Annual New England Minority Enterprise Development
Celebration to be held on Monday, September 8, 2003

The Annual New England Minority Enterprise Development Celebration will take place again this year at Anthony's Pier Four on Northern Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts from 8 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. on Monday, September 8, 2003. This Celebration will again include a Morning Briefing Session (on the Patio), an Awards Luncheon (in the Upstairs Banquet Room) and a morning and afternoon Trade Show (to be held on the Patio) which will feature individual appointments with representatives of buying activities. Approximately five hundred Attendees are expected.

Doing business in Africa
This year, Dr. Abdul Quader Shaikh, Regional Coordinator for Africa in the U. S. Department of Commerce's Trade Information Center in Washington, D.C. and Mr. Samuel D. Smoots, Regional Business Development Manager for Sub Saharan Africa for the Overseas Private Investment Corporation(OPIC) will be conducting a workshop and meeting personally with minority entrepreneurs who are attendees at the event, who are seeking to do business in Africa. The meetings will take place by appointment (through Ms. Schwartz) immediately after the workshop, which follows the Luncheon.

National Briefing:
The morning national briefing will feature:

--Mr. Stephen A. Perry, Administrator of the United States General Services Administration

--Mr. Nigel Stephens, Legislative Aide to Hon. John F. Kerry, U. S. S., Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship,

--Anthony W. Robinson, Esq. President of the Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense & Education Fund, Inc.(MBLDEF) of Washington, D.C. who will update us on recent and proposed regulations, policies and litigation affecting the Minority Business Community and those with whom it does business, and

--Stephen Denlinger, President of the Latin American Management Association of Washington, D.C., who will speak to Minority Business (particularly Hispanic-Owned Business) issues.

Other participants will be: Major L Clark III, Esq., Assistant Advocate, United States Small Business Administration (SBA) in Washington, D.C. (former Staff Director of the House Small Business Committee for Hon. Parren T.Mitchell, Former member of Congress, Chairman) and Ms. Tracey Pinson, Director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization of the United States Army!

Luncheon keynote (12:15 pm to 2: 15 pm)
The luncheon will be addressed by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Commerce, Dr. Samuel Bodman and the Director of the Defense Contract Management Agency EAST, Mr. Keith Ernst! Also, expected are Congressman Michael Capuano and other representatives from the United States Congress, the Greater Boston Federal Executive Board, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the New England Council, the Associate Industries of Massachusetts, Inc...and a number of key Minority and Minority Business Community leaders and other very important dignitaries.

Award Nomination
To nominate someone for an award, contact R.K. Schwartz for applications (due August 28). Nominations can only be made by those who have sent in their Participation Materials as Attendees at the New England MED Celebration by August 28, 2003. All attendees are eligible to submit nominations. Award Categories are, as previously, New England Minority Entrepreneur of the Year. New England Federal Prime Contractor of the Year, New England Federal Grantee of the Year, New England Federal Agency of the Year, in addition to the New England Neighborhood Business Award.

Event Registration:
To register for this event, contact R.K (Shelley) Schwartz via Phone: (617) 565-6850 or Email: rkschwartz@mbda.gov. General registrations are due by September 3rd. The cost is $50 to attend. If you would like a complimentary Table/Exhibit space to promote your company at the trade fair, also call Ms. Schwartz.

The United States Department of Commerce's New England Minority Business Development Agency New England Office is looking forard to your attendance. Thank you!

NOTE FROM AFRICAN AMERICAN NEWSWIRE: If you run this article, please forward the hard copy news clip or an web address for where the article is posted on the Internet. Send the clips to: African American Newswire, P.O. Box 80837, Springfield, MA 01138 or forward via email, to jfondon@unityfirst.com . All participating publishers will be recognized for their great work. Also, to be included on African American Newswire's preferred list for advertisers, we invite you to send your publication to us on a regular basis. Please call Janine Fondon, if you have questons: 800-286-3659.