DC’s most famous export, Shashi Bellamkonda, @ShashiB, both invited me to attend and asked me to promote GrowSmartBiz 2010. Unfortunately, I had to cancel my tickets as I am heading out to San Francisco on Thursday but I guarantee you’ll love it. Ask Sashi if you can have my ticket! (via Marketing Conversation)

I attended last year’s event and it was amazing, super-saturated with both interesting people as well as useful and actionable advice. You really need to register for the event this Friday, to be sure!

Yes, there are a lot of suits at the conference, and quite a few agency zombies, but since Shashi is also one of our most valuable social media resources in Washington, there are also lots and lots of local area social media and blogging celebrities as well, who will, I am sure, be live-blogging and live-tweeting the entire event. And you can attend, too! And even if you cannot, please be sure to attend the Thursday 4th pre event happy hour! Here are ten reasons to attend Grow Smart Biz 20101 this Friday from Monika Jansen

10. Great networking opportunities. Last year, I got to meet a lot of interesting people (here’s one), as this event attracts hundreds of executives from various industries throughout the region.

9. You will learn a lot from small business owners. All of the small business owners and executives who spoke last year shared their knowledge and experience on issues that affect us as we try to grow our businesses. And some of them are very funny (especially Ramon Ray of SmallBizTechnology, who said he thought Shashi was Network Solutions for the longest time).

8. Meet the vendors you’ve been meaning to contact. The trade show aspect is a really great opportunity to meet product and service providers who can help you grow your small business.

7. Pick a conference track. Last year, all attendees heard great presentations on a handful of topics, but with only an hour for each session, the surface was barely scratched. This year, you get to immerse yourself in one of four topics to gain a much deeper understanding of that area. Choose from Marketing & Innovation; Government, Small Business Finance, and Non-Profit; Technology as a Tool for Your Business, or Entrepreneur Bootcamp.

6. Breakfast and lunch. The food was really good last year.

5. Meet the NetSol bloggers! All of us bloggers (yes, including Shashi) will be at the event. Because I work remotely, I loved meeting everyone last year, including some of NetSol’s marketing people.

4. It’s not expensive. The cost to attend is only $79 per person this year, way down from last year’s rate.

3. You get out of the office for the day! Last year’s conference was on a Tuesday, and because of the simple fact that this year’s conference takes place on a Friday, it’ll be more fun.

2. This year’s event is bigger. More vendors, more speakers, and more topics.

And the number one reason to attend this year:

1. You will leave inspired. Sounds a little too Oprah Winfrey, I know, but when I left last year, I had learned a lot, and I was honestly excited not only about being a small business owner, but confident that I could grow my small business (and I have!).

Here’s the pitch directly from Shashi Bellamkonda:

I wanted to give you and your readers a heads up and some info on the 2nd GrowSmartBiz Conference in Washington D.C. (Friday, November 5). In this economy – small business owners and entrepreneurs need every bit of help they can get.

We have great speakers lined up, with new topics, plus great opportunities to network with other business owners – from solopreneurs and bloggers, to executives from various small businesses and small biz vendors, plus small business experts. (http://growsmartbusiness.com/growsmartbiz-conference-speakers/ ) Let’s not forget the chance to meet in person some of our friends we may have only met online. Last year more than 400 small biz owners showed up and connected with each other; an attendee survey showed: 98% were satisfied and over 95% felt the content was very good.

We have four tracks this year: http://growsmartbusiness.com/growsmartbiz-conference-agenda/

• Track 1: Marketing & Innovation
• Track 2: Government, Small Business Finance and Non-profit
• Track 3: Technology as a Tool for Your Business
• Track 4: Entrepreneur Boot Camp

Network Solutions is co sponsoring this event again for a second year with the Washington Business Journal as the main Sponsor. Please save the date, register now yourself, and please let your readers know. The GrowSmartBiz conference page< link GrowSmartBiz conference page to http://goo.gl/6icz > (includes continental breakfast and lunch), more details online at:http://www2.bizjournals.com/washington/events/2010/growsmartbiz/

Details:

• The 2nd annual GrowSmartBiz Conference and Trade Show will be held on Nov 5th 2010 at the Renaissance Hotel, D.C.999 9th Street NW,Washington, DC 20001 from 8.30 a.m to 4 p.m.

Register now at the GrowSmartBiz conference page< link GrowSmartBiz conference page to http://goo.gl/6icz ($79 includes breakfast & lunch)

I have been a geek since I was 13 and have been a fan of Chris Anderson since just before he became a big deal.

I have never had the honor of meeting him or listening to him ever.

Well, I have been quite lucky because Geoff Livingston @geoffliving brought me on board as Media / Bloggers at the GrowSmartBiz conference here in DC today so I am here, having received a free copy of Chris’ new book, Free: The Future of a Radical Price as well as a Keynote speech and also a fancy personalized autograph.

My next step is to share a beer with him — but it doesn’t look like it’ll happen today. Too many competing fanboys. Thanks to the folks from Network Solutions, especially to Shashi Bellamkonda @shashib, for manifesting such a smashing conference in humble and charming Washington, DC.