MarketPlace: Opening New Doors to Success

Mark your calendars to participate in the First Annual MarketPlace: Opening Doors to Success Conference presented by the Center for Rural Affairs and its numerous partners on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 at the Ramada Inn in Kearney, Nebraska.

What is the MarketPlace? For the first year, Nebraska is offering a conference modeled after North Dakota's very successful Marketplace for Entrepreneurs. The conference will offer training, networking, and professional development opportunities for startup and existing small businesses, service providers, rural communities, and family farmers and ranchers.

Key Conference Elements:

1. The Networking Area will feature up to 50 exhibit booths filled with successful small business men and women, service providers, and other conference sponsors. Attendees will be able to meet exhibitors in a “safe” environment throughout the day to ask questions, gather information, and make important connections.
2. Professional Development will be enhanced through a series of teaching tracts – 30 training opportunities.
3. Expert Q & A – professionals will be dispersed throughout the exhibit hall to answer specific questions on legal matters, finances, marketing, technology, design, and more.

REAP members are encouraged to attend and to sign up for a booth. This event is different from the Small Business Fair held previously at the Center’s Annual Gathering in that exhibitors won’t sell at their booth. There will be another area for sales if you so desire.

The goal of this event is to network and learn from each other. Research from the North Dakota event indicated those who attended found a main benefit of the Marketplace for Entrepreneurs was the time spent talking to other entrepreneurs and service providers.

Watch for more information and early bird rates! Check out the website at: www.cfra.org/marketplace.htm .