Mayor Kip Holden’s office is getting down to business next week—small business, that is. The mayor will play host to a series of free events next week aimed at fostering growth of small, woman- and minority-owned businesses.
The events kick off with a welcoming of the Women’s Business Enterprise Council, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana and the Southern Regional Minority Supplier Development Council for an evening networking event on Monday. The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at L’Auberge Casino & Hotel, 777 L’Auberge Ave.
On Tuesday, Holden will host a technology recruitment fair for those seeking employment opportunities in the burgeoning industry. Representatives will be sourcing business consultants, designers, certified professionals, programmers and other skilled technical professionals at a fair taking place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., also at L’Auberge. Job seekers planning to attend are encouraged to dress professionally and bring several copies of their résumé.
The fourth-annual Small Business Development Summit will take place on Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., also at L’Auberge. The summit is aimed at helping local businesses find contracting opportunities with the city-parish. Representatives from nine city-parish departments will be on hand to discuss their processes for procuring goods and services, and to provide information about how small businesses can take advantage of those opportunities.
Holden says there also will be opportunities for small business owners to meet one-on-one with city-parish departments, procurement managers and technical assistance partners.
]“Building on our past successes, this year’s upcoming summit will again work to strengthen the local pool of qualified small businesses and help small business owners achieve success by providing one-on-one consulting, networking opportunities and other assistance,” Holden says in a prepared statement.
All of next week’s events are free, but participants are asked to register in advance online. Get complete event details and register to attend.
