Phil Urso – Chief Sales Officer, Vensure Employer Services
Phil will tell you how to expand your team the easy way with Solvo Global. Bringing you a world of talent, Solvo is your single solution for recruiting, hiring, and training skilled, degreed workers to grow your business — and Phil knows how to use Solvo to do just that!
King Charles Ballroom, 5th Floor, near the elevator
- 10:00 am—10:30 am
Snacks with the Experts - Networking Break
Sponsored by Milliman IntelliScript, Juice Financial, and ZRG Partners. Thanks, ZRG, Juice and Milliman — you rock!
South Terrace, 5th Floor, at the end of the Grand Hallway
- 10:30 am—11:45 am
Saving America: Special D.C. Insider's Report
Presented by Hon. Bill Sarpalius – Former US Congressman, former Texas State Senator, Author, and President and CEO, Advantage Associates International, a bipartisan lobby firm made up of Former Members of Congress.
Bill has represented and promoted PACE before the US Congress and the Administration for the past 20+ years. He will give us an inside look at the main issues before the 118th Congress and the politics behind those issues. How bad is the budget? What concessions did Speaker McCarthy have to make to be voted in after all those votes? What actually happened in that session? And how will those concessions affect how this Congress operates and how much they can accomplish? And what about former President Trump’s indictment? Don’t miss this fascinating presentation!
King Charles Ballroom, 5th Floor, near the elevator
- 11:45 am—11:30 am
A New Way of Looking at PEO Sales and Marketing
Presented by Ben Hipps – Certified Sales Consultant & Trainer, Keys2Selling
Informative, entertaining, and PEO-savvy, Ben will share something completely different from what you’ve probably been hearing for years. Look at selling with new eyes.
King Charles Ballroom, 5th Floor, near the elevator
- 12:15 pm—1:15 pm
Networking Lunch
Sponsored by MetLife and FPOV. Thanks, FPOV and MetLife — you rock!
South Terrace, 5th Floor, at the end of the Grand Hall
- 1:15 pm—2:45 pm
KEYNOTE: Saving America with Authentic Leadership
Presented by Dan Owolabi – Founding Executive Director, Branches Worldwide
Dan Owolabi is the Executive Director of Branches Worldwide, a fast-growing non-profit dedicated to investing in high-impact entrepreneurs around the world. A sought-after keynote speaker, Dan has nearly 20 years of experience helping leaders develop genuine, effective influence. A former college athlete, educator, and pastor, he has worked with leaders in eighteen countries and four continents, helping them clarify their identity and leverage their influence to serve others.
Dan’s latest book, “Authentic Leadership,” became an Amazon #1 New Release. He holds a graduate degree from Ashland University centering on American Leadership and is completing a doctorate in Global Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary. He lives in Ohio with his wife & two daughters.
Sponsored by our valued partner, VensureHR. Thank you, VensureHR — you rock!
King Charles Ballroom, 5th Floor, near the elevator
- 2:45 pm—3:15 pm
Saving America: Wrap-Up
George Gersema – PACE Conference Chairman
- 3:15 pm—6:30 pm
Relax on Your Own -- Online auction bids are frozen & transferred to paper bidding sheets for 6:30pm LIVE Auction
Rest up! Get your wallets ready! The wild-and-crazy Gala Dinner and LIVE AUCTION is tonight! Who will be the Big Spender of the night? You?
- 6:30 pm—9:30 pm
Gala Dinner and Live Auction — George Gersema, Auctioneer
George Gersema in full-blown auctioneer mode is an awesome force of nature. You do NOT want to miss it!
Come join your friends and enjoy a wonderful evening of dinner, music, an open bar, and a LIVE AUCTION. Always one of the Conference favorites, this year promises to be bigger and better than ever before. Join us for a cocktail and elegant dinner (included with conference registration) and spend a little money for PACE’s benefit, won’t you?
The Big Spender gets a $500 Amazon Gift Certificate as a prize for spending the most at the auction!
Dress: business dressy or business casual
Sponsored every year by our valued partner, Slavic401k. Thanks, Slavic401k — you rock!
Wednesday April 26, 2023
- 12:00 am—11:00 pm
Departures -- All Day
If you’re staying longer, enjoy the beach!
6:00 PM
Cordell Hull Memorial Dinner | Sat, April 25
By special reservation only – The Cordell Hull Memorial Dinner is indeed a very special pre-conference event. If you’d like to join us for this wonderful evening, please call Ray O’Leary at 804-338-4363. $500 per person.
7:30 - 8:30 AM
Registration and Networking Breakfast
8:30 - 9:00 AM
Welcome, Invocation, Flag Ceremony, & Kickoff
Don Taylor – PACE President and President, Personnel Plus, Inc.
George Gersema – PACE Conference Chairman
9:00 - 9:30 AM
Economic Recovery in a Post-Pandemic World
Presented by John Slavic – President and Founder, Slavic401k.com
Mr. Slavic will provide an analysis of the post-pandemic economy; specifically, the effects on small and medium sized businesses in the PEO model. He’ll also examine the emerging business environment to follow the pandemic economic shutdown.
9:30 - 9:40 AM
Quick Break
9:40 - 10:25 AM
Economic Recovery in a Post-Pandemic World, continued
Presented by John Slavic – President and Founder, Slavic401k.com
10:25 - 10:50 AM
Networking Break
10:50 - 11:35 AM
The Digital Transformation Sped Up: Now What?
Presented by Scott Klososky – Co-Founder, Future Point of View
With light at the end of the tunnel that we went into in 2020, it is time to think more expansively about what happened in the market with technology tools and processes and what that will mean to PEOs. We know the distributed workforce will expand. We know organizations learned how to use online collaboration tools at a higher level. We all learned how to use self-service technologies to get what we once did in person.
All of this adds up to new opportunities for PEOs to provide value in the market. Scott Klososky spends most of his time looking ahead so as to help others make wise strategy decisions. Come along on the journey as he describes the opportunities for you to invest in now, if you are willing!
11:35 - 11:45 AM
Quick Break
11:45 AM - 12:30 PM
The Digital Transformation Sped Up: Now What?, continued
Presented by Scott Klososky – Co-Founder, Future Point of View
12:30 - 1:30 PM
Networking Lunch
1:30 - 2:05 PM
Interlocking Outbound with Inbound for Maximum Growth
Presented by Ryan McInerney – President, Bluematter
Learn how to build a sales-first marketing funnel that makes your salespeople more effective and your marketers more valuable to the bottom line.
Ryan McInerney of Bluematter will show you the most cost-effective, scalable, and profitable tools and tactics your team of any size needs to assemble in order to achieve acceleration in the rebound.
2:05 - 2:15 PM
Quick Break
2:15 - 2:55 PM
Interlocking Outbound with Inbound for Maximum Growth, continued
Presented by Ryan McInerney – President, Bluematter
2:55 - 3:10 PM
Networking Break
3:10 - 4:10 PM
An Exclusive Inside Look at the US Congress Today and Tomorrow
Presented by Bill Sarpalius – Former Congressman and President/CEO, Advantage Associates
Who would have thought that a virus would disrupt the entire world? A virus that has impacted every business in the US and every PEO. We will talk about how the government has responded and the politics behind the trillions of dollars in stimulus money, not to mention the election drama and change in party power. Bill will give us his best assessment, as our man on the ground in D.C.
4:10 PM
Adjourn – Evening on Your Own
7:30 - 8:30 AM
Networking Breakfast
8:30 - 9:30 AM
Leading and Inspiring in Disruptive Times
Presented by The Zig Ziglar Team: Tom Ziglar – CEO, Ziglar, Inc.
You will learn:
~ How Disruption in the way we work has only started, and what you can do to thrive, not just survive
~ How Dream Alignment maximizes your People, Purpose, and Performance
~ The Ziglar Performance Formula
9:30 - 9:50 AM
Stretch Break
9:50 - 10:50 AM
Planting the Seeds of Greatness
Presented by The Zig Ziglar Team: Matt Rush – Inspirational Speaker and Farm Boy
Since the beginning of time, everyone has understood the necessity of planting seeds in the hope of a harvest. However, have we ever considered planting seeds in ourselves in order to do more, be more and have more than we ever thought possible?
The reality is, if we are going to create a new future for ourselves and our businesses, we must begin by looking internally for opportunities to grow. We must evaluate who we surround
ourselves with and their impact on our success.
And finally, it is easy to look back on the past, it is comfortable to enjoy the present, but we must plan for the future by planting new seeds to carry us forward.
10:50 - 11:15 AM
Networking Break
11:15 - 11:30 AM
New Opportunity for Small Focus Groups
Presented by David Avakian – Owner/Principal, DVA Consulting | PACE Secretary/Past President
The beauty of small focus groups is getting real-world advice for your specific needs and challenges — discussing solutions and cutting-edge technology in the privacy of a small group of PEO owners, experts and peers. It’s that very-focused help you might get when you hang around to speak with a presenter after their presentation–but you get brilliant ideas from the whole group. At PACE, we’re friends before competitors. This will be a great way to help each other!
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Selling with Inspiration
Presented by Phil Urso – Chief Sales Officer, Vensure Employer Services
Phil Urso has unique and extensive experience building and inspiring highly-effective sales teams across the United States. Get the recipe for his secret selling sauce and take it home to inspire your team!
12:00 - 1:00 PM
Networking Lunch & Elections
1:00 - 2:00 PM
Lively PEO Panel Discussion: What’s Working — and WHAT NOW?
Presented by Bobby Sarver, Britt Landrum III, Corey Hookstra, and Jim Grimm, with Torben Madson as Moderator. – PEO Industry Leaders
Oh, the stories we’ll hear! Don’t miss this panel discussion — it will surely be one of the highlights of the conference. Ask these energetic PEO leaders and experts what they would do with your most challenging business obstacles, and hear about theirs. How are they getting good sales leads? What WFH hacks have they learned? What should be done about the gap in coverage issue in Florida? Come ready with your questions or, even better, submit your questions for the panel to Kim Egginton in advance for an even more thoughtful answer. Maybe you have some insight to share that will help the group, too!
2:00 - 2:10 PM
Quick Break
2:10 - 2:40 PM
FINALLY! A Health Plan Lower-Wage Workers Can Afford!
Presented by Jim O’Connor – National Practice Leader, CBIZ PEO & Association Consulting
CBIZ is proud to be the Master Distributor of The Health Benefit Alliance (HBA) Partnership Program. The HBA mission is to give lower and moderate income workers access to truly affordable ACA-compliant health insurance built on COPAY PLANS, not High Deductible Plans! These are NOT MEC PLANS.
· Fully ACA compliant plans ranging from Bronze to Platinum plans.
· No Census Required for Proposals!
· No Employer Contribution Requirement!
· Low Participation Requirements!
· Available down to two (2) employees!
· Available in all fifty (50) states!
Join us as we finally solve the health insurance challenge for millions of Americans!
2:40 - 2:55 PM
Wrap-Up
George Gersema – PACE Conference Chairman
6:00 PM
Gala Dinner and Auction — George Gersema, Auctioneer
Come join your friends and enjoy a wonderful evening of dinner, music, an open bar, and a LIVE AUCTION. Always one of the Conference favorites, this year promises to be bigger and better than ever before. Join us for a cocktail and dinner, and spend a little money for PACE’s benefit, won’t you?
All Day
Departures
People Who Support and Believe In Us
Please take the opportunity to become an event sponsor. Without the help of event sponsors, it would not be possible to have an event of the caliber you have come to expect at the PACE Conference. There are many different ways to sponsor.
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