An annual summit for Black entrepreneurs.

For many African American business owners, reliable sources of sound business information and advice are scarce. Certainly, government agencies such as the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and other local groups have played a major part in helping black businesses grow, but now those agencies are under attack, and it is not yet clear what the future will bring.

In addition, the most important source of business information--networking--has yet to be as institutionalized as a key generator of business deals for black entrepreneurs as it is for white business owners. Typical venues for such interaction-the country club, the golf course, etc.--are out of reach for many black entrepreneurs, making it more difficult for them to share ideas, develop mentoring relationships, discover new opportunities and make the key contacts that can generate business.

To address this issue, BLACK ENTERPRISE launched its first annual Entrepreneurs Conference, May 1-5, 1996. Sponsored by NationsBank and held at Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, the conference provided a forum for black business owners to meet and discuss the issues that are essential to their survival and future growth.

"We hold meetings all the time in this country, but there is no set time when African Americans could come together, meet and talk about what really makes this country work--business," says BE Editor and Publisher Earl G. Graves. "We've got to get serious about finding solutions that can help expand businesses in our communities. This conference can be the catalyst to do just that."

America's corporate sponsors seem to agree with Graves. In addition to NationsBank, the title sponsor, the Walt Disney Co., General Motors, AT&T, IBM, Wendy's, Reebok, Delta Air Lines, Ben & Jerry's, Movado and Federal Express all invested their support as sponsors of the four-day event. The conference theme, "Strategic Alliances: The Key to Competing in the '90s and Beyond," exemplified the spirit of cooperation between corporate America and black businesses that must exist if there is truly to be a "level playing field" in the business arena in this country.

The conference was also a hit with entrepreneurs. There were more than 700 attendees from all areas of business, including members of the BE 100s. That number also included 100 kidpreneurs, aged 4-17, who made the trip with their parents.

"Our goal with this conference is to create an annual event that will appeal to all African American business owners," says conference Executive Director John C. Graves. "At the Entrepreneurs Conference, you'll have the opportunity to teach, learn, network, relax and enjoy. In the truest sense of the phrase, we want this to be an annual 'working vacation."'

With informative seminars and quality networking events, the first conference delivered as intended. FedEx hosted the opening reception, held in the vast Business to Business Expo Hall, where sponsors set up booths to sell services and look for business partners. This set the tone for the free-wheeling exchange of information that took place throughout the conference.

Day one of the conference began with a "State of African American Business" report delivered by Dr. Thomas D. Boston and Dr. Margaret C. Simms, two members of the BLACK ENTERPRISE Board of Economists. Two powerful sessions on strategic alliances followed. Charles H. James III, chairman of the board and CEO of C.H. James & Son, Inc. (ranked No. 68 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100), headlined a session on "Finding and Negotiating Deals" and David Bing, CEO and chairman of the Bing Group (ranked No. 13 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100), was a key contributor to the session on "Making the Partnerships Work." The last working session for the day linked politics and business as the Mobilization for Economic Opportunities Political Action Committee (MOPAC) presented its agenda of support for legislators that support black business.

Day two of the conference split conference attendees into two tracks, roughly based on the size of their businesses. Among the sessions were, "How to Find and Secure Capital for Start-up or Expansion," "Developing the Winning Business Plan" and "Strategic Business Planning for the 21st Century."

A special general session on "Surfing the Internet for Profits" headlined day three of the conference. E. David Ellington, co-founder and CEO of NetNoir, Rodney Jordan, vice president of research and development at New Perspective Technologies, and IBM program manager Les Williams gave live demonstrations of ways that businesses can use the Internet to enhance their bottom line. The day also featured professional development intensives (PDIs) sessions specifically targeted to the special needs of participants. The PDI on women's business issues was particularly lively, prompting requests for more sessions aimed at serving African American entrepreneurial women.

Working sessions at the conference ended at 1:00 p.m., leaving plenty of time for participants to explore any of the parks at Walt Disney World, or take part in conference activities like the General Motors Test Drive, the Reebok Golf Outing or networking in the business expo. The conference concluded with a gala awards ceremony and black tie dinner to honor the winners of the BLACK ENTERPRISE Small Business Entrepreneurs of the Year (see following article). Also honored were Thomas J. Burrell, president and CEO of Burrell Communications Group and winner of the A.G. Gaston Lifetime Achieve ment Award, and out BE 100s companies of the year, Karl Kani Infinity Gulf Freeway Pontiac-GMC Truck and Carver Federal Savings Bank.

Next year's conference, to be held May 7-11, at the Disney Yacht and Beach Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida will include:

* A special salute to the 25th anniversary of the BE 100s;

* A larger Business-to-Business Expo with more sponsor companies;

* More targeted sessions for women entrepreneurs;

* An expanded kidpreneur program to teach kids about running a business;

* More professional development intensives;

* And more of the quality presenters that made this year's conference an overwhelming success.