To recognize business and entrepreneurial achievement, the Principal Financial Group® is sponsoring the Inc. 500|5000 Conference for the 14th consecutive year.

Nearly 1,300 entrepreneurs running the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. will gather at the 34th annual Inc. 500|5000 Conference & Awards Ceremony Oct. 21-23 in Orlando, Fla., to network, share interests and swap experiences with like-minded peers on all things entrepreneurial.

“These visionaries have rapidly built growing businesses from the ground up by being bold and innovative in how they uncover and meet needs of customers,” said Beth Brady, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at The Principal®. “It is no easy feat to accomplish what these business owners do every day to make the lives of their customers easier … better. We are honored to celebrate business owners who love what they do and represent the best and brightest in business today.”

During the three-day conference, The Principal will:

  • Share the importance of brand when building a business, featuring Tom Knapp, Golf Channel, senior vice president – Programming.
  • Honor its retiring iconic cartoon character, Eddie, at a special party on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 22.
  • Have illustrators on-site to draw the retirement visions being created through The Principal’s #SeeYourRetirement campaign.
  • Host a book signing with pioneering social entrepreneur Daniel Lubetzky, Founder and CEO of KIND Health Snacks, and author of, “Do the KIND Thing.”

The Inc. 500|5000 Conference is the leading forum of its kind. It offers an unprecedented line-up of business experts, learning sessions, networking opportunities, and a black-tie gala to recognize the current year’s Inc. 500|5000 honorees.

For the latest research on small to medium-sized business owners, visit The Principal Financial Group Well-Being IndexSM: 2015 Business Owner study.

About the Principal Financial Group
The Principal Financial Group® (The Principal®)1 is a global investment management leader offering retirement services, insurance solutions and asset management. The Principal offers businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement, asset management and insurance through its diverse family of financial services companies. Founded in 1879 and a member of the FORTUNE 500®, the Principal Financial Group has $539.9 billion in assets under management2 and serves some 20.1 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.

About Inc. and the Inc. 500|5000
Inc., the only major business magazine focused exclusively for CEOs of fast-growing, private companies, delivers real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. Inc. provides hands-on resources and market-tested strategies for managing people, finances, sales, marketing, and technology. The publication also looks beyond work to address the entrepreneurial lifestyle. The Inc. 500|5000 is a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation. For more information on Inc. and the Inc. 500|5000 Conference, visit www.Inc.com.

1 “The Principal Financial Group” and “The Principal” are registered service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.

2 As of June 30, 2015.