Amex’s Business Class LIVE has Free Sessions with Shaq, Venus Williams

The ninth-annual Business Class LIVE: Summit for Success aims to address the concerns of business owners that were uncovered in a recent survey and expand on Amex’s mission to help businesses do more business, Clayton Ruebensaal, EVP of Global B2B Marketing at American Express, tells CNBC Select.

Business owners stated that the top three resources they would find most helpful in navigating these unprecedented times are virtual business conferences/webinars (47%), virtual networking events (44%) and advice/resources about leading through a crisis (44%), according to the  recent American Express Business Resiliency Survey.

The Summit’s goal is to provide resources that can help businesses grow, hire more people, increase sales and expand into new lines of business. Ruebensaal says that this virtual event balances three themes — education, social and entertainment —  to make the information resonate with business owners.

In order to shift this event from in-person to digital, American Express built a fully immersive Amex Virtual Campus that attendees can explore. The virtual campus includes an auditorium, rooftop and lounge that host sessions throughout the day.

Sessions are broken up into one of four tracks:

• Good for Business: Tools to help grow and operate a business.
• Good for People: Tools to help stay balanced, inspired and motivated to fuel success.
• Good for Community: Workshops and tips on building a cross-cultural business community.
• Business Stories: Hear how business owners have pivoted, the lessons learned and tips to unleash growth potential.

Some events you can expect include a keynote round table with Shaquille O’Neal, Venus Williams and Anna Marrs, President of Global Commercial Services at Amex. Plus sessions addressing the needs of women- and black-owned businesses, as well as challenges faced by LGBTQ+- and Latino-owned businesses.

Opening a small business credit card is a great way to streamline day-to-day business expenses while also benefiting from perks like rewards and discounts at merchants.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express offers 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases up to $50,000 per year, then 1X point per dollar. Plus this card has a unique welcome offer: new cardholders can earn up to $100 in the form of statement credits at each of the following merchants: Dell Technologies, DocuSign or FedEx, after making an eligible purchase within the first three months of account opening (up to $300).

And since it’s important to separate personal and business expenses for tax reasons, a business card can help you designate between the two. Plus you can manage employee spending by adding your employees to your business card account. This takes the hassle out of reimbursing employees for business spending on their personal card and can make expense management easier.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has no annual fee and doesn’t charge for employee cards (see rates and fees). Meanwhile The American Express® Business Gold Card has a $295 annual fee, and charges a $50 annual fee for the first card and then no annual fee for up to 99 additional cards (see rates and fees).

For rates and fees of the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.