NORTH SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER WELCOMES GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT FOR PRIVATE ADDRESS ON LEGISLATIVE ISSUES


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Leticia Peña Martinez
February 15, 2019

SAN ANTONIO, TX – The North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce was pleased to welcome Governor Greg Abbott to a special lunch event for business leaders, largely comprised of its Board of Directors.

“As we progress through the Texas 86th Legislative Session, we are thrilled to have the Governor visit with the San Antonio business community to hear directly from him on many important issues that will impact economic development, employment, and job growth,” said Cristina Aldrete, Chamber President and CEO.

“We are a Chamber focused on promoting a pro-business environment that continues to fuel economic growth and job creation for businesses throughout San Antonio,” noted Aldrete

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Founded in 1974, the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce is proud to serve the San Antonio business community with an earned reputation as one of the state’s most dynamic advocacy organizations. The North San Antonio Chamber is resolute in their efforts to provide professional development, leadership recognition, and legislative advocacy for small businesses, cybersecurity, technology, transportation, and trade in Bexar County.

North SA Chamber Labor Peace Agreement Recommendation Adopted by City Council

North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CONTACT: Mary-Margaret Hasslocher

February 28, 2018

NORTH SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER COALITION RECOMMENDATION TO RESCIND LABOR PEACE AGREEMENT REQUIREMENT ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL

SAN ANTONIO, TX – A recommendation by the North San Antonio Chamber to rescind the Labor Peace Agreement (LPA) portion of The Food, Beverage, and Retail Prime Concessionaire (RFP 18-014) for San Antonio International Airport (SAT) was adopted by Mayor Ron Nirenberg on Wednesday following City Council B Session.

The direction to issue the RFP with this LPA clause was done without public input or a full understanding of the increased costs it would create for local food service businesses to compete for the contract.

“We appreciate the willingness of the Mayor Nirenberg and City Council to listen to the business community’s concerns and acknowledge stakeholder input is vital to good city governance”, said Cristina Aldrete, Executive Vice President of the North San Antonio Chamber.

The Labor Peace Agreement would “require that all solicitation documents and contracts for terminal concessions at SAT include a requirement to implement a labor peace agreement between the concessionaire, its affiliates and its subtenants, if any, and any requesting labor organizations which represent or reasonably might represent employees working as part of the prime concession agreement….”

Under these agreements, a private sector employer must secure an LPA with a union as a condition of doing business with the city.

The North San Antonio Chamber assembled an influential coalition comprised of San Antonio business owners and area pro-business advocacy groups to urge City Council and Mayor Nirenberg to remove the LPA portion of RFP 18-014.

The coalition is led by the North San Antonio Chamber and includes the San Antonio Restaurant Association, Associated Builders and Contractors – South Texas Chapter, San Antonio Chapter of Associated General Contractors, San Antonio Manufacturers Association, San Antonio Real Estate Council, and the San Antonio Tourism Council, among others.

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Founded in 1974, the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce is proud to serve the San Antonio business community with an earned reputation as one of the state’s most dynamic advocacy organizations. The North San Antonio Chamber is resolute in their efforts to provide professional development, leadership recognition, and legislative advocacy for small businesses, cybersecurity, technology, transportation, and trade in Bexar County.

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Contact
North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
Mary-Margaret Hasslocher, Director of Public Affairs
(210) 344-4848
mhasslocher@northsachamber.com

 

 

Duane Wilson, President and CEO of North San Antonio Chamber Announces Retirement

North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Mary-Margaret Hasslocher
February 20, 2018

PRESIDENT AND CEO OF NORTH SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

SAN ANTONIO, TX – Duane Wilson, President and CEO of The North San Antonio Chamber will retire from his position effective June 30, 2018.

Wilson has served as President and CEO of the North San Antonio Chamber for 25 years.  He announced his retirement to the North San Antonio Chamber Executive Committee early Tuesday morning.

Wilson was active in transportation and infrastructure development in San Antonio.  He has served on various boards including San Antonio Mobility Coalition, Northside Lions Club, and the San Antonio Technology Accelerator Initiative.  Prior to joining the North San Antonio Chamber, Wilson served 26 years as the District Manager for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company.

“Serving the North Chamber for the past 25 years has been an incredible opportunity and one that has greatly enhanced my professional and personal life.  It has been an honor to serve all the membership of this great business organization and the incredible group of volunteers that assist in the mission of the North Chamber.”

Wilson is a San Antonio native and graduate of Our Lady of the Lake University.  Duane is married to his wife, Bettie, and has two children and three grandchildren.

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PERMALINK

Founded in 1974, the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce is proud to serve the San Antonio business community with an earned reputation as one of the state’s most dynamic advocacy organizations.  The North San Antonio Chamber is resolute in their efforts to provide professional development, leadership recognition, and legislative advocacy for small businesses, cybersecurity, technology, transportation, and trade in Bexar County.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

Contact

Mary-Margaret Hasslocher, Director of Public Affairs

North San Antonio Chamber

(210) 273-3231

mhasslocher@northsachamber.com

North SA Chamber Opposes SA Airport RFP Labor Peace Agreement

 

February 8, 2018

NORTH SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER OPPOSES SAN ANTONIO AIRPORT RFP LABOR PEACE AGREEMENT

The City of San Antonio is preparing to move forward with a solicitation that represents a major change in contracting policy which could negatively impact local businesses.  On January 18, 2018, the City issued a request for proposal (“RFP”) for concessions at the airport.  The Food, Beverage, and Retail Prime Concessionaire for San Antonio International Airport (RFP 18-014) requires the selected private entity to enter into an agreement with a labor organization as a condition of receiving a City contract.

The alarming element to the RFP is the “Labor Peace Agreement Requirement” (LPA) which will “require that all solicitation documents and contracts for terminal concessions at SAT include a requirement to implement a labor peace agreement between the concessionaire, its affiliates and its subtenants, if any, and any requesting labor organizations which represent or reasonably might represent employees working as part of the prime concession agreement…”.

The LPA requirement serves as a significant policy change, and was added to the RFP at the request of City Council without public hearings or input from the San Antonio business community.  The LPA clause in the present RFP may set a precedent and cause local companies to feel pressured to unionize, forcing them to absorb additional costs to implement union requirements.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Workforce Freedom Initiative: “Labor peace ordinances come in many different forms, but they all have one essential purpose: to apply economic pressure on employers to compel them to grant organizing concessions to unions.”

Such concessions may include “card check,” where employers recognize a union based on signed cards, rather than by the results of a secret ballot election; “neutrality,” when employers refrain from expressing negative opinions about unions and does not intervene in organizing campaigns; and “workplace access,” when employers allow outside union organizers in the workplace” and are subject to sharing all employee contact information.

“In exchange, unions typically must promise not to strike, picket, or otherwise disrupt an employer’s operations…”.

Such a provision could have a real and negative effect on our members’ businesses if it becomes a requirement in all city contracts.  This puts small to medium-sized local businesses in San Antonio at a competitive disadvantage with larger national companies who can afford to operate on smaller profit margins. This also will send an unnerving message to companies looking to relocate to San Antonio, negatively affecting economic growth and business development in our city.

The North San Antonio Chamber, along with several other pro-business organizations, is calling on the Mayor and City Council to delay the RFP process until the business community is given a full briefing in order to get a better understanding of the impetus for this proposal.

We want to hear from our Members!  Do you agree or disagree with the Labor Peace Agreement clause?  Send your comments to info@northsachamber.com.

 

North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
12930 Country Parkway
San Antonio, TX 78216
(210) 344-4848

NORTH SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER ANNOUNCES SUPPORT TO MODERNIZE NAFTA

North San Antonio Chamber

North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Mary-Margaret Hasslocher

October 16, 2017

NORTH SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER SIGNS LETTER URGING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO MODERNIZE NAFTA, “DO NO HARM”

SAN ANTONIO, TX – North San Antonio Chamber joined more than 300 state and local business associations from across all 50 states in expressing its support for a modernized North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and urging the Trump administration to “do no harm” as negotiations continue.

In a letter sent to President Donald Trump, 314 state and local chambers of commerce reiterated the business community’s strong support for NAFTA and the millions of American jobs it supports.

“Business leaders across the country know first-hand that trade with Canada and Mexico has created American jobs, boosted economic growth, and strengthened local economies,” the letter reads. “But we know we can do even more to seize the benefits of trade with our North American neighbors.”

The message conveyed in the letter demonstrates a U.S. business community united in support of a constructive renegotiation process and a modernized NAFTA – and against continued threats of withdrawal from the agreement.

“With Mexico as our state’s number one trading partner and the increased trade Texas has experienced with Canada, NAFTA is vital to the economic future of San Antonio, Texas and the United States,” says North San Antonio Chamber President & CEO, Duane Wilson.

Members of the U.S. Congress also received copies of the letter, which is available online here.

“We urge you to support America’s workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses of all sizes by protecting and preserving the deep economic ties and benefits the United States continues to enjoy under NAFTA,” the letter concludes.

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PERMALINK

Founded in 1974, the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce is proud to serve the San Antonio business community with an earned reputation as one of the state’s most dynamic advocacy organizations.  The North San Antonio Chamber is resolute in their efforts to provide professional development, leadership recognition, and legislative advocacy for small businesses, cybersecurity, technology, transportation, and trade in Bexar County.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

Contact
North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
Mary-Margaret Hasslocher, Director of Public Affairs
(210) 344-4848
mhasslocher@northsachamber.com

North Chamber Hires Phil Zamora to Lead Communications

North San Antonio Chamber

North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Phil Zamora

September 22, 2017

PHIL ZAMORA JOINS NORTH SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AS DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

SAN ANTONIO, TX – Phillip (Phil) Zamora has joined the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce as Director of Marketing and Communications. Zamora will focus on member and event communications.

Zamora, a San Antonio native, comes to the North Chamber after 15 years with JPMorgan Chase where he focused on executive communication for the CEO and Business Unit Presidents at Chase Card Services Wilmington, Delaware headquarters. Zamora began his communications career with Chase Card Services in San Antonio, helping open the present campus in Westover Hills. In 2004, Zamora moved to the company’s Wilmington, DE headquarters, where he worked in Operations communication before managing CEO internal communications.

Zamora earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Management from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

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PERMALINK

Founded in 1974, the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce is proud to serve the San Antonio business community with an earned reputation as one of the state’s most dynamic advocacy organizations.  The North San Antonio Chamber is resolute in their efforts to provide professional development, leadership recognition, and legislative advocacy for small businesses, cybersecurity, technology, transportation, and trade in Bexar County.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

Contact
North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
Phil Zamora, Director of Communications
(210) 344-4848
pzamora@northsachamber.com

Welcome to IoT (the Internet of Things)!

It’s all the rage now: you speak out loud to the internet connected device in your home and poof! An Uber/Lyft car appears at your doorstep. Pretty great and a huge timesaver, right? Or you’ve seen that commercial where the husband on the beach chair locks his SUV from one thousand miles away. Wow, problem averted, right? Well, not so fast.

All your internet connected devices are huge convenience for you and a potential huge opportunity for a hacker. The potential for threat is obvious enough that a movie or two has already been produced showing what could become possible. So does life imitate art or does art imitate life?

“But I love my __(You fill in the blank)__,” I can hear you bemoaning. Not to worry; here’s what to do:

  • Get some education. (Okay, you’ve started that because you are reading this. Check!)
  • Verify you have a router with a firewall built-in and make sure it has a DMZ capability. More about that later…
  • Put those internet-compatible (IoT) devices on the DMZ zone
  • If this sounds daunting, hire a Security/IT professional to do this for you. Don’t go cheap on your security!
  • Come back here often to read up because this is evolving daily.

Now the details: This is an oversimplification to be sure. There is a lot more to a DMZ and how it protects your home/business network. There are other more significant threats out there today but we have to stay alert. IoT is all the rage today and shows no signs of diminishing. As sophistication increases, devices will build more security into them. Be certain of this: if someone promises you a secured device and won’t put any financial assurances behind those promises, it may be possible they are more concerned with speed to market at the expense of security considerations. We recommend you contact your IT person with any questions you may have, or call the North Chamber so we can redirect you to a member who specializes in this specialty. You wouldn’t go to your eye doctor if your feet were bothering you, right? Get a specialist!

6 Questions To Ask Before You Move To VoIP

Thanks to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and ever-improving cloud technologies, the phone-service options available to you as a small business are plentiful, with more features at a lower cost than were ever available before.

However, with all the options and vendors, separating the good from the bad and navigating the hype can be difficult. Not only are some VoIP systems a complete waste of money, but fees can be “hidden,” so what appears to be a big cost-saving decision can end up costing you more in the long run once you’ve calculated in ALL costs over a three- to five-year period.

Here are six revealing questions you must ask to cut through the hype, half-truths and “little” white lies that could bury your company.

  1. What will the call quality be like on my new system? Companies that sell phone systems and do not install and support computer networks – which is what your VoIP system is running on – are often NOT qualified to recommend or install a VoIP phone system for your office. One of the biggest reasons for VoIP failure (poor sound quality, slowed Internet speeds, etc.) is that the person selling you the system does not understand how to properly assess your company’s firewall, routers, network traffic, Internet connection speeds, as well as a host of other factors, to make sure their phone system will work as advertised in YOUR SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENT. That’s because they’re phone-system sales guys, not network engineers.
  2. How many data centers do you have and are they geographically dispersed? If the answer is only one, run away! What happens if their ONE data center goes down? Or, more commonly, what happens when the VoIP equipment inside the data center goes down? Your business is without a phone until they get their systems back online! Insist on at least two redundant data centers that are states away from each other to lower the risk of a natural disaster wiping out both data centers at once.
  3. What was your uptime last year? What’s your guarantee for uptime? If it’s anything less than 99.999%, find a different provider. And don’t just take them at their word; ask for documentation proving the reliability of their network in the previous year. If they can’t even do that, don’t buy their system!
    NOTE: Uptime is the system’s ability to make and receive calls. If an individual office happens to be down due to an Internet outage, this does not affect the overall reliability of the system, because the system was ready and able.
  4. If my phone is unreachable, do you have automatic failover to another phone? If your provider’s system isn’t constantly monitoring the status of your network, VoIP system and VoIP phones, you should consider going with another provider. If your Internet goes down, or even a single phone stops working, the system should know that within a few minutes and automatically forward the calls to a predetermined destination (like a cell phone or another office location).
  5. Do you monitor my phones and system 24/7/365 for any potential issues? If you have to tell your provider the phones aren’t working, then find another provider. Any quality vendor should be monitoring and maintaining your system for you, using remote management tools. If you are missing calls, move on to a different system.
  6. Do you offer a money-back guarantee? If your provider is not willing to back up their claims with a WRITTEN, no-small-print, money-back guarantee, free of “weasel out” clauses, look for a vendor that does. Every phone-system sales guy is going to tell you how wonderful their system is and how you won’t experience any problems. If they’re THAT confident, have them guarantee it in writing so you’re not stuck paying for a new system that doesn’t work.

Retail trends to watch in 2016; Mobile First and Digital Strategy

This article excerpt originally appeared here

The retail industry no longer looks at omnichannel as a revelation, in fact, the term has become somewhat ordinary within the industry. In 2016, the rise of mobile devices and accessibility will see retailers accelerate to mobile-first strategies, alongside other new growing technologies relevant to both the in-store and online experience.

Note: See an in-depth definition of “omnichannel”

 

MOBILE FIRST

According to a Forrester report, by 2017 the number of mobile phone users will have reached 4.8 billion, with 46% of these smartphone users. In the US, 1/3 of all sales will have a mobile element, from product research to an instore experience. Media goods (e.g., video, music, books), clothing, and consumer electronics account for the majority of the approximately $142 billion in mobile phone and tablet eCommerce sales. Other categories such as travel and food-services/restaurant ordering, are not part of Forrester’s definition of online retail.

This blends into a new focus, a mobile first mind-set.

Mobile first, therefore, encompasses an approach purposefully defined for mobile devices only, before linear investments into more traditional devices will be committed to, desktops and laptops, for instance. This requires a new strategy that covers design, user experience, and the development of the interface itself that places handheld devices at the forefront of efforts. By doing this, users will be able to browse products and solutions that have been created solely for mobile access.

As the expectations of consumers consistently evolve, retailers must be willing to explore latest technologies that introduce new levels of convenience and accessibility.

 

DIGITAL STRATEGY

As retailers commit further to digital investments, it goes without saying that defining a clear strategy behind this is paramount. Beneficially, marketers are able to bring with them experience and know-how from more traditional channels and combine their skillsets positively with the additional benefits of new technology.

The evolution of mobile management will take a turn from what we have perceived as the norm up until now. Desktop or laptop strategies based on the click of a mouse and keyboard will be joined by mobile platforms, designed for touch and gesture interactions. Traditional means of marketing such as emails, websites and everything involved with them, social media, etc., will see reshuffles to cater for new modes of accessibility. User experience must incorporate a few considerations, for instance, the context, behavior, audience, and targeted behavior after engagement.

Digital media spending is moving at an alarming speed, far quicker than more conventional digital products and services. Mckinsey foresees that by 2019 digital media spending is set to hit $2.1 trillion, up $1.6 on 2014’s figure. Alongside this, digital advertising was the fastest growing category in 2014, and within this, retailers must continue their transition into digital marketing avenues to utilize the opportunities created by the digital revolution.

From now on, marketing will be less impeded by device and platform, it’s the content and UX that will be under the spotlight. Power is truly in the palms of the consumer, and those who are to take advantage will be those able to embrace a data-driven era, to power innovation and progression.

Key Licensing Considerations

Like most things these days, licenses come in many different varieties. Depending on the license and the parties’ circumstances, several different considerations may come into play. Here are a few of the important provisions that frequently need to be considered in a license.

1. License Grant

The license grant provision sets out what is being licensed and describes the scope of the license. For software licenses, the license grant may name a software application or provide access to a SaaS portal, and may identify the number of users, processors or locations authorized to use the software. A licensee should negotiate a scope of license calculated to accommodate not only current needs but also further growth and commercial focus.

2. Restrictions

The license may contain express restrictions, such as prohibitions on reverse engineering, sub-licensing or use for the benefit of third parties. Among other things, a licensee should evaluate whether its disaster recovery plan, corporate affiliate structure, and anticipated end-use will violate any of the restrictions.

3. Exclusive or Non-exclusive

Licenses may be “exclusive,” which means that only the licensee can use the thing licensed – not even the licensor can use it. A “non-exclusive” license permits a licensor itself to use the thing licensed, and to license it to other parties. A “sole” license generally permits both the licensor and licensee to use the thing licensed, but no other party. A licensee seeking an “exclusive” license usually pays a premium for that privilege, and must typically pay minimum royalties or license fees.

4. Field of use

Licenses and exclusivity provisions may be limited to certain fields of industry or application. Such limitations may allow licensors flexibility to license to the “strongest” licensee in each field, thus maximizing licensing revenue. As with license scope, a wise licensee will carefully evaluate future business plans to ensure relative freedom to operate as desired during the life of the license.

5. Territory

License agreements often contain restrictions on where a licensee may use the thing licensed. Often, territory restrictions result from commercial considerations like those for field of use restrictions. In some cases, however, territoriality restrictions may result from legal requirements, such as export laws and privacy regulations. Licensees seeking a multi-country license must often convince licensors of their business prospects in each of those countries.

6. Sublicensing

Sublicensing rights are particularly important for licensees that include third-party solutions in their product offerings. Many software companies, for example, will through-license third party applications to their end-users. Or, a licensee with distribution and sale rights may desire to sublicense sale rights to certain independent retailers. As another example, for licenses that involve manufacturing rights, a licensee may wish to have another party manufacture some or all the licensed technology, and if so, the license should expressly allow for that.

7. Transferability

Licenses often restrict the licensee from selling the license agreement or obligations under the agreement to third parties. That may be because the licensor does not want to risk license revenue on an unknown third party or inadvertently leak technology to a rival. Licensees typically want the flexibility to sell their business assets – license and all. Parties often compromise by requiring licensor consent before transfer, or allow a licensee to transfer the license along with the business to which the license pertains.

8. Affiliates

For licensees that use one company to procure technology for a group of affiliates, expressly addressing such activity (and appropriately defining “affiliates”) in the license will avoid headaches down the road. For companies with an active M&A history, addition and divestiture of affiliates should be squarely addressed, along with any competitive concerns and degree of permitted disclosure of confidential information during buying and selling affiliates.

9. Improvements

Technology does not – or at least should not – stagnate. From a licensee’s standpoint, the license should preferably include a reasonable amount of licensor improvements, and the parties should address who will own licensee-created improvements. The respective costs and responsibilities for continued R&D should be reflected in the license price.

10. Confidentiality, Publications, and Data Security

These provisions address both the degree of publicity that the license “deal” will receive, and how the parties will treat the information that they exchange and develop under the license. Some licensors will ask for permission to brag about the license. Conversely, licensees often desire to keep such information secret for competitive purposes. For trade secret licenses, the confidentiality obligations will be paramount. For other types of licenses, such as SaaS licenses, transmission of legally-sensitive data (such as personal health and financial information) requires careful analysis of the risks involved.

11. Warranties

The license warranties can provide a base level of assurance regarding quality and ability to use the thing licensed. Basic warranties can address conformance to technology documentation and the level of skill at which services are performed. Some warranties might address whether use of the technology will infringe third-party intellectual property. Warranties may come with expiration periods, and so a careful licensee will want to ensure that warranty periods are long enough for defects to be discovered.

12. Liability, Indemnification, and Insurance

These “risk” provisions address how much each party will be liable to the other party or third parties for damages arising out of the license relationship. Licenses typically limit the liability of one party or the other, and limit different types of damages. Indemnification obligations typically require one party to defend the other party against certain types of lawsuits and other risks, such as patent infringement lawsuits, or product liability lawsuits.

13. Consideration and Minimum Payments

The “economic” provisions of the license are typically negotiated early on, and embody each party’s sense for risk and reward under the license. These provisions may take a wide variety of forms, such as periodic license fees and per-unit royalties, and may be scaled per a variety of factors, such as sales volume or license “seats.” A licensor will typically incentivize a licensee to actively commercialize under the license. Licensees typically look for a long commercialization runway, or a low threshold for staying current under the license.

14. Term and Termination

Term and termination provisions set out the ways in which the license may end. Some will expire after a set term, while others may renew automatically. Licensees concerned with business continuity (such as technology companies passing technology through to end users) will want to restrict the licensor’s termination options, and allow protective provisions to survive termination.

15. Reporting and Audits

Licensors often require licensees to report compliance with the license to make sure that the licensee is paying the correct number of fees. Licensees will try to minimize those obligations, and protect themselves from inadvertent non-compliance.

16. Governing Law, Venue, and Dispute Resolution

The location where license disputes must be resolved can be a big deal for a small company. Rather than fight over whether the small company must travel to another state, the parties might agree to arbitration in a mutually-inconvenient location under a “neutral” but well-established body of law. Typically, licensees and licensors seek a collaborative and mutually-beneficial relationship, and so dispute escalation clauses may be used to encourage face-to-face resolution of issues before they degenerate into vindictive feuds.