B.E. in Memphis.

Any black entrepreneur or professional worth his or her salt knows that an opportunity missed can translate into an opportunity denied. Often, being in the right place at the right time can spell the difference between success or failure in any undertaking. With this in mind, BLACK ENTERPRISE is following up its third National Entrepreneurial Conference, which was held in Atlanta in May and had more than 600 participants, with a repeat performance. On Oct, 30-31 BE will sponsor its fourth entrepreneurial conference at The Peabody Hotel in Memphis. So if you missed out the last time, or you attended and just want to make more of those all-important business contacts, here's another chance.

"The entrepreneurial arena has always been competitive," says Carolyn C. Harper, BE's business programs director. "Smart business owners are always looking for that competitive edge. By attending this conference, many current and aspiring entrepreneurs can get that edge."

Adds Greg Campbell, a principal of Baker Campbell Associates in Dallas: "This conference offers the perfect opportunity for attendees to share, learn and experience black entrepreneurial activity at its highest level." A management consultant by trade, Campbell led four workshops at the Atlanta conference and will be on board as a speaker in Memphis as well. "This is an excellent way for business owners to get the kind of information they can apply to their business," notes Campbell. "They can also learn from the experiences of other entrepreneurs."

The conference, which is being co-sponsored by Federal Express Corp., will include:

* Two full days of workshops for novice and experienced business owners. They have been designed to help existing and would-be business owners manage cash flow, write business plans, test their "entrepreneurial IQ" and develop marketing strategies.

* A Small Business Service Expo, featuring major corporations and organizations that are actively looking to do business with minority-owned enterprises. Some of the organizations that are scheduled to participate include: the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Minority Business Development Agency, the Mid-South Minority Purchasing Council and the Black Business Association of Memphis.

* A networking luncheon, featuring keynote speaker Dennis Kimbro, author of Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice. A networking reception and dinner will follow.

* A new workshop on quality that will focus on how more black entrepreneurs can conquer mainstream business by placing a greater emphasis on "the Q factor."

* An array of impressive speakers, including tax experts Denise Lamaute and Louis Hutt and management consultant Iris Randall. Newly elected Mayor W.W. Heronton, whose goal is to make Memphis "the Atlanta of the mid-South," will proclaim the week of Oct. 26 "BLACK ENTERPRISE Week."

Early-bird registration is $140 until Oct. 2, after which, the fee is $175. For more information on the conference, call 800-543-6786. (New York residents, call 212-242-8000)

-Dawn M. Baskerville

CONVENTION CALENDAR

The National Bankers Association is scheduled to host its 35th annual conference Oct. 6-9 at The Westin Hotel in New Orleans. For further information, call 202-5885432.

* The National Black MBA Association Inc. is slated to convene its 14th annual conference on Oct. 7-11 at the Adams Mark Hotel in St. Louis. Call 708-2906276 for further information.

* The National Association for Sickle Cell Disease Inc. is scheduled to host its 20th annual convention Oct. 7-11 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington. D.C. For more information, call 213736-5455.

* The Notionol Coolition of 100 Black Women Inc. is scheduled to hold its fifth biennial convention Oct. 8-11 in Washington, D.C. For further information, call 212838-0150.

* The National Minority Supplier Development Council Inc. is slated to convene its 20th annual conference Oct. 18-21 at the Cleveland Convention Center. Call 212-944-2430.

* The National Association of Investment Companies is scheduled to hold its 22nd annual conference Oct. 25-29 at La Costa Resort and Spa in San Diego. Call 202-289-4336.

* For more information on other conventions, check the January 1992 issue of BLACK ENTERPRISE, which features the 1992 BE/Kraft General Foods Calendar of Events. To let BE know of upcoming events in your area, address all correspondence to Networking News, BLACK ENTERPRISE, 130 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10011. Information cannot be returned.