Many African-Americans are bypassing traditional jobs, capitalizing on business trends or realizing dreams and becoming entrepreneurs. During Summer Celebration, Indiana Black Expo Inc. (IBE) offers the three-day AT&T Advertising Solutions Black Business Conference (BBC) to provide comprehensive resources for those who dare to pursue their business goals.
As one of IBE’s signature events, the overall goal of the conference is to provide a venue to empower minority, women and veteran owned businesses with information and resources that will help them achieve financial stability and sustainability within their companies.
“People tend to forget what we are all about. We have lots of business workshops that typically go on before the fun events on the final weekend. We’re all about bringing tools and resources in various areas to help empower our community – the minority business community,” said Perry Hines, COO of IBE.
Each year IBE hosts the BBC to bolster the African-American community, but for their 41st anniversary, they are putting additional emphasis on community and economic development by naming this year’s Black Business Conference theme, “Community First.”
The key is to establish local junctures to further empower and augment Indiana’s Black communities.
Although business trends are ever evolving, the BCC provides staple workshops for burgeoning companies and seminars geared towards fresh, progressive practices.
Some of the 13 sessions include: Legal issues for small and emerging businesses; exploring Asia business opportunities through local connections; successful supplier diversity strategies; and new business opportunities in Indianapolis among others.
These conference workshops may seem as if they were only meant for more established enterprises, but Hines encourages entrepreneurs who are just starting or plan to start a business attend a workshop they are interested in. Business pioneers can network with others and glean useful information.
“These workshops were designed exactly for small businesses – they are not intended for big corporations. Large businesses don’t need a workshop on things such as legal issues, they have their own counsel,” said Hines. “There’re a number of workshops people can choose from.”
New this year for the BBC is online registration, which can be accessed at www.indianablackexpo.com.
For more information about the Black Business Conference or other Summer Celebration events, call (317) 925-2702.
