SUSTAINABLE ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE ANNOUNCED

HONOLULU — The Hawaii State Office of Planning and the University of Hawaii Pacific Business Center Program will host a conference on Sustainable Entrepreneurial Development in Urban and Rural Areas on February 27-March 1, 2007 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Attendance at the conference is expected to include representatives from organizations that offer technical assistance for various economic development activities, from both the private and public sectors.

Representatives from Federal grant-making agencies will be making presentations and participating in the conference.

Attendees will be coming from the throughout the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, and from the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands. Learn from colleagues as they describe their successful projects in the area of Sustainable Entrepreneurial Development in Urban and Rural Areas. Hear from international speakers, federal funders and others for ideas about approaches and collaborations that work.

Conference participants are traveling from as far east as the state of Georgia and as far west as the Federated States of Micronesia. There will be representatives from Native American tribes, as well as Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in attendance.

City, County and State government organizations will also be represented.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Dr. Ernesto Sirolli, Founder, Chairman & CEO of the Sirolli Institute (http://www.sirolli.com/), is a noted authority in the field of sustainable economic development. Sirolli will be delivering the Wednesday luncheon keynote speech as well as a hands-on workshop on Thursday morning. He'll be introducing his concept of "Enterprise Facilitation"-- a person-centered approach to community and economic development.

FEATURED SPEAKER:

Mr. Richard Engelhardt, Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will deliver the closing luncheon talk on the topic of "Protecting Indigenous Cultures within a Tourism Environment".

SPECIAL GUESTS:

i Mr. Salvador Enriquez, Chief, Business Development Group, San Francisco National Enterprise Center, Minority Business Development Agency, U.S. Department of Commerce;

i Mr. A. Leonard Smith, Regional Director, Seattle Regional Office, Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce;

i Honorable Mufi Hannemann, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu;

i Mr. Ted Liu, Director, Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), State of Hawaii.

For more information about the conference agenda, or the conference in general, please go to the conference website at: http://www.pbcp-conference.org.

Registration fee is $225. There are also group, daily and luncheon only rates available. Call 808-956-8204 for more information.

NOTE: STUDENTS MAY ATTEND any session FREE - except for the luncheon sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. Please see the conference agenda at: http://www.pbcp-conference.org/index.php?id=41. Students may register at the door, please be sure to bring a current student ID. Validated parking will be available for $6/day.

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For more information, contact:

Mary Alice Evans, Office of Planning

Phone: (808) 587-2802