Get into the swing.

Event offers business-to-business networking in a casual setting

As a business owner, would you hire an employee without first meeting him or her? Like most employers you probably said no. For many fledgling entrepreneurs, the all-important first contacts often happen through networking--like meeting an executive from a company, where you've been dying to get your foot in the door. As the saying goes, you've got to be in the right place, at the right time.

The right place may be the 2000 Black Enterprise/Pepsi Golf & Tennis Challenge, one of the most successful networking venues for African Americans. For the past six years, the event has brought together more than 1,300 black-business owners, professionals and corporate executives for an extended Labor Day weekend at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami.

The networking dynamics come from the assembly of about 250 key executives from 30 sponsoring corporations, hundreds of African American small-business owners as well as professionals from diverse industries.

"The caliber of people who attend the Golf & Tennis Challenge add to the casual, but upscale, ambiance of the even," says John Graves, president of BE Unlimited, the division which organizes the event. "These are people who are serious about business and getting ahead, and who can appreciate what it means to take time out for a little R & R. We're creating an environment that becomes a natural catalyst for networking," he says.

"The corporate executives and CEOs of large, established companies find this event to be just as valuable from a networking standpoint as the up-and-coming entrepreneurs and executives who attend," adds Graves.

While the event offers some high-powered networking opportunities, participants also get a chance to indulge in the amenities of a world-class resort--the Doral. But event organizers set the mood. "Each year, we try to bring the flavor of black culture to our event [through] talented African American designers and entertainers. [We also] engage sponsors to add their own unique flair to activities they host," says Andrea Delph, program manager for the Golf & Tennis Challenge.

The sponsors don't take the challenge lightly, either. Each year, for example, Seagram Americas/Absolut Vodka adds a unique twist to every activity it hosts. Last year, Absolut offered a sneak preview of Absolut Africa, a collection of outfits created by nine leading designers from the continent, which the company officially launched in New York City last fall. The designers include Alphadi, Katoucha and Mickael Kra. In 1998, Absolut gave participants a taste of Absolut Summer--a showcase of hand-painted swimwear by local artists using the human body as canvases. What's on tap for this year? You can bet it's something outrageous.

Over the years, the lineup of artistic and professional talent has also contributed to the event's appeal. "At the Golf & Tennis Challenge, you will see small-business owners networking with corporate executives as well as with high-profile professional athletes, artists and entertainers," says Delph.

Of course, the event can lead to a foot in the door, but the next step is up to you. For more information about the 2000 Golf & Tennis Challenge, August 31 to September 4, call 800-209-7229 or visit www.blackenterprise.com.

Black Enterprise Unlimited is a division of Earl G. Graves Ltd. dedicated to the creation of products and services designed to meet your business needs. We can be contacted at B.E. Unlimited, 130 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10011-4399; fax: [phone]; e-mail: [e-mail]. Following is the contact information to help you learn more about the programs and products of B.E. Unlimited:

B.E./PEPSI GOLF & TENNIS CHALLENGE

For information on the 2000 Golf & Tennis Challenge, August 31 to September 4, at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami, call 800-209-7229.

B.E. & AXA/EQUITABLE SKI CHALLENGE

To inquire about the Second Annual Ski Challenge, January ]0-15, 2001, at Vail's Cascade Hotel & Club Resort in Colorado, call 800-209-7229.

KIDPRENEURS[TM] PROGRAM

The Kidpreneurs Program is dedicated to the creation of business education products for our children. To learn about our annual Kidpreneurs Konference, call 800-543-6786.

To order Black Enterprise for Teens[TM], a publication focusing on economic and self-empowerment, or KidpreneursNews[TM], a publication designed to foster the entrepreneurial spirit in children, or to register your child in the Kidpreneurs or Teenpreneurs Club, call 877-KID-PREN (877-543-7736).