An exclusive 3-day network-Building Experience

for Creative Entrepreneurs who want to build better, more collaborative, and more profitable  networking partnerships

during this special, in-person event, you’ll not only receive curated introductions to like-minded business owners, but also identify actionable partnership opportunities and leave with a clear action plan for greater visibility and business growth.

April 3, 4, 5, 2025
Gaithersburg, Maryland (near Washington D.C.)

A note from the EBN LIVE! Founder and Host, Stephanie Bonte-Lebair

Founder of Empowered Business Networking (EBN), Award-Winning Networking Director, Networking & Voice Coach, Professional Singer & Performer

If you have ever said “I meet great people at business events, but it’s not translating into clients or financial ROI” or “I give a lot more than I seem to receive when I network,” I get it. 

It’s why I created my Empowered Business Networking (EBN) membership, which is known for focusing on building collaborative partnerships rather than non-stop sales pitches or competitive energy.  It’s also why I developed this in-person, 3-day EBN network-building experience based on the principles in my new book “How to Build Empowered Partners to Skyrocket Your Visibility and Income.”

You see, the secret to powerful and profitable relationship building in business isn’t about giving and receiving referrals.  

It’s about creating mutually beneficial and collaborative partnerships between like-minded business owners that lead to greater visibility and income for both parties.  Here at EBN, we call these relationships Empowered Partners.

EBN LIVE! is here to help you identify, connect, and mastermind with your ideal Empowered Partners live.  So you can easily find ways to effectively (and profitably!) collaborate with other business owners to generate more opportunities, impact, and sales in your business than you could on your own.   

Put another way: Empowered Business Networking LIVE! is made for creative entrepreneurs who want more opportunities to shine. But who don’t want to build their business alone.

If that sounds like you, we can’t wait to have you join us!

how will ebn live! help me maximize my empowered partner relationships for more business growth?

The secret to your success over these 3 days of EBN LIVE?  The 5 essential Empowered Partner Strategies – or the consciously chosen strategies you collaborate on with a like-minded business owner to generate increased visibility that leads to sales.

With over a decade of experience in group networking facilitation, Stephanie will provide the container to foster in-person connections while diving into 5 Empowered Partner Strategies that are meant to boost your visibility in different ways including through cross promotion, speaking, affiliates, joint ventures, and creative collaborations.

ebn live! speakers

Two full days of workshops to build better, more collaborative, and more profitable business partnerships - all based on the content written by these experts in the new networking handbook for creative entrepreneurs: "How to Build Empowered Partners who Skyrocket Your Visibility and Income"

Karlyn Ankrom: Social Media Marketing Trainer
Connect to Convert: The Art of Partner-Powered Promotion

Scott Aaron: Human Connection Expert
Leveraging LinkedIn to Build Lasting Empowered Partnerships

Ella Glasgow: Virtual Event Rockstar
Rock Your Virtual Events with Confidence and Tech Mastery

Erin Duffy: Career & Stage Presence Coach
Supercharge Your Stage Presence to Be Noticed, Influence and  Inspire

Jeannie Dougherty: Money Expert for Entrepreneurs
How to Get Paid to Play: A Guide to Successful Empowered Partnerships

Deborah Daniel: CPA & Money Expert
Monetize Networking through Strategic Affiliate Partnerships

Danny Bermant: CaptainJV
Be the Business that Everyone Wants to Promote

Abigail Tiefenthaler: Marketing & Sales Strategist
The Collaborative Advantage: Transforming Entrepreneurship Through Sales

Natalie Krul: Digital Marketing Consultant
Email Alchemy: Turning Giveaways into Goldmines of Email List Growth

Lynda Sunshine West: Bestseller Book Publishing Expert
Ink and Influence: Unleashing the Transformative Power of 
Collaborative Book Projects

Conference Exclusive!

Be the first to receive the physical copy of “Build Empowered Partners Who Skyrocket Your Visibility and Income”.  This is the guidebook for this Network-Building Experience.

You will use the concepts in this book to walk away with at least two ideal Empowered Partners and grow your business by working together to boost visibility and income.

Schedule

Thursday, April 3rd – 6-9 p.m.
Networking Kickoff Party
*Networking booth introductions
*Speaker introductions
*Book signing by all author/speakers
*Light fare and cash bar

Friday, April 4th – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Empowered Partnership Building Experience
*Keynote presentation – Stephanie Bonte-Lebair
*Cross Promotion Strategy breakout workshops
*Buffet lunch included
*Speaking Strategy breakout workshops
*Affiliate Strategy breakout workshops

Friday, April 4th – 7 p.m.-10 p.m.
Creative Entrepreneur Celebration Event
*Talent show & (optional) dancing
*Light fare and cash bar
*Cocktail dress attire

Saturday, April 5th – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Empowered Partnership Building Experience
*Author/speaker panel – with New York Times Best Selling Author, Suzy Prudden
*Affiliate Strategy breakout workshops
*Buffet lunch included
*Creative Collaborative Strategy breakout workshops
*Closing keynote – including developing your “action plan”- with Stephanie Bonte-Lebair

Travel Details

Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center
9751 Washingtonian Boulevard,
Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, 20878

Food

  • During the duration of the event, all meals are covered except for breakfast.  This includes:
  • Two buffet lunch events
  • Two evening events with light fare and cash bar
  • Note that there are also several restaurants within walking distance and a casual restaurant inside the hotel.

creative entrepreneur celebration event with talent show!

Our community is full of singers, dancers, actors, musicians, artists, writers, audio/video and other creative talents. Creativity can look like so many things, and we want to celebrate it!  

At EBN LIVE! you will have the opportunity to sign up for a special talent show during our Creative Entrepreneur Celebration on Friday night.  It can look like a traditional music performance, or reading a poem, or giving a monologue, or juggling, or sharing about your creative projects!

*These photos represent actual EBN Members and EBN LIVE! speakers and their talents.  This is not a promise of any specific talent performances at the event.

all Experience Tickets Include:

And if you're looking for even greater visibility, then upgrade to be featured as one of 15 networking booths

Draw your ideal Empowered Partners and clients to your networking booth as one of only 15 booths available during the event.

When you invest in a networking booth, you receive additional benefits including:

Get Your Standard Ticket

Non-Member Price: $997
(Members pay just $597 – save $400 when you register by 12/31/24)

Boost Visibility with an Upgraded Ticket with Featured Networking Booth – Only 15 Available

Non-Member Price:  $1994
 (Members pay just $1194 – save $800 when you register by 12/31/24 )

Become a full EBN Member and SAVE on EBN LIVE!

Save $480 on EBN membership and $400 on an EBN LIVE! ticket for $880 in total savings.

MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT
Become a Member of Empowered Business Networking and Save!

questions & answers

While other conferences provide great content, speakers, and networking opportunities, EBN LIVE! takes it one step further…..

We facilitate ideal introductions with like-minded business owners to help you identify actionable partnership opportunities and leave with a plan in place!   

No need to go home overwhelmed with too much information and a lack of what to prioritize first.  We will consciously create moments where you will meet ideal Empowered Partners and then make strategic decisions on how to work together to generate mutually beneficial visibility and income. 

We’ll do this through assigned networking tables, interactive workshops, and a virtual workbook that will allow you to walk away from our time together with an effective (and profitable) Empowered Partner plan.

There will be creative coaches, speakers, trainers, marketing and sales professionals from various industries.  

COACHES: We attract health, life, business, career, and relationship coaches.

MARKETING: Website, SEO, marketing strategy, branding, graphic design, social media, course creation, photography, publishers and more.

SALES/BUSINESS SERVICES: CPA’s, bookkeepers, virtual assistants, financial planners, estate planning attorneys, software & tools.

A large portion of our membership also consider themselves a “creative” which either means they are creating solutions to a problem and creating content that addresses that problem, or they have a creative background like singing, dancing, acting, musicians, writers, artists, poets and have decided to become entrepreneurs in the world.  Their current business may or may not have anything to do with their creative talent, but they are still using their creativity in some way when it comes to their business.

 

If you consider yourself a creative, service-based entrepreneur who can provide your product or service in a virtual environment or to clients in a wide range of locations, you are a great fit for this conference.  Coaches of all kinds, marketing professionals, and services that support small business are a great fit.

Empowered Business Networking LIVE! was created for creative entrepreneurs in any stage of their business.

Whether you are just starting out and are looking to identify your best networking partnerships

Or you’re an established business owner looking to scale and engage in larger collaborations that lead to more leveraged visibility and income.  EBN LIVE! is right for you!

Yes, when you also purchase a networking booth.

Every attendee needs a ticket, and you can earn a BONUS ticket for an assistant or business partner when your purchase one of the 15 available Networking Booths.

Not only will you receive additional visibility for your business, but a member of your team can learn along side you to support you with the partnerships you’ll be generating at this event.

As there are only 15 booths, this is a great way to get additional exposure to attract both potential clients and Empowered Partners during your stay.

After you purchase an Experience Ticket, you’ll be directed to a special link for the Marriott hotel.  The discounted rooms are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis and they are limited.  Please register early and reserve your hotel room as soon as possible. 

This event is during the D.C. Cherry Blossom season, and hotel room prices will be going up as we get closer to the event.  Once the reserved rooms are gone, you will be at the mercy of supply and demand.

EBN was created by Stephanie Bonte-Lebair, a professional singer turned networking expert.  She saw the frustration created for creative small business owners when they would connect at networking events only to struggle with turning those relationships into referrals and sales.

She created an online virtual networking membership for creative entrepreneurs (coaches, speakers, marketing and sales professionals) to create a space for connecting and partnering in a way that is fun and profitable.

After years of her community seeing each other in zoom boxes, she finally decided it was time to meet in person and experience the transformation that only a live, in-person event can provide!

We are thrilled to finally create this unique, in-person, partnership experience.

Members save hundreds of dollars on this event!  We have a very special Membership/Experience Ticket bundle that saves you $480 off the usual Membership Price.  PLUS, you receive the membership Experience Ticket Discount of $400.

That’s a $880 savings!

Just click on the “Become a Member and Save” option in the ticket area.

Yes!

You may visit one of our Networking events which is always held the first Thursday of the month from 2-3:30 p.m. ET.  We sell tickets on Eventbrite, and if you email [email protected], you may ask for a complimentary ticket to visit. ($44-$88 value)

You can learn more about our meetings by visiting our Eventbrite collection and watching a short 2 min video on what to expect.

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