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Golden Triangle Business Expo set Thursday |
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Wednesday, 28 October 2009 |
For the Daily News
Area residents and businesses are invited to learn about local and regional businesses at a free event Thursday – the Golden Triangle Business Expo, presented for the first time by the Chamber of Commerce entities from Columbus, Starkville and West Point.
The Expo is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the East Mississippi Community College Golden Triangle Campus at Mayhew. The Expo will be held in the campus’s Lyceum. Free business seminars will be open to the public throughout the day.
The Columbus Lowndes Development Link, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership, and the West Point/Clay County Community Growth Alliance have teamed up for the first time to give the Golden Triangle a premier event to showcase regional businesses and provide valuable information to help local business men and women take advantage of regional business resources, organizers said.
“We originally planned three great seminars, but we’ve since added three additional workshops to our schedule, so we will have a full day of very important information to share with businesses,” said Allison Matthews, the GSDP’s vice president of membership and community development.
The Link has coordinated a seminar to be presented at 9:30 a.m. by Columbus Air Force Base about doing business with CAFB. The discussion will include points of contact and describe CAFB’s policies for advertising and awarding contracts.
At 10:30 a.m., Jack Wallace, president of the Oktibbeha County Economic Development Authority board of directors, will give a program about Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve and how local employers can benefit from showing their patriotism through this program.
The Growth Alliance has arranged for an 11 a.m. workshop on “Sustainable Economic Development,” which will include a discussion of various components of a community, as well as green infrastructure.
Presenter Larry Jarrett, founder and chair of the non-profit Natural Resource Initiative, promotes the diversity, multiple uses and protection of Mississippi’s natural resources as a means to enhance state economic development efforts.
Jarrett earned his master’s degree in environmental studies in 2008 focusing on Sustainable Development. He owns and operates Pine Ridge Marketing, LLC, a consulting company working on sustainability, natural resources and green space.
He is currently under contract with Desoto County to develop a greenways program there and the formation of the North Mississippi Land Trust.
East Mississippi Community College will also present a noon workshop on how the community college can customize work force training to meet the needs of local businesses.
The GSDP has coordinated a 1 p.m. seminar regarding business resources at Mississippi State University, which will feature speakers from the Small Business Development Center, the Division of Business Services and the Thad Cochran Endowment for Entrepreneurship.
Additionally, Jerome Gentry will present a seminar at 2 p.m. on “The Seven Steps of Business Success.”
Gentry will have information on non-traditional financing and technical assistance available to small businesses, minority-owned businesses and women-owned businesses, along with the importance of a business plan and a strategic plan.
Melissa Cook, vice president of the Chamber Division with the Link, said organizers are all very appreciative of the response from local businesses.
“We have many great businesses participating, and for those who are not able to present booths, we hope that all local business people will view this as a great networking and educational opportunity. Please set time aside Thursday to make the short drive to the Mayhew Campus between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.,” Cook said.
The day will begin with remarks from Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman, Columbus Mayor Robert Smith and West Point Mayor Scott Ross. Door prizes will also be awarded throughout the day.
“This is very exciting as the first joint effort between our community Chamber entities,” said Martha Allen, director of community development and Main Street with the Growth Alliance.
“We have enjoyed planning this Expo together and are pleased that we can work on a project that is so beneficial to the entire Golden Triangle. We are also planning a regional Business After Hours for West Point, Starkville and Columbus in May 2010,” Allen said.
For information about the Expo, contact the GSDP at 323-3322, the Link at (662) 328-8369 or the Alliance at (662) 494–5121.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 29 October 2009 )
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