Agenda
Our legendary biennial business-and-broader discussion continues in 2023. As always, we’ll address important issues of business strategy, growth, financing and exit (for our kind of “leading closely-held companies, their owners and Boards”).
Events & Venues 2023
Thursday Evening Welcome Reception
9 Miles East Farm
(The “farmstand” of Mary & Gordon Sacks’ 29 acre organic farm)
Friday Business Sessions
Saratoga Golf & Polo Club
(Est’d. 1896, Saratoga’s legendary “Little Club”)
Friday Evening Dinner
Business For Good
(North Broadway mansion and courtyard)
Saturday Day at the Races
Saratoga Race Course
(Oldest organized sporting venue in the U.S.)
Conference Schedule 2023
Thursday – August 17
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8:00am
Travel to Saratoga
3 hours from NYC and Boston, 30 minutes from Albany Airport, and a historic Victorian-small-town world-away from anywhere you’ve been.
4:00pm - 7:00pm
Welcome Reception & Registration
Thursday Welcome Reception at 9 Miles East. We traditionally kickoff The Saratoga Weekend with a local, relaxed “welcome to town.” Nine miles east of Saratoga, you’ll find Mary and Gordon Sacks’ 29 acre little slice of heaven, 9 Miles East Farm. In town, you’ll find their farmstand/cafe featuring, among other things, 9ME’s legendary sourdough pizza (think fresh tomatoes, garlic and herbs from the farm). See you there for this year’s Welcome Reception, and hear Gordon and Mary Sacks on ‘bringing the farm to the people’ and their own tale of closely-held business strategy and growth.
Come as you are.
Friday – August 18
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8:00am
“Breakfast at the Saratoga Golf & Polo Club”
Compare pre-session notes with other Campers over omelets, coffee, and the New York Times or Wall Street Journal in Saratoga’s storied Saratoga Golf & Polo Club. Established in 1896, featuring an original Victorian-era golf course, turn-of-the-20th-century tennis facilities (lawn and clay courts), and 1914 Club House, the “Little Club,” as it’s known, is Saratoga’s finest. It’s like coming home — it’s where The Saratoga Weekend began.
8:45am
“Mayor Kim’s Keys to the City”
Since the beginning of The Saratoga Weekend, Saratoga Springs’ Mayors (both sides of the aisle) have welcomed our guests to the City of Health, History and Horses. We’re honored and thankful to Saratoga’s Mayor, Ron Kim for upholding this tradition. We welcome Mayor Kim as he shares his perspectives on the current-and-future of Saratoga Springs and, as a former Commissioner of Public Safety and Zoning Board Chairman, his thoughts on city planning in general.
Friday a.m. sessions are business casual.
9:00am
“Boards Done Right”
Boards matter, more than ever. Not just “because governance” or “ESG” but, importantly, in shaping and resourcing strategic plans, spotting risks, and overseeing/supporting the C-suite. Boards done right bring outside perspective and expertise that address “unknown unknowns.” Better boards accelerate growth and value-creation. How can closely-held companies build and utilize better boards? Hear David Deutsch (veteran investment banker and the original “Board Advisor”) and some of the best board members and CEOs we know in discussing the do’s and don’ts of closely-held company boards.
9:45am
“Talent Management, the Old-New Thing”
Nothing’s older than “HR,” and nothing’s newer (and more-important) than “talent management” (hint: it’s not your father’s HR). In recent years, we’ve experienced workplace changes that are nothing short of a new industrial revolution. Manufacturing-process changes in Europe and the U.S (1760-1840) revolutionized how the world works; today’s work-process changes are equally profound. From the Great Resignation, to gig-work, to remote and hybrid work, to the necessity of providing today’s employees with “purpose”… identifying, recruiting, onboarding, training, managing, compensating and retaining talent is paramount. Talk talent with some of the smartest “people” people we know.
10:30am
Mid-Morning Break
10:45am
“Out-Sourcing, In-Sourcing, and the Future of Trade”
Supply chain management and international trade are increasingly complex and problematic. Supply chain issues dictate manufacturing planning, affect consumer behavior, and influence product pricing. First, there was globalization and off-shoring; now, there’s re-nationalization and on-shoring. Where do today’s trade tools and platforms fit in? What about blockchain? And currency values? Ultimately, where does the efficiency of a broad-based, global supply chain meet the more-certain availability of a simpler “on-shored” model? Former Chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission, Meredith Broadbent leads the discussion.
11:30am
“The Krav of Business”
David’s old friend, Dan Shulman, leader of PayPal, swears by the lessons of Krav Maga, the hand-to-hand combat system of the Israeli Defense Forces; hear Dan on his podcast “Never Stand Still.” For centuries, students of martial arts have known that such training teaches valuable life lessons. Among them: discipline, respect for others, and development of strength that is most powerful when not used. They’re valuable business lessons as well. Hear David’s Krav Maga instructor, Davide Gristina, founder/leader of Krav Maga New York, on the life-lessons (and a few practical “street” ones) of Krav.
12:15pm
“The Eco-Political Landscape of 2023/2024”
Politics and economics are linked. You can’t affect (or predict) one without the other. Hear Joan Woodward’s (President of The Travelers Institute) analysis of both. Founding Executive Director of Goldman Sachs’ Global Markets Institute, Woodward joined Travelers in 2008. Now, a member of Travelers’ Management Committee, Operating Committee, and the Travelers Foundation Board, Joan is one of the most insightful and thought-provoking economic and political commentators out there. As a courtesy to Camp David, she promises to predict exactly who will win the White House in 2024, why, and what will become of the U.S. and global economies. (Of course not, but we’ll learn a lot from the discussion.)
1:00pm
Lunch
Kickoff your lunch-time break (we packed a lunch for you) with a few wrap-up and pre-dinner comments from host, David Deutsch.
1:30pm
Downtime
Enjoy a few hours of downtime in Saratoga Springs. Stroll Broadway. Visit Saratoga Lake. See Saratoga Battlefield. Visit the Saratoga Spa State Park or Universal Preservation Hall. Or, just catch some “rays” at the Victoria pool.
But, return to your hotel room in time to clean-up for this year’s evening at at the North Broadway manse and courtyard of Business For Good!
6:00pm
Business for Good
On Friday evening, we’re planning a special program at a special place: Business For Good at its stately headquarters on Saratoga’s North Broadway. Founded by uber ad executive, Ed Mitzen and his wife Lisa, BFG is about capital-meets-community. Since its 2021 investment in Saratoga’s legendary Hattie’s Restaurant (whose namesake founder, Hattie Mosely Austin, opened her original “Chicken Shack” in 1938 and took-in countless young people), the not-for-profit has invested in 100+ business and community organizations. Hear Ed’s views on community, advertising, and thoroughbred horse racing. Oh, yeah, Ed also co-founded Sackatoga Stables, home of thoroughbred superhorse, “Tiz The Law” (2020 Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes winner, and Kentucky Derby runner-up).
Ask Ed and Lisa why “Good is Better.”
Friday p.m. dinner is Summer Fancy.
Evening
Out-and-About
Informal out-and-about in Saratoga with other guests. Or, get some rest before our Day at the Races.
Saturday – August 19
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Morning
Breakfast & Explore Saratoga
Sleep-in if you’d like. Breakfast on your own. Grab a bagel and coffee at Uncommon Grounds, go to Death Wish Coffee, or visit Saratoga Coffee Traders, or breakfast at Saratoga iconic Compton’s Diner, or — if you’re lucky enough to snag one — one ticket to sugar heaven at Darling Donuts.
Arrive at Saratoga Race Course by noon.
12:00pm
“The Annual Running of The Alabama Stakes and The David N. Deutsch & Company”
The 143rd running of The Alabama Stakes (the longest running stakes race for 3-yr-old fillies in the U.S.) at Saratoga Race Course and the Annual Running of The David N. Deutsch & Company. Our Day at the Races is The Saratoga Weekend’s end-cap. A great way to say hello again, and goodbye, to those you’ve met at Camp David. Super seats, clubhouse admission and David’s handicapping tips (he was a pari-mutuel clerk growing up in Saratoga): study the Daily Racing Form or pick the entry with most compelling name.
Dress is racetrack casual. See you in the Winners Circle with legendary friend of Camp David, Sam the Bugler!!
5:00pm
Departure & Travel Home
Travel home after another memorable Saratoga Weekend.
