FT. LAUDERDALE – The 29th annual Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Conference 2011 gets underway next Thursday (Oct. 13) when hundreds of small businesses and participants of private and public agencies convene at the Hilton Airport Hotel, Dania Beach, to look at opportunities to enhance Florida’s economic growth.
The theme for this year’s conference is “Emerging Industries and Markets – a Blueprint for Success”. Through a series of seminars and one-on-one discussions, the one-day conference offers a variety of topics for business development as participants focus on avenues for entrepreneurial development, financing, exporting, commercial and government contracting, opportunities in the energy sector, networking and partnerships, as well as marketing tools.
MEDWeek Business Matchmaker Conference and Diversity Expo is the largest federally sponsored event and has, over the years, attracted companies and government agencies that will bring contracting opportunities to small and minority businesses. MEDWeek continues to provide an excellent opportunity to develop strategic partnerships with corporations, federal, state and local governments, business trade associations and academic institutions.
Jeff Awater
Jeff Atwater, Chief Financial Officer, State of Florida Department of Financial Services will be the keynote speaker at the Business Power Lunch and Awards ceremony as he elaborates on the conference theme through his main address “Opportunities for Small Business in growing Florida’s economy”. Several awards will be presented for outstanding performance in various categories to minority business firms, economic development agencies and advocates.
Marie Gill
Host of the MEDWeek Secretariat, Marie Gill, of Miami based company consulting firm, M. Gill & Associates, is encouraging broad based participation to the annual event, which she said has wide-ranging opportunities for small and minority business interests. “There is a shift in the manner in which business is now being conducted through the federal, state and local agencies, still recognized as the major procurer of goods and services,” she added.
Over forty companies are expected to bring contracting opportunities to discuss with vendors during the Expo and Boothside Matchmaker Session following lunch.
Sponsors for the MEDWeek event include American Airlines, Miami International Airport, Suntrust Bank, Small Business Administration (SBA), Bayside Marketplace, The Beacon Council, eFlorida.com, Florida Power & Light (FPL), Link Construction, Broward Health, Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX), US Army Corps of Engineers, CitiBank, Broward County Public Schools and Dragados USA.
For further information on conference details, please contact the MEDWeek Secretariat, MGill & Associates at 305-576-6888 or 1-800-730-5581 or [email protected] or www.medweekfl.org
